Page 73 of Pick Me

She looked around as though there were people in our walls listening to our conversation. As boring as I think a vacation with Aster and Tanner would be, I did not believe they’d spend their time hidden in the walls to hear Thea’s and my conversations.

“Why not? It’s just us,” I said to emphasize the point. “If you don’t tell me what you did, then I’ll just have to think of different ways to get it out of you.”

“Getting it out of me,” she repeated, then shivered. I couldn’t hide my smile with that one. “Fine. I broke some guy’s arm, okay? You wanted the truth, well, there it is in all its glory.” Still watching her, the only thing I could do was grin because she was so flustered by the answer, but she didn’t know my dick was now throbbing over it.

“I was right all along. You’re a fucking queen, you know that?”

“No, I’m not. I just don’t stand for sexual assault.”

Well, that confession changed the vibe. Did it change the way I looked at her? Certainly, but not for the reason she thought. I now got it. The reason Tanner was so protective of his sister. All I wanted to do was learn the guy’s name, find him, and break every other limb on his body for thinking he could touch her.

“He was an idiot. He told the cops he was sloppy drunk, and I attacked him out of nowhere.” She laughed bitterly. “He was the one who dragged me into a bedroom and tried to stick his hand under my skirt. I wasn’t down for it, so my self-defense training kicked in, and I twisted his arm until I heard a crack.”

She shivered at the memory, and my adrenaline was pumping. “That is one of the sexiest things I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s not. Believe me. If anyone ever tries to tell you that spending the night in county jail is sexy, then they’re wrong. It stinks, and the mattresses are wafer thin.”

“If you’re looking for a more comfortable bed, then I’d suggest mine.”

“That misdemeanor is part of the reason I couldn’t get into Covey U initially.” She looked up and shook her head in this cute way. “Well, that and my grades. Grades were easy to work on, but I spent nine months trying to get that expunged from my record. Sexual assault is hard to prove, especially when the door is locked and everyone thinks I wanted it. It ended up being his word against mine.”

I was angry for her and pissed that the system failed her.

“Didn’t Tanner do something?”

“Of course he did.” She bit her bottom lip, her cheeks flushing. “He threatened to beat the living shit out of the guy. His coach told him if he retaliated, then he’d be expelled.”

“You’re kidding?”

She shook her head. “I told him to let it go, but he still verbally threatened the guy. After that, they were excluded from each other’s classes to avoid another incident. Then one day, the guy left class early and we were told he switched schools due to harassment.”

“Ofhim?”

“Oh, yeah. He loved it. Everyone feeling sorry for him with his camo-colored cast.”

“So that’s why you don’t have any friends back home?”

“Yup. It’s an awful moment when you realize your friends don’t believe you.”

“How could they not? That seems crazy to me.”

She pressed her lips together and let out a little hum. “Is it, though? It’s not crazy to think that I’m an attention-starved sister who wanted to call herself a victim.”

“You’re anything but a victim.”

“You’re right. Screw all of them. I worked my ass off, and look where I am now.”

“Right where you’re supposed to be.”

With me.

“Did you ever get it expunged off your record?”

“No.”

“Then how’d you get into Covey U?”

Her lips turned flat, and she blew out a breath. “We did something we weren’t proud of.”

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