Page 175 of Unspoken Truths

They’re really cute together, completely connected as they even breathe in sync. Wow. Twisting to face him, Lenny gazes at him as he arches his eyebrow in amusement. Returning to face me, she nods.

“He’s right. Turner enjoys breaking apart the things that guys do and making it make sense. This boy, Jared, that you’re asking about, is giving you mixed signals. He’s telling you he’s interested, while flirting with other girls. If he wants you, he’ll be completely invested in you. How do you feel when he flirts with other people?” she asks me.

“Shitty. I feel like I’m not as pretty as those girls. They do things that I’m not comfortable doing, and it makes me wonder if I should be,” I explain.

Marci of all people fucking Jared against the wall looms in my mind. He’s even said I’m prettier. With my trauma, I’m not someone who could fill any of his needs, and now it doesn’t even matter. Ugh, why am I like this?!

“You are beautiful, Rachelle. You have these eyes that sparkle when you talk, and any boy who is flirting with other girls doesn’t deserve you,” Lenny says.

Turner frowns in turns as he thinks. “Is this boy pressuring you for more than you’re willing to give?”

He really does.Before they decided to keep their hands off me sexually in an effort to keep me from losing my mind literally, all of them were all over me. Slowly, Jared becomes my way to talk about Elijah, Theo, and Nacio in general terms without naming them.

In my head, every word still rings true, even if Jared has spent the most time terrorizing me.

“I went to a party and he’d hug me, telling me how pretty I look. Sometimes he’d dance with me and his hands would roam a little, but not enough that I felt like I needed to move them. Then, later in the night he’d be all over another girl or girls, and would take them upstairs to have sex with them. I know that’s what they’re doing, because I went to an upstairs bathroom once and they didn’t make it to the room. He just watched me while he fucked her against the wall,” I explain softly.

My mom looks horrified, because I didn’t tell her this. There’s a lot I haven’t told her.

“He’s unfortunately manipulating you. He wants to push you into doing something that you’re not ready for, something that you’ll regret. He’s hurting you, and this asshole doesn’t deserve your light. Now, you have to decide what you want to do,” Turner says with a shrug.

“You’re right. Fuck him,” I spit out. “Why are guys dicks?” I groan.

“We have one so we figure we need to act like one,” Roark says, joining the conversation.

Lenny moves on and we chat with Turner and Roark until the meet and greet is over, and mom and I leave the stadium to walk to the parking garage.

“Why do I feel as if that wasn’t just about Jared?” Mom asks.

“Because you’re my mom and smart,” I sigh as she wraps her arm around me.

Smirking, she decides to drive us home, which I’m glad for. I’m afraid I’m not going to have the focus to concentrate on getting us home safely. With such an incredible night, I don’t want to fuck it up with an accident.

“Thank you, Mom, for this,” I tell her again as we walk into the house.

“It’s my pleasure,” she says. “They’re amazing people too.”

Agreeing, I say goodnight and walk upstairs with a yawn. My door is slightly ajar while Ignacio’s is open, making me decide that Lili and he must be inside of my room. He always says that my bed is more comfortable and bigger than his.

Pushing it open, I smile as I see that they’re already snuggled in bed together.

“Hey you two,” I say, stepping inside, happy to see them.

Lili grins happily, sitting up, already in her pajamas.

“How was it?” she asks.

“Incredible!” I say. “Mom and I even got chosen for VIP passes, and I got to meet the band. Seriously, the best night ever.”

Closing the door behind me, I take off my bag to drop it on the nightstand. Ignacio’s gaze moves over me, getting up to kiss me. His low slung joggers invite me to slide my fingers slightly inside of them, and I’m surprised by my boldness as his lips remind me of how much he’s missed me.

“He’s been asking why you weren’t home yet for the past hour,” Lili says with a giggle. “I even offered to give him a blowjob if it would get his mind off it.”

“I told her I wanted to wait,” he murmurs. “I’m glad you had fun, but I want to take you to your next concert with Lili. This way, I get to experience it with you both.”

As possessive as he is, he’s also really cute.

“I guess I should change,” I murmur. “I’ve kind of been thinking about something that may be weird."

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