Page 102 of He Sees You When You’re Sleeping

The two men collide in a tangle of limbs. I scramble away, my heart thumping as I watch them grapple on the floor. Jack lands a solid punch to Tyler’s already bloodied face, sending him reeling back.

Tyler scrambles to his feet and backs off, hands up in defeat. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” He’s reverted to the whiney coward I always knew him to be.

Jack stands over Tyler, fists clenched, chest heaving. “You’re sorry? You try to assault her and you think ‘sorry’ cuts it?”

Tyler cowers, blood still streaming from his nose. “It was a misunderstanding. I didn’t mean—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Jack snarls. He turns to me, his eyes softening. “Chloe, are you okay?”

I nod shakily, pulling myself to my feet. “I’m... I’m okay,” I manage to say, though my voice trembles.

Jack takes a step toward me, fear etched on his face. “Are you sure? Did he hurt you?”

I shake my head, wrapping my arms around myself. “No, I... I’m fine. Just shaken up.” I glance at Tyler, who’s still cowering.

“Listen,” Tyler begins. “Why don’t we pretend tonight didn’t happen. Everything didn’t happen. I’ll keep your secret and you both leave and we can all go home.”

Jack’s eyes narrow dangerously as he turns back to Tyler. “You think you can just walk away from this? After what you tried to do?”

Tyler holds up his hands placatingly. “Look, I made a mistake. I let things get out of hand. But no real harm done, right? Let’s forget this ever happened.”

“Forget?” I ask. “You tried to rape me. You threatened my job, my reputation. And you want us to just forget?”

“What are you talking about?” Jack asks. “What did he threaten you about?”

I hesitate, unsure how much to reveal. But after everything that’s happened, I realize there’s no point in hiding anymore.

“He... he found out about my account. On Dark Secrets,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “He was trying to blackmail me into... performing for him.”

Jack’s face darkens with fury. He turns back to Tyler, his fists clenching at his sides. “You piece of shit,” he growls.

Tyler scrambles backward, his eyes wide. “Now, let’s not do anything rash,” he pleads. “I said I was sorry. We can work this out.”

“Work this out?” Jack scoffs. “The only thing we’re working out is how long you’ll be in prison.”

“Prison?” Tyler scoffs. “You have no proof—”

“I don’t need proof to beat your ass,” Jack snarls.

I step forward, placing a hand on Jack’s arm. “Jack, wait,” I say softly.

He looks at me, surprise and confusion in his eyes. “Chloe, we can’t let him get away with this.”

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “I know. But if we go to the police, everything will come out. About Dark Secrets, about... everything.”

Jack’s expression softens. “Chloe, none of that matters. What he did—”

“I know,” I interrupt. “But I can’t lose my job. I’d lose the house that once belonged to my parents. It means too much to me. I can’t.”

Jack’s eyes search my face, understanding dawning in them. He nods slowly. “Okay. So what do you want to do?”

I turn to Tyler, who’s still cowering on the floor. “Here’s what’s going to happen,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel. “You’re going to forget everything you saw on Dark Secrets. You’re going to make sure no one else at Moth to the Flame ever finds out about it. And you’re going to leave me alone. Completely.”

Tyler nods frantically. “Yes, yes, of course. Whatever you say.”

“And,” I continue, “if I even suspect you’re trying anything like this with anyone else, I’ll go straight to the police. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Tyler whimpers. “It won’t happen again. I swear.”

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