Page 53 of Science Project

Because I desperately hoped and prayed—not that there was actually anyone listening—that he had left way before Jace Harbor left. I drew my fingers over the bruises on my legs that I had hidden with makeup and some tights. If he had seen what Dad did to me that night …

Akio shook his head. “I didn’t see anything.”

“How. Long?”

“Long enough to see you with Jace.”

I placed a hand on my forehead to ease the tension between my brows. Too much stress led to wrinkles, and wrinkles led to getting needles jammed into my face. I had to be picture-perfect for Dad and his friends.

When I blinked, two tears slipped down my cheeks. I wiped them with the back of my hand and stared at the center of Akio’s chest. So many questions ran through my mind, but all I could think about was that …

He hadn’t seen anything.

At least not between Dad and me.

And, fuck, that gave me so much relief.

“I’m sorry, Nicole,” Akio said, grasping my face and pushing away the tears. “I should’ve never come over or confronted you about Jace. It’s none of my business what you do or who you’re with in your free time.”

A sob escaped my mouth, and I pressed my hand over it.

He didn’t see. Thank God. Thank fucking God.

“I won’t ever do it again,” he whispered, drawing me closer. “I’m sorry.”

I wrapped my arms around his torso and placed my head on the center of his boney chest. If he had seen Dad fucking me on Saturday and me pretending that I liked it, he would think that I was disgusting.

He wouldn’t want to talk to me ever again. And I needed him.

Nobody else in this school or this town liked me.

Nobody else cared.

Everyone had it out for me, like Allie and Imani, and rightfully so.

But Akio had been the only person that I could lean on these past few weeks. And if he saw me with my own blood-related father, if he saw him inside me, I would’ve killed myself from straight-up embarrassment and guilt.

“Why were you at my house?” I asked between sniffles, unable to look up at him.

“I was”—he paused—“with Imani.”

My chest tightened, and I lifted my gaze. “With Imani?”

Jealousy pooled throughout my body.

Why was he with her again? Last time, he told me that she meant nothing to him. But if he willingly decided to hang out with her on a Saturday night, that had to mean something, right?

“What is she to you?” I asked.

Akio paused. “What is Jace to you?”

“Jace means nothing to me,” I said honestly. “He’s just someone …”

“Who can fuck you’d better than I can?”

“No, that’s not it.” I grasped his shirt in my weak fists. “He’s just a friend,” I said.

Because how could I explain anything to him? Where would I even begin?

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