Page 31 of Did They Break You

“Chase, I don’t want any trouble,” she says softly, the fight leaving her, one orange braid down her back, the other in Chase’s fist. “I just want to go.” Her words are kind of slurred, but she gets them out.

I hear the music from the party at my back, but my heart is pounding so hard in my fucking chest, I can’t even tell what song is playing.

Chase leers down at her, cocking his head. “We didn’t want any trouble that night, either, Remi,” he says softly.

She tries to step back, but his knuckles blanch as he grips her braid tighter. “I just want to go.” Her voice is hoarse. “Please just let me?—”

Chase takes a step closer, cutting off her words.

She has to crane her neck back to look at him. I see amusement on his face, his lips pulled up at the corners. He was always a fucking shit.

“Why don’t you do me a favor, Rems, then I’ll let you go?” he whispers, leaning down toward her. His lips come to her ear, and I glance around at Brinklin watching them. Storm watching me. I force my gaze back to Chase.

“Why don’t you,” he’s saying, his hand coming to her hip, over her jeans. “Get down on your knees,” he shifts his hold from her hair to her face. “Open your fucking mouth,” he slips his hand to the edge of her hoodie, and my mouth goes dry. “And show me what you learned from that night?—”

“Chase,” I say, the word quiet.

Silence between the five of us rings out.

Chase doesn’t let go of her, or move back, and I have to work hard not to cross the space between us and break his fucking neck.

“That’s enough.”

Chase laughs, then he pulls back, dropping his hold on her and glancing at me, holding up his hands in innocence. “I’m gonna get back to the party,” he says, winking at me. “I think I took care of her for you, Cort.” Then he walks past me and Storm, shoulder checking me as he does.

I grit my teeth as Remi’s hands cover her face, her head bowed.

Brinklin glances at her. “I’m out,” he mutters, nodding behind me. “I think we made our point. I’ll see you at the house.” Then he walks away, and Remi is left with me and Storm.

She drops her hands from her face and turns, her eyes meeting mine.

For one second, I’m back in my truck before that party. She’s in my lap. She feels so fucking good and she smells so goddamn good and her laugh makes me feel drunk.

The second passes.

I feel cuffs on my wrist, cold metal. My mom is on the phone, calling an attorney. One herself, she knew exactly what to do.

Dad is just staring at me, his face pale.

Tristan is still sleeping.

The officers read off my charges.

Now, in this moment, Remi turns away from me and does what I wanted to do then.

She fucking runs.

CHAPTER

SEVEN

REMI

My head is spinning,the taste of alcohol heavy on my tongue.

I run in the dark, but I know where I’m going. There’re bathrooms here, tucked away in the woods along one of the hiking trails.

My stomach convulses, bile burning its way up my throat.

---