Page 76 of Ready Or Not

“Let’s play hide and seek.”

No.

I stand. I had been so wrapped up in trying to start a fire I hadn’t heard any cars pull up.

I glance up. It’s one of Noel’s friends. He’s tall, with a belly and an Oklahoma Sooners shirt on. The man smiles at me. “Animal hide and seek. You remember?”

I do. I don’t forget things. I’m smarter than he is.

I glare at him. He just pulls his shirt off and starts growling and throwing his arms around. “Ready or not, here I come.”

“What are you doing?” I narrow my eyes.

“I’m a bear. You need to run.”

I cross my arms. “No.”

Fighting him is a blur. Next thing I know, I’m in Mom and Noel’s bed, staring up at the deer head mounted on the wall. There’s pain. Lots of pain. Noel’s friend is here with me, but I block him out as I stare at a bald patch of skin on the deer.

How did Noel get that? I know he doesn’t hunt. This deer had to die to sit dead on some poser’s wall.

Anger fills me.

Noel doesn’t hunt.

He’s a lair. A dirty, dirty liar with dirty, liar friends.

41

Let It Go (with Lo Spirit) - Chandler Leighton

I wake to the sound of whimpers.

I jerk up. The room is dark, and it takes me a second to recognize where I am.

Riley’s room.

There’s another whimper. It’s coming from the couch. I squint. Riley is lying there. Dreaming. Acting like she’s in pain.

I swallow. I’ve had nightmares before. When I had them, my ex used to wake me up, which was both a relief and horrifying. Then, not only did I have to feel the pain, but I had to feel it in front of him while not being able to explain it.

I’m torn, feeling something odd for Riley despite all the things she’s done. I realize with a start, that I care.

Riley turns on the couch like she can’t get comfortable.

In a moment of weakness, I grab the top blanket and drag it over to her. I lay it softly on her, then creep back to my bed.

The whimpers stop, and Riley sucks in a breath. Then, she bolts up on the couch, her gaze flinging everywhere.

I freeze, not having fully made it back down on the bed. Riley and I make eye contact, and then she glances at the blanket over her.

Her eyes darken, and she glares at me.

I swallow.

“Did you touch me?”

“No, I–”

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