Page 42 of Keep Me Safe

“Look at me,”he demands.

I listen, my eyes meeting his hazel ones. Concern fills them as he reaches for my shoulders, holding me in place.

“In. Out. In. Hold it. Out. There you go. You’re okay, I promise. I’m here.”

My breathing has slowed now, my heart following suit.

“Can you please just take me home?” I beg.

“Of course,” he says, resting his hand on my leg for reassurance, but I don’t know if it’s me or him that he’s reassuring. I put mine over his, squeezing it. His grip is tight on my thigh. As we drive, he glances over at me every once in a while, probably afraid I’m going to break down, but I don’t. I push it down like I always do.

Noah pulls into the driveway and immediately rounds the truck, opening my door and helping me down. He guides me into the house, but I keep walking through the slider and onto the back patio. I need air.

I’m so tired of being scared all the time, and now it’s worse. There’s a reason to be afraid when I go out. He could be anywhere.

The slider glides open as I sit down on the swing, and Noah steps out onto the porch. He sits in the chair across from me, and his eyes meet mine.

“Kira, I’m going to need you to talk to me.”

No.

There’s no way I can tell him what is going on. He won’t believe me. Or even worse, he’ll agree with the cops and say itwas my fault. I can’t handle that right now.

“I promise I’m here for you. I hate seeing you like this and not being able to help. What happened?”

He’s been there for me through my nightmares. He kept me from crumbling tonight. He deserves to know. I take a deep breath and pray that he listens.

Crickets chirp outside as I get ready in my room. It’s a warm summer night, and anticipation is thick in the air. Jake’s parents are out of town this weekend, and he’s having a party tonight to celebrate the end of the school year. I can’t wait. He even said he invited some upperclassmen.

Mom isn’t home. She’s working late tonight, like every other night, so she probably won’t even realize I’m gone. I grab my phone and house key right as I hear a car pull into the driveway.

I peek out the blinds to make sure that it’s my ride, and I see the beat-up red charger idling loudly. It’s them. I head out the door and run up to the car, sliding into the front seat. I glance in the back seat, seeing Jared on his phone.

“Took you long enough,” Zach complains.

“I’m sorry.”

“Whatever,” he says, pulling out of the driveway.

We’re swerving down the road, going way too fast, and I grip the seat, my knuckles turning white. I don’t like riding with Zach, but none of our other friends can drive yet. Zach is eighteen, so he has had his license for a while now.

When we get to the party, there’s already a lot of people. Jared disappears almost instantly, leaving me alone. I hear someone call my name, and I glance up. Zach is walking toward me, holding a plastic cup in his hand. Reaching hishand out, he offers it to me. I’m no stranger to alcohol, having broken into my mom’s stash more times than I can count.

“Come on, you’ll like it. Don’t be boring.”

I take the cup from him, downing it to prove a point. It burns as the liquid glides down my throat. I hand the cup back to him and wander back into the living room, looking for Jared. He’s still nowhere to be found, so I take my usual place on the couch, quietly observing the party. I’m watching two guys shotgun when Zach sits down beside me, handing me another drink. I take it, choosing to sip on it this time.

It goes on like that for a while. Zach brings me drink after drink. I’ve honestly lost count of how many I’ve had. I’m definitely drunk, and I should probably stop, but I’m having fun.

The rest of the party blurs together. By two a.m., most people are either gone or passed out. From the living room, I see Jared in the kitchen with Jake, passing a joint between them. I try to stand and make my way over to them, but I stumble, and a hand grabs my wrist.

“Where are you going?” Zach asks, a crooked smile on his face.

I try to explain, but he ignores me, talking over me, “No, you’ve been teasing me all night. Time to put out,” he says, throwing me over his shoulder.

What? What is he doing? I don’t like this. “Zach, no, please put me down.”

“Not tonight. I’m getting what I want tonight.”

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