Page 109 of Your Side of the Offense

"I do. I think I do. I shone myself in a light I don't like, and I can't help thinking what you all think of me now."

"Peach…" Arch says next to her and she just sighs.

"It's either this or I cry, Arch."

He reaches for her, pulling her to his lap. He whispers something to her and she nods and he kisses the side of her face.

She finally turns back to the table.

"I'm sorry I judged you so harshly." She looks directly at Harvey.

The air in the room gets intense instantly as Harvey looks at her.

"It's fine, Summer," he says after what seems like forever. It doesn't seem fine.

I see her flinch a little. This leaves so much in space, so much in the air.

"So, what is the plan now? What are you going to do?" I ask when no one else will.

She scratches her head. "Focus on school, be single for a while. Try to…find myself. Probably."

"Oh." Jaden’s shoulders drop. I think maybe all of us were hoping for, 'I want to get back together with all of you.'

"So, you still haven't forgiven us?" Harvey asks.

"Harv…" Archer warns.

It’s a hard question but one we all need to know. Where is her mind with regards to us?

"It's not that I don't want to. I feel like I'm no longer worthy to give any of you forgiveness. I am…"

"Summer, you need to stand up," Jaden says and I find myself chuckling. She does too.

"Jaden, I just feel like shit, okay. I think I'm allowed that, and on top of everything I went and did exactly the same thing. So excuse me if I feel shitty and like a giant fucking hypocrite right now and I just want to wallow in self-pity."

"Okay, first of all, I will speak on it because none of them seem to want to address the issue. But it's separate issues. Your relationship with that dickhead is incomparable to what we had with you. Not the same things. You acted on feelings for Arch and that is not the same as Harv getting drugged and sexually assaulted by Tracey."

***

Summer

My ears feel like they are ringing a little.

"What did you just say?" I didn't hear that right.

Sexual assault?

Harvey looks uncomfortable.

"Arch?" I turn to him.

"You didn't have to drop it like it’s hot, asshole," Harvey says.

"Harvey?" I look in his direction.

He gets up and he leaves, and I am left stunned and so confused.

"Can anybody explain to me what just happened?" I say, turning to Arch who is still holding me.

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