Page 80 of Silent Desires

Gross. I don’t want anything to do with this guy. I’m not surprised he can’t find a willing girlfriend.

“You do what I ask, and I’ll protect you from everyone at this school.” My mouth drops open in shock. Is he serious right now? How can he not see that he’s the only one I need protection from?

He moves his face so his nose touches mine, whispering, “don’t worry, babe, I’ll make you feel real good.”

I turn my head as he tries to kiss me, a tear slipping free and trailing down my cheek to where his lips land. He licks it up. “Mmm… I think your tears are my favorite part of you.”

Oh my god,he’s messed up. He’s just like Simon. No.No!There can’t be two of them that are this insane. I can’t survive this happening at school and at home. It’s too much. What’s wrong with me that I keep attracting people like this?

The dam breaks as my tears burst free, and I silently sob as he continues to lick them up. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut and keep my head turned away, willing for this to be over.

Hepulls my arms together between us, holding them with one hand as his free hand wanders to my hip and over to my butt. “God, your curves are so sexy. I’m gonna leave my mark on you right here,” he says, squeezing my ass hard.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, babe?”

I shake my head rapidly, hoping he’ll get the message that I want nothing from him and leave me alone. But I’m not so lucky.

“I know what you really want. You’re just pretending not to want it. It makes it so much better if it feels wrong, isn’t that right, babe?” Brad slides his hand around to my front, down my leg, and to the hem of my skirt. His fingers graze the bottom as he starts to push them up my skirt.

I try to close my legs, but his knee is wedged tightly between them. I struggle and squirm, desperate to pull at least one limb free, but it’s useless against this brick house of a guy. His fingers graze the apex of my thighs, and panic flares inside me, right before I hear voices raised in anger.

“Hey!”

“What the hell are you doing?!”

My eyes fly open as Brad jerks back. Relief floods me when I see Gideon and Tucker sprinting down the stacks toward us, their eyes blazing with pure hatred and anger.

“Just making out with my girlfriend here, no harm done,” Brad says, pushing in front of me to block my view of them and trying to play it off like it’s nothing, just a couple caught making out in the library.

“She is NOT your girlfriend!” Tucker snarls, grabbing Brad by his shirt and yanking him away from me.

Unable to stand on my shaking legs, I start to sink to the ground. Gideon lunges forward and catches me right before I hit the ground, his voice steady but sharp. “The state she’s in makes it clear to anyone that you were sexually assaulting her, and that is not tolerated anywhere, especially in this school. Tucker, take him to Principal Carter’s office and call the police. We’ll be there in a few minutes after I take care of Mina.”

Tucker nods and drags Brad out of the library, who’s still trying to argue it was consensual.

The second Brad is out of sight, I break down, covering my face with my hands as I let all the emotions I’ve been holding back burst free. Gideon sits on the floor and pulls me into his lap, cradling me sideways and rocking me as I sob into his chest. He rubs the back of my head softly, whispering reassurances that everything will be okay.

It’s in moments like this that I question everything I think I know about myself. My mother always told me I wasn’t worthy of love, that everything bad that happened to me was my fault. But I didn’t understand what I had done to deserve any of it.

Still, moments like this make me question it. Why else would I be punished over and over again? There must be something I’m doing that attracts this kind of negative attention.

I don’t know how long we sit there while I cry, but I hear the sound of feet running in our direction. I tense against Gideon, my heart racing all over again.

“Where are you guys?” Max calls out and I let out the breath I was holding in relief.

“Back corner!” Gideon yells over my head. The feet pound again, getting louder as they run toward us.

“Oh my God, is she okay? Sweetheart, are you alright?” Max asks, dropping to his knees beside us, trying to look into my eyes. My sobs come out harder as I bury my face against Gideon again. I feel so broken right now and hate him seeing me like this.

“Tucker called us and said we’d better be the ones to escort her to the office,” Jasper adds when his hand touches my shoulder, offering my support and letting me know he’s here for me too.

“Good idea, it probably wouldn’t be good for me to be seen holding her like this. Love...” Gideon’s face presses to my head.Did he just kiss my hair?

“I want you to go with the twins. I will be walking with you, but I can’t be seen holding you like this right now. Do you understand?” I do. In everyone’s eyes, I’m his seventeen-year-old student. Yet if he’s not supposed to touch me, why is he doing it now? He probably pities me.

I lift my head and nod, finally making eye contact with him. “Mina, it’s going to be okay, we’re going to take care of you, alright?” he says, holding my face in his hands. I do the only thing I can think of to show my thanks and wrap my arms around his neck, giving him a hug. He hugs me back, and it hurts my back, but right now I don’t care. It still feels nice through the pain.

I let go and turn to Jasper, who is closest. He takes my hands and helps me stand. Max pulls the hoodie off his back and pulls it straight over my head. It’s huge on me and instantly makes me feel safer—like another layer of protection from everything. I give him a small smile of thanks.

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