Page 49 of If You Stayed

I wrapped my arm around her and asked if she was all right. She didn’t respond. I hated that she didn’t respond.

We walked out of the bedroom with people staring our way as we headed for the front door. Rosie saw us, and she hurried over.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, concern dripping from every word.

“I’m taking her home,” I said. “You need a ride?”

“No, I’m walking. I’m only a few houses away. Kierra, are you okay?”

Kierra nodded slowly and forced out a smile. “I’m okay.”

She was lying, and I knew it. I pulled her outside andheaded straight to my car. I placed her in the passenger seat, and the moment I slid into the driver’s seat, I slammed my door shut.

I gripped the steering wheel and slowly released a breath before turning to her and asking, “Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m fine. Should you be driving, though?”

“I don’t drink when I come to these things with Ali. She gets wasted, so I always stay sober.”

“Oh…where is Ali?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care.”

Kierra sat straighter. “Are you two okay?”

“Areyouokay?” I countered.

She frowned.

My fucking heart shattered. “Penguin…”

“Can we just drive, please? I don’t want to be here, Gabriel.”

I wanted to argue, but the slight tremble in her tone made me feel sick. I turned on the ignition and drove off. “That place was filled with dicks. You shouldn’t have been in a place like that,” I scolded as I drove the drunken girl home.

“Why not? You were there.”

“Yeah, well”—I shrugged—“I’m a dick.”

“The dickest dick that ever dicked.” She gently giggled as she curled her knees in to her chest. Right as the laughter faded, a somber look invaded Kierra’s drunken eyes and she turned to look out the window. Her head rested against the headrest, and she sniffled slightly.

A knot formed in my gut. “Did he hurt you?”

“What?” she asked, not turning to face me.

“Brett. Did he hurt you?”

When she looked over her shoulder at me, her eyes were filled with tears. She raised her left shoulder and allowed it to drop. “It’s fine.”

The amount of anguish that shot through my system was alarming. I pulled the car over to the curb and put it in park. I took off my seat belt and turned to face her. “What did he do, Kierra?” I asked softly, trying to not scare her with the amount of rage I felt building up inside me.

A few tears slipped out and she quickly swiped them away with the collar of her shirt. “Nothing. It’s fine. He just… He was trying to…” Her voice cracked as she shut her eyes and more tears fell down her cheeks. “It doesn’t matter. You got there before he could get my clothes off.”

“He forced himself on you?” I asked.

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