Page 48 of Broken Skulls

“I don’t know if I can do that right now. I’m terrified about how this is going to turn out.”

“That’s okay,” I tell her. “I didn’t stop you that day for accolades.”

“Why did you stop me?”

“I wanted you,” I admit honestly.

“Jacob.” My name rolling from her lips, sounds like heaven. “Tonight …” she pauses a few seconds, “just remember whatever you find …”

I stand up, my pulse quickening with every word that leaves her mouth.

“It’s already happened. I’ve already survived it.”

“What do you mean?” My hand balls into a fist.

“I don’t want you to feel bad for me.”

“Elizabeth,” I breathe out.

“You’re a good man, Jacob.”

And then she hangs up on me.

What the fuck are we about to uncover?

Chapter Twenty-One

Elizabeth

Tank’s girlfriend, Kelsie, chatters away as she delivers my last meal for the day. I slide down the wall, waiting for her to leave. When she doesn’t, I sigh and open the little door.

“I want you to know Tank feels terrible that he didn’t see what was going on with you,” she rambles.

“He shouldn’t. Thank you for dinner.” My response is clipped, and I hope she hears my tone and moves along.

My shoulders fall when she doesn’t. I don’t want to hurt her feelings. I don’t. She’s obviously a sweet person. I’m just not sure I’m up for a conversation about Tank.

“He called me a little bit ago and said he didn’t get any sleep.”

When I don’t say anything, she continues. “He hung out with JD while the rest of the club slept.”

“They should have gotten some sleep. They’re going to need it.”

It’s Kelsie’s turn to be quiet.

“Tank doesn’t owe me anything. I lied to him.”

I stir the pasta around my plate mindlessly in the light that brushes across my lap from my little confessional.

“What did he do to you?”

Not even Jacob has asked me that.

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me the details. Jesse and I both see it. Willow, too.”

My heart warms a little at the thought of being understood by these women. It feels strange.

“It’s not that I don’t want to talk about it. I just can’t.”

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