Page 37 of Pit

“At secondary school. Steven Kendal. It was such a brutal time. It is for most kids, right? But he hated me from the second he laid eyes on me. He would do nasty things, like push me over every time he passed me or embarrass me in front of everyone by mocking me. He got all his friends to do the same, and then the girls would join in just to impress him. He was just cruel. And then, when we got to year eleven, he seemed to change his mind. Suddenly, he was nice and he’d go out his way to chat with me. I was wary at first, but after some time, I let my guard down.”

“That doesn’t explain why you hate the dark, Te.”

I swallow the lump in my throat which appears whenever I think of Steven Kendal. I lower my eyes to the ground. “He asked me out on a date.” Pit’s eyes briefly close like he knows what’s coming. “The first date was fine. He was charming andsweet. He said he’d been horrible because he really liked me but didn’t think a pretty girl like me would give him the time of day. Anyway, I forgave him. The second date wasn’t so good.”

“Because?”

“He tried to kiss me, and I didn’t let him. He got mad and tried to pin me down. Eventually, I let him kiss me because I got scared. He was so annoyed. Then he tried to . . . touch me, and I got upset, which only made him madder. He said he’d tell everyone what a frigid bitch I was unless I did stuff for him.”

“Stuff?” repeats Pit, and I notice his jaw is clenched.

“Like oral sex and stuff,” I mutter, lowering my eyes again.

“He forced himself on you?”

“I let him,” I admit, “but I felt like I didn’t have a choice.” Tears fill my eyes. It’s been so long since I thought about that time. “Date three, he tried it again, only this time, I refused.”

“There was a date three?”

I shrug. “He turned up to my house without warning and basically ordered me to go with him. I was terrified he’d tell everyone about what we did.”

“Jesus, Tessa.”

“I stood up to him that night, and he didn’t like it. He hit me . . . several times, in fact. And then he locked me in his shed until I agreed to do stuff again.”

“And did you?”

“We began this warped relationship,” I admit. “He’d be cruel, and I’d reward him.” I swipe my tears from my cheeks. “It lasted a couple weeks before he got bored and moved on.”

“So, he never . . .”

I shake my head. “We didn’t have sex. Thankfully.”

“Did you tell anyone?”

I shake my head again. “He said he’d tell everyone what I’d done and how I was scared of the dark.” I scoff. “Funny enough, I don’t think I was scared before he started locking me up.”

“Jesus, Tessa,” mutters Pit, pulling me to him. “I’m so sorry for all this shit.”

“I just seem to fall for the wrong men.” My words linger between us, but before he can respond, heavy footsteps descend the steps and Grizz appears in the doorway.

He stares for a moment, a slight smirk on his face. “Pres is calling church.”

“Fill me in after,” Pit mutters.

“I don’t think that’ll wash. Come tell him that yourself.”

“If she’s gotta stay down here, I’m staying too.”

“Come on, Pit. Don’t be an idiot.”

“She’s terrified of the dark,” he spits angrily.

“It’s not even dark,” says Grizz, laughing.

“I’ll be fine,” I mutter, knowing full well I won’t, but I don’t want him to get into trouble.

“Is that stupid fucker coming or not?” yells Axel from the top of the steps.

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