Page 25 of Silent Night

Everything happens at once then.

That spider crack in the window crumbles beneath the force I shove Bentley’s body into it, shattering the glass. It falls to the ground below.

And Bentley alongside with it.

“No!” Hayley yells, pushing away from where she was out of the way. She reaches the window and sticks her head outside. “Shit!”

I’m stuck, almost numb, as I watch the scene unfold. No way he’d survive a fall from this height, snow or otherwise. If he had, it’s likely he won’t be awake anytime soon. It’s quite possible I accidentally killed him.

She turns away from the window, her face whiter than ever—all except for the red staining her skin. Her cheek for one, and the shadows surrounding her neck from where he was gripping her.

Fuck, he better be dead or I’ll go down there and finish the job myself.

I want to go to her, hold her, tell her he’ll never touch her again, but I’m still numb, watching as she paces by me, wringing her hands together.

“I-I have to go check on him.”

She heads for the door and I turn to follow, only for her palm to quickly come between us. Of course, she doesn’t want me anywhere near her. I’m a monster who just ruined someone’s life, dead or otherwise.

“Stay. One way or the other, I’ll have to call 9-1-1. If there’s two sets of footprints in the snow back there, they’ll question it.”

Fuck. Me.Even now, after everything…she’s protecting me by limiting the evidence the police would find here.

My throat stops working entirely so I merely watch her dash off before heading for the window, eyes skimming the surrounding houses. Everyone’s lights are off and the window breakage didn’t make much noise, and no one’s come running in the past few minutes so at least there’s no witnesses.

Hayley’s now outside and she slowly treads toward her stepbrother’sbody. His face is marked with gashes from my punches, but it’s the angle of his neck suggesting his injuries are beyond a few cuts and bruises.

Hayley approaches him, and I hate it. I don’t want her anywhere near him, especially if he’s dead. She crouches by his side and reaches a finger toward his neck, checking for a pulse.

It’s the longest two seconds of my life, but when she looks up at me, my suspicions are confirmed even before the slow shake of her head.

Dead.

This should be the moment guilt creeps in, but it never comes. Sometimes, it’s kill or be killed, and after living on the streets, things like other people’s lives matter less. It’s me or them, and I’ll always choose myself. In this case, I choseher.

Hayley backs away from him and returns inside the house. I listen for her steps coming up the stairs and back toward her room, wondering at what point she’ll realize what I’ve done, how big of a monster I am, and she won’t look at me how she had in the bath. She’ll understand what taking me in like a stray dog has done to her life.

Her eyes are downcast as she enters and I wait for her to make the first move. To demand I stay so she can have me arrested. If I go to jail, it’ll be worth it knowing he’ll never harm her again.

She crosses the room, every step toward me one more piece of my sanity she’s stealing for herself. She breathes in and out through parted lips once, twice, before blinking, her gaze finding me again. Her hand cups mine, the one I hit him with, the fucker’s blood staining her palm.

It’s all I can focus on. The wrongness of it.

“Thank you for saving me.”

She’s not cowering. She’sthankingme. This fucking girl…Before I’m not allowed to anymore, I cup her face in both hands, remembering this look. The look before she comprehends what it means to have a dead body in her backyard.

“I told you, I’ll protect you. Always. Against anybody.” My fingers stroke over the red mark on her cheek, thumbs brushingthe dark shadows blooming on her neck, the desire to hit him becoming so overwhelming once again. “He hit you. Strangled you. Are you okay?”

She nods shakily, rubbing her hands up my arms. “I-I should call the police before neighbours notice him back there.”

“I’m not sorry,” I tell her. “He was hurting you.”

Her eyes flutter shut for a brief second. “Is it wrong to say I’m kinda happy he’s dead? Does that make me a bad person? I never thought I’d want anyone dead, but he?—”

I don’t think. Just act. Justreact.

Because my sweet girl is so fucking perfect.

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