Page 43 of Chaos at Westbrook High

He freezes at that, his face falling as he slowly pulls the hem down over his abdomen. “What?” he laughs, but it doesn’t sound right. “I?—”

“Don’t you dare lie to me,” I say through my teeth. “Did you hurt her?”

He swallows as all the color drains from his face. “What did they tell you?”

“Why aren’t you denying it?” My voice cracks, and I clench my jaw. “Look me in the eye right now and tell me you didn’t try to rape a seventeen year old girl.”

He swallows again, and I see his panic, his fear, his natural urge to make something up and dig himself out of trouble, but he doesn’t insult me by opening his mouth.

“You can’t, can you?”

With his glassy eyes on mine, he shakes his head. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, which isn’t a confession, but it might as well be. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m gonna be sick,” I croak as I turn around.

“Hailey—”

When he touches my forearm, I whirl on him, grab him by his collar, and shove him back down to the couch. “Don’t fucking touch me!” I cry, taking one of the decorative pillows to launch it at his face. “God, what the fuck is wrong with you?” I hit him again. And again. “You fucking liar. All those times you told me you’re not like him, how you’re terrified of turning into him, how you hate him, and now?—”

“I didn’t do it, Hailey!”

“Because they stopped you, you sick?—”

“I wasn’t going to. I swear I wasn’t gonna go through with it. I was out of my mind and I just…”

“You just what?” I growl, my arms falling to my sides when it hits me. “You wanted them to find you.” I guess. “You wanted them to beat the shit out of you like that?”

He doesn’t answer, his features twisting in pain as he drops his head back into his hands. My heart bottoms out, and I back away from him. Snatching my bag from the kitchen counter, I head down the hall to my bedroom.

“Hailey, wait.” He falls into the wall as he stumbles after me, stopping abruptly when I shut my door in his face. “Fuck. Please, Hails,” he says through the wood as the lock clicks. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m sorry for all of it. I know I fucked up, but please don’t shut me out. Please. I can’t lose you.”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I bite back a sob, almost choking on my own tears.

He sounds genuine, but I know my brother. I know him better than anyone, and I hear the words he’s not saying. He can’t lose me to them.

Wiping my eyes with my sleeve, I walk over to the window and peek out at the SUV parked in the corner of the parking lot. Seeing it’s still there, I crawl into bed fully clothed and hug my pillow to my chest. With my eyes on the shadow beneath my door, I lay awake for half the night before I eventually fall asleep.

Chapter 17

HAILEY

The shop is busy today, just the way I like it. It keeps my mind occupied, distracted enough to keep my thoughts away from my dead aunt, my fucked-up brother, and all the other bad shit going on outside these four walls.

Kai walks through the door. He’s smirking as he runs his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more than it already is. I hate how good it makes him look.

I can’t see his tattoos beneath the hoodie he’s wearing, but I know they’re there, crawling up both arms from his hands to the back of his neck.

“Like what you see, baby girl?” he teases, leaning on the counter like he always does when he comes in here.

“Don't you have twenty-four hour room service at home, rich boy?” I ask, grabbing a plastic cup from the stack. “They can’t bring you an iced coffee?”

“You know I don’t come here for the coffee.” He’s suddenly behind me, his chest pressed against my back, his arms snaking around my waist.

I sigh, leaning into him.

Resting his chin on my shoulder, he grazes his fingers over my navel beneath my shirt. “Baby, why won’t you text me back?” he whispers, his lips moving over the shell of my ear, then down the crook of my neck.

He’s on top of me then, pinning me to my bed as my legs wrap around his waist.

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