Page 76 of Pit

Tessa

I stare at the message I’ve typed out, my finger hovering over the send button. I take a deep breath and hit it.

Me: I know everything, Pit. You brought me home Friday. You got me the job with Anita. Do not ignore me this time. I want to see you.

I keep the phone in my hand and wait for the reply. After five minutes, I realise it’s not coming, and that just hurts my heart some more.

I open my social media app and scroll through. I don’t use it really, only to see how amazing everyone else’s life is, but it’s not like I have many friends. Anita forced me to add her earlier, and I have some old school nerds on there, the ones who let me hang around with them. Most were too scared of getting Steven’s attention, so they often avoided me too.

I stare at a picture shared by one of the girls who’d allowed me to eat lunch at her table. The caption reads,‘So sad to hearthe news about Lee Hive who was found dead. RIP.’Lee was a good friend of Steven’s, and even though I know it’s almost impossible, I wonder if it’s a coincidence he’s now dead too.

I’m too scared to search his name, in case this somehow leads back to me, and I shut my phone off. I’m being ridiculous.

I lie down on the couch and close my eyes. I was amazed when I woke in my bed. I even texted Pit that morning, telling him I’d made it a night in the actual bedroom. I feel stupid now, knowing that he already knew, and I groan out loud. Since then, I’ve gone back to sleeping on the couch. There’s something about being closer to the door that settles me.

I wake with a start and realise the room is in darkness. I must have fallen to sleep. I reach around for my mobile, pulling it closer to check the time. There’s still no reply from Pit, and my heart sinks.

I push to sit up and the lamp turns on, making me jump. Pit is sitting in the armchair, his face stern. “You’re here,” I whisper.

“What exactly do you think you know?” he asks.

His voice sends shivers down my spine, and that spark of nerves builds in my stomach. “You were with me on Friday.”

“Yes.”

“And you know Anita. You got me the job, which means you probably know Lucas.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Redemption,” he mutters.

I bite my lower lip, mulling over my next question. “Lee Hive is dead,” I blurt out, and he keeps his face neutral. “Do you know about that?”

“Yes.”

I inhale sharply. “But how did you know about him?”

“Your dad is also dead,” he says bluntly.

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “What?”

“He paid Steven Kendal to date you, Te. He wanted you out the way. He paid him, knowing he was bullying you.”

I stare open-mouthed, though not because I’m shocked at learning that new information. My dad was a pig, so it doesn’t surprise me. But the fact Pit has been on a rampage . . . for me.

“Do you see now,” he continues, “why I’m not good enough for you?”

“You did all that for me,” I whisper.

“Because I’m fucked-up, Te. I’m not normal.”

“But you did that for me,” I repeat, standing and moving towards him. I notice his hands tighten their hold on the arms of the chair as he watches me cautiously. “No one’s ever done that sort of thing for me.” I gently place my hands on his cheeks. “Thank you.” I kiss him. It’s bold and so unlike me, but the urge to go to him, to show him how grateful I am, is too overwhelming to ignore. He’s frozen, but as my tongue sweeps into his mouth, I feel him relax. And then his hands slide up my waist and he pulls me into his lap, kissing me back with just as much passion.

A whining sound makes us pull apart. My lips feel swollen, and my heart is beating wildly in my chest. I glance around, my eyes landing on the emaciated dog cowering beside the armchair, wrapped in a towel. “What is that?” I whisper.

“A present,” he tells me, smiling.

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