Page 5 of Keep Me Safe

I lift my chin and meet his eyes, steel sharpening my voice.

“Let. Go. Of. Me.”

His body locks up. He stares at me as if seeing me clearly for the first time. The moment stretches, suffocating. Then, finally, his hands fall away.

“Shit,” he mutters, raking a hand through his hair.“I— I thought you wanted it. My bad.”

His bad.

I stumble back, bile burning my throat.“You have a girlfriend!” My voice cracks. Tears sting my eyes, but I won’t cry. Not here. Not in front of him.

I lunge for the door, fumbling with the lock.

“Please don’t tell Ava,” he pleads, reaching for me again.

The moment his fingers graze my wrist, I snap.

“Are you kidding me?” I wrench myself free.

Jared’s nowhere in sight. My chest is caving in. I can’t be here.

I shove through the back door and gasp for air. The cool night stings my burning cheeks as I stumble down to the lake, barely seeing where I’m going.

The hammock.

I sink into it, curling in on myself, pressing my forehead into my knees. The weight of everything crashes over me, a tide I can’t fight.

Was I looking at him a certain way? I wasn’t trying to.

This outfit shows too much skin.

I should have known better.

I press my foot against the ground and start swinging myself, rocking through the nausea, the dread. I press my nails into my palm, grounding myself.

I am okay. I am safe.

I repeat it until I almost believe it.

The moon glows on the water’s surface, its reflection rippling with the waves. The party hums behind me, a distant blur ofvoices and music. I catch sight of Jared on the porch, laughing, passing a joint around a circle of carefree faces.

I envy them. I used to be them.

I stare up through the leaves, blinking rapidly. Then I break. Silent, shuddering sobs slip free, my shoulders shaking.

I don’t know how long I’ve been lying there when Jared stumbles up beside me.

“Kira! What are ya doin’ over here?” he asks, plopping down beside me and wrapping his arm aroundme.The scent of alcohol hits me like a slap.

I flinch. My breath hitches. My body tenses.

For one terrifying second, I am not here.

But then, reality snaps back into place. This is Jared. He’s not Jake.

I exhale sharply, forcing a smile through the tears.

Jared frowns.“Kira?”

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