Page 52 of Did They Break You

I tighten my hold on the guy.

He whimpers.

I hear that, too.Remi’s whimpers.

“Cortland,” Storm barks out. “You’re going to kill him.”

I take a breath, blinking, and finally, I back up, dropping my hand to Remi’s forearm, banded around my waist. “Get the fuck out of here,” I tell the guy, jerking my head.

Heruns, ducking under the bushes and disappearing to the party.

I spin around, and Remi’s golden eyes are on mine as she stares up at me, clearly intoxicated.

“Hi,” she mumbles, and I hate that it does, but my heart skips a beat as I wrap my arms around her, my adrenaline still wild from throwing that guy off of her.

What are you doing to me, Rems?

“Hi,” I tell her, glancing at Storm, watching with an unreadable expression on his face. A cool breeze blows through the night and I hear the splash of more cannonballs in the pool.

“Take me home,” she whispers again.

“Where’re your friends?” I counter, my jaw clenched as I think about Sloane wasted inside.

Remi lets her eyes flutter closed, her temple to my core. She’s so much shorter than me, it’s like she’s a Koala holding on. “I dunno,” she slurs.

I close my eyes tight, inhaling her.

I should really fucking hate you.

But I see Tristan in the hospital bed again.

The way that knife sliced through tendons, nearly hitting bone.He could’ve lost the use of his hand.

I see Remi’s cuts in the cafeteria.

Chase fucking her from behind.

I hate that I don’t hate you.

“We can’t leave her here,” Storm says quietly. Which is something, coming from him.

But I can’t take her home.

I can’t walk her to her dorm, either, because I don’t know where it is.

Remi leans entirely against me, her body nearly limp.

I curl my fingers into the soft material of her hoodie and wonder if she ever wears anything else. In high school, she did. Modest clothes most of the time, but she had an actual wardrobe.

What did I do to your head, Remi, baby? The same shit you did to mine?

“Let’s take her back.” Storm’s words. “Maybe we can talk some more.”

I almost laugh out loud, but my heart flutters and my stomach twists into knots. I don’t think we’re going to be talking tonight.

Before Storm turns to leave, I call out after him. “Make sure her friend is good.”

His eyes meet mine. “I thought you didn’t give a fuck.”

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