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Her small voice breaks the silence. “Is that for me?” her chin slightly motions to the sheet and pillow still tucked under my arm.
Her collar looks perfect around her neck. Shifting my eyes from it back to her, I take a step forward and hold them out for her to take. She does it swiftly. Throwing the pillow on the bed behind her and unfolding the sheet, wrapping it around her.
“Thank you,” she says, tears welling in her eyes.
“It’s so cold down here, thank you Landon. You are a good person. You don’t need to be doing this with your brother. You are better than this. I know you are.” She pleads, thinking she can somehow change my mind. She can’t.
When I take a step forward, her body trembles with fear. Nothing good has happened to her when we get close enough.
Taking a seat next to her, and placing my elbows on my knees and face in my hands, I keep her on edge.
Turning my head slightly, “We didn’t plan for this to happen, Banks. You forced our hand.”
She looks back at me puzzled, confusion fills her face as she continues cuddling the sheet wrapped around her. “What do you mean?”
Rolling my eyes, “You took from us. You stole a lot of fucking money from us, then snitched to coach about our grades.” Her face shifts, like she is thinking, then the lightbulb goes off.
“No. I didn’t know. I still have it. Let me out, I will go get it.” She stands as she speaks.
Not going to happen.
“Sit down. You’re not going anywhere, anytime soon.”
I can see the defeat spreading across her face, the tears are back.
“That money was to go out to our professors and a portion of it was also for you. They pass us. You keep your fucking mouth shut, and we all continue with our lives. I even divided it up for you so you wouldn’t have to. But you couldn’t do one simple thing that could have prevented all of this.” My voice is calm as I lay it out for her.
“I didn’t know. Let me fix this. I’ll give them the money. I can tell Coach I messed up. Please, Landon, let me fix this. Let me leave,” she pleads. She thinks by saying my name it will humanize the situation, but it doesn’t.
“It’s done, Banks. If we are getting punished, so are you. When this is all over, I do expect to get our fifteen grand back. You will get more envelopes under your apartment door for exams and midterms. You will disperse them, the professors will be expecting them. We will pass with flying colors, which we normally did—until this semester. You will not get a cut, you will just fucking do what you are told for once.”
Her lip quivers as more tears slide down her fair skin.
“Take your punishment. Stop showing so much weakness. Hudson feeds off your reactions. This will be over before you know it.” I try to explain, “Him grafting you, your screams were like music to his ears. You fighting him to get off? It just got his dick hard. Stop reacting and the pain won’t last as long.”
Another light goes off in her head, “Why can’t you just let me go? I won’t tell him you helped me. I’ll say I escaped on my own.”
Shaking my head, “It doesn’t work that way. You fucked me over, too. I won’t betray my brother. But listen to my advice, ok?” Lifting one hand, I use my thumb to wipe her cheek, and she leans into my hand, closing her eyes. A tiny grin appears on her face. “Thank you, Landon.”
Not understanding what she means, I don’t respond. Instead, I let her skin touch my hand for a minute longer.
Pulling back, her face tries to move with me but I don’t let it. “We will be gone overnight, we have to go to our dad’s. It’s Christmas eve. And before you start babbling bullshit, we already know you have no one. There is no one looking for you.” She frowns at my bluntness.
“I will bring you more food and water before then. It should last you until morning. We won't be gone long. Cameras will be on. We will be watching, so don’t do any stupid shit. If you try, whatever happens after, you caused it. Not us.”
Banks nods once, understanding what I am saying. “Thank you. Don’t worry I’ll be here when you get back. I don’t even know how to get out of this,” she whispers in defeat.
Before I stand, I place my hand back on her cheek, then bring my lips to her forehead and kiss her. She leans into it. Needing it more than I do.
A slight tingle builds the longer I stay connected to her.
Pulling back slightly, I whisper, “Good girl.” Her eyes look up at me with hope.
Pathetic, really.
As I stand, I reach in my pocket and pull out the chapstick I always have on hand and give it to her.
She smiles up at me, and I smile back. Her green eyes are a mix of emotion, but the most important one to me is the tiny bit of hope she is letting shine through.
