Page 31 of Keep Me Safe

“Kira, are you okay? Can I come in?” It’s Lexi.

I force myself to stand, opening the door for her. Her eyes are filled with concern when she takes me in.

“Are they gone?” I whisper.

“Who, that group of guys? Yeah, they left,” she says. “What happened?”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

I pull my phone out of my pocket and check the time. I was technically done with my shift ten minutes ago. Thank god, I’m ready to leave. My hands still shake as I slide my phone back into my pocket. Lexi notices.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m going to head out now.”

I would ask her if she needs any help, but I can’t stay any longer. I need to get out of here. I walk out to my car, terrified, studying my surroundings. As soon as I get in I hit the lock on the door and quickly shoot over a text to Maddie.

Kira:Hey girl, I’m not going to be able to hang out tonight. I have to work late :(

I hate lying to her, but I don’t know if I can handle telling her yet.

Taking a deep breath, I turn the key and pull out of the parking lot.

I reassure myself the entire drive home. I’m not fifteen anymore. He can’t hurt me again.I won’t let him.

When I get home, I go straight to my room, barely registering the warmth of the house around me. My chest feels tight, my hands cold despite the heat outside. I need to be alone.

Noah looks up as I rush past him, his brows pulling together in confusion. He opens his mouth like he might say something, but then he hesitates and lets me go. I can feel his gaze lingering, but I don’t stop. We haven’t talked since our argument, and he probably assumes that’s why I’m upset. Maybe that’s easier for him to believe.

He doesn’t know what happened that night.

Hell, even Jared doesn’t know what happened. I never told him, never told anyone. After the cops blamed me, after theylooked me in the eye and said it was my fault, I lost the courage to say another word. Maybe if I had, someone would have believed me. But I hadn’t, and now it’s too late.

My room is dim, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the floor. I close the door behind me and press my back against it, exhaling shakily. My heart is still pounding, and I don’t know if it’s from the memories clawing at the edges of my mind or the effort of keeping them at bay.

I need a distraction.

I grab the book from my nightstand and force myself to focus on the words. The familiar rhythm of the story, the certainty of its structure, pulls at me like a lifeline. Unlike real life, fictional stories follow rules and patterns. There’s always an answer, always a resolution. Always a happy ending.

If I can just sink into the pages, maybe, for a little while, I can pretend everything is okay.

But it’s not. And I know it.

A soft knock startles me. My pulse jumps, and I clutch the book tighter, my fingers pressing into the worn cover.

The door creaks open slowly, and Jared stands there, watching me.

“Dad and I are going to watch a movie if you want to come down,” he says. He notices my lack of reaction and adds, “There’s pizza.”

I give him a small smile. I should go down there. I haven’t eaten anything since this morning.

“I’ll be down in a bit,” I assure him.

After climbing out of bed, I grab my favorite big sweater, also known as my emotional support sweater, and throw it on. It has a bunch of small holes in it, but I love it anyway.

Walking down the stairs, I can smell the pizza in the kitchen, and my stomach grumbles. I’m so hungry. I take three slices of pepperoni and head into the living room.

Noah is on one side of the couch, a beer sitting in front of him on the coffee table. Jared is on the opposite side, holding a fuzzy blanket. I plop down between them, sitting noticeably closer to Jared. He throws the blanket over me and presses play on the movie.

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