Page 3 of The Fate of Us

2

Noah

I poura cup of coffee for Jess the next morning. Her eyes are red rimmed and raw, no doubt from a night of crying. Connor and her parents had to leave for work, so it’s only the two of us in the house. She hasn’t said a word since she came down the stairs twenty minutes ago. And I don’t know how to start the conversation.

I set the cup down in front of her and take a seat across the table. She takes a sip of the coffee before speaking. “Thank you.”

I nod at her and go back to looking out the window, trying to piece together all my memories of Anna. Looking for any clues in anything she could have said to me. I’m startled when Jess speaks.

“I didn’t know. I swear to it. I don’t want you to think that I am as bad as her.”

I look over at her, confused.

“That story Becca told. I swear on my life, I had no idea it was Kyle that night.”

I nod, not really knowing how else to answer. Do I think it’s shitty that Jess messed around with Kyle? Fuck yes. But from the look on her face, I can tell she didn’t even know it was him until last night.

“God, I was so drunk that night. I don’t even know how it happened. I only had one drink when I got there, but it was strong.” She sniffles as she circles her finger over the wood of the kitchen table. “I started dancing with my girls and then got super dizzy. Someone wrapped their fingers around my waist and I just followed them… fuck, I am such an idiot.”

My body stiffens as I hear Jess retell the story. A story I’ve heard one too many times as a cop in a college town. One I’ve heard from my sister. “Jess.”

She looks up at me as tears leak down her cheek.

I stand up, grabbing a tissue from the box on the counter, and squat in front of her. “Jess,” I whisper as I hand her a tissue. “I think you were drugged that night.”

Her quiet tears become more audible as I speak. “I’ve seen it happen a lot. And everything you just said sounds like every other case I’ve had.” I grab her hands. “It wasn’t your fault. If Kyle did that to you, he is worse than I thought he could be. If Kyle did that, Anna will forgive you.”

“Are you sure?” she squeaks out.

“Anna has the biggest heart in the world. She would never blame this on you.” I sigh before I continue. “And who knows if it was him. Becca hasn’t proven herself trustworthy to me at all. She could be lying.”

“B-b-but I was wearing a pink dress the night it happened.”

“And Becca was at the party. She could have easily known what happened to you and made that whole thing about Kyle up. From everything I know about her, she seems like she has been jealous of Anna her whole life. And she will do what she can to tear her world apart.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’m a cop. I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count.”

Jess squeezes my hands back before letting go. “Thank you. I needed that. That night has been burned in my brain since it happened.”

“You were assaulted, Jess.”

She shakes her head. “I knew what I was doing. Kinda.”

“It’s assault if you’ve been drugged.”

She nods. “I guess I never thought of it that way. I never reported it.”

“Most don’t,” I say quietly as my thoughts race back to my sister.

“God, this is all so fucked up. Kyle never deserved my sister. He was a piece of trash.”

I look at her confused. Everything I know about Kyle I heard from Anna so I don’t know the other side, don’t know how others viewed him. But Anna made it sound like he was the boy next door, the hometown hero.

“He never loved her like he said he did. He had this whole town and everyone that knew them playing the fool. The summer after they started dating, I walked in on him fucking some girl we went to high school with. When I brought it up to him, he played the whole thing off like it wasn’t his fault. He was such a fucking dick. Said he needed better pussy sometimes. Wanted to wrap his hands around a girl, not lose his grip in her fat.”

I shudder at her words. Christ, this guy was a dick. If only Anna knew before he destroyed her life. “Why didn’t you tell her?”

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