Page 49 of Peep

I fling the duvet off and walk on my knees to where he stands at the end of the bed.

Jahmar’s shoulders sink, and he shakes his head, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” I stretch up, taking his face in my hands and forcing his head down so we’re eye level.

The look he shoots me is haunting. This isn’t the Jahmar I know.

“They know.” His voice shakes.

“What?” My hands fall from his face, and I sit back, resting on my haunches. “Who knows?”

“The guy from a few days ago, Mr Shaw. He came to the hospital. Reported what I’d done to him to the police.”

My hand comes to my mouth. I’m not sure if the gesture is to stop myself from being sick or from screaming.

“Did he remember anything? Do they know it’s you? Do they know I’m involved? Fuck!”

My hands start to shake, and my ears feel like they could pop. Jahmar crouches in front of the bed and cradles my legs.

“No, sweetheart. They don’t know it was us. He can’t remember anything. Hopefully, it remains that way.”

“He has some fucking nerve. I read the request about him. He’s a sick fuck. He had it coming, and now he’s acting like a fucking victim,” I spit, anger bubbling in my chest like a volcano ready to erupt.

“You’re right; he deserved it, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s spoken to the police, which puts us in a tricky situation… I have one more job left.”

“What!?” I snap, kicking my feet out and shoving past him to stand. “Jahmar, you can’t do it now. Are you fucking insane?”

“I have to.” His eyes hit the ground.

“No, you don’t! Send the money back, apologise. Tell them it’s too risky.”

“It’s the last one, I need to do this. Not for the others, forme.”

I tip his chin up, so he can’t hide his eyes. “What do you mean, for you?”

“You know what I mean,” he says just above a whisper.

I move close, firmly gripping his neck. He’s dropped enough hints about what he went through, although he’s never explicitly said he was sexually assaulted. But I know. It’s why he’s been helping these people get justice, because he needs justice for himself, too.

“Will it give you closure?”

“I fucking hope so.” Jahmar raises his head, unbreakable determination swimming in his chestnut eyes.

This strong, expressive, and courageous man has experienced things I can’t even fathom. Yet, he slaps on a brave face every day and does the unimaginable. As terrified as I am about being caught, he has my full support if this is what he needs to find peace.

I wind my arms around his waist and rest my face in the crook of his neck, breathing in that sweet cocoa butter scent—a scent I now associate with home.

Pulling back to search his eyes, I finally ask, “Will you tell me what happened?”

“One day, once this is all behind us.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

Chapter 22

Jahmar

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