Page 184 of Thorns of Malice

My chest tightens. I nod. "You're right. I don't."

"You were just as bad as the rest of them," Theresa hurls, her eyes in slits.

My gut dives. I might have created the nickname Titty Teaser for Theresa. It stuck throughout high school and college. She had nipples so prominent, no matter what bra she wore, they were always visible. Even now, I have to avoid looking at her chest since they're still right there for the world to notice.

The room gets louder with accusations.

I hold my hand up. "Look, I told you at the beginning of this meeting that I was no saint. And I sincerely apologize for any pain I caused any of you. But what those three did is on a different level. It doesn't make me proud of my previous actions, but I am trying to do what I can to help get you justice."

"To clear your conscience," Leonardo hurls.

I shift on my feet, and the door opens. The hairs on my neck rise, and I go still.

Matt walks in with his wife and Ivy. The room goes silent.

Surprised, I blurt out, "Matt, you're here."

He grinds his molars, staring at me, and the hatred he feels for me is clear. I don't blame him, but if anyone can turn the room, it's him. I knew it when I reached out yesterday, but he refused to come.

Ivy steps next to me and grabs my hand.

Everyone gapes at her.

Theresa snarls, "Why are you holding Dax's hand?"

I tug her closer to me, unsure why she's here.

Ivy holds up her hand until the room quiets again. Then she says, "Some of you know me." She nods at familiar faces around the room. "And some of you were in school before or after me. For those of you who don't know, I was a victim as well. Bobby and Avery both gave me Trance at different times, and I'm a sex addict because of it. Is anyone else here a sex addict?" She raises her arm high.

Slowly, almost everyone in the room raises their hand. There are only three people who don't.

Understanding and sympathy fill Ivy's expression. I squeeze her hand tighter, and she looks at me, then back at the room. "The three of you who aren't… I'd say, consider yourselves lucky, but you're in this room for a reason. So I won't claim that you're any luckier than the rest of us. But those of you who did raise your hands, if you've ever sat there wondering why you are how you are, now you know the reason. It's 99% probable that you were given Trance. And Professor Dyer, Avery, or Bobby did it."

A new tension fills the air.

She continues. "I know it's not easy, and what Dax is asking you to do takes courage."

"Are you going to come forward?" Brianna calls out.

Ivy tenses.

My heart beats faster. I didn't invite Ivy to this meeting. She refused to see Vivian, and my protective instincts didn't want her to go through what I knew the others will if they step forward.

She lifts her chin and says, "Yes, I will come forward with the rest of you."

My insides quiver. I tug her tighter to me.

A collective sense of shock comes over the room.

I can do nothing but stare at her.

She avoids looking at me and nods, reiterating, "I will. I will come forward with all of you. If Matt could be brave enough to do what he did, then so can the rest of us." She looks at him.

He and his wife step forward. She keeps her arm around his waist, and he keeps his around hers. He declares, "That's right. If anyone understands how hard it is, it's me. But they're only going down if we all speak up."

The meeting takes a turn, and by the end, everyone agrees that they'll step forward. It's another win, except I'm not completely happy. I didn't consider that Ivy would come forward.

Everyone leaves, and I take her into my office. I ask, "Are you sure about this?"

---