Page 28 of Did They Break You

She was wasted before I had her come sit in my lap.

I saw Chase staring at her. Storm watchingme,like she was my responsibility.

And she was.

She fucking was.

Just like tonight. Her, out here, alone, drunk and looking like prey. I hear Brinklin’s voice, Chase’s laugh, and I feel Storm at my side before I see him. Before Brinklin and Chase circle in front of her, and she stiffens, stepping back toward me.

I laugh, my hand still over her mouth, one still around her throat. She takes another step back into my arms as Chase stares at her.

“Now you wanna run to me?” I ask her, feeling her tremble in my arms as Chase looks her up and down, a cup in his hand. Brinklin has his hands in his army jacket, and he just looks annoyed.

I wonder why he even decided to come. To protect his reputation? He wants to work for the government. Go into politics. It’ll already be hard, because the charges were filed. The case might’ve been dismissed, but there’s still a paper trail. His face still in the news, just a few keystrokes away on anyone’s computer or phone.

Chase steps closer, and Remi’s hands come to my forearm as she drops her cup, her fear palpable. She’s shaking so hard, I drop my hand from her throat and band my arm around her body, trying to keep her still.

Trying to give her strength to face fucking Chase McGowan.

“Looking good, Remi,” Chase drawls. “I really like what you did with your hair.”

Brinklin rolls his eyes and I hear Storm huff a laugh. “Good pickup line, Chase. Gotta hand it to you, man,” he exhales from his vape, dipping his chin, “you really know how to fucking charm them.”

Chase’s fingers squeeze his cup, the plastic flexing beneath his hand as he shoots a glare to Storm. “You’re a dick.”

“You wanna get out of here, Remi?” I ask her, my mouth still to her ear as Storm pisses Chase off. He’s got such a fragile ego, it’s not hard to do.

Again, that night flashes in my mind.

The branch. Chase’s words.“Fucking slut.”

My skin crawls. I draw Remi closer.

“Cortland,” she whispers, and I see Brinklin staring at us both as Chase and Storm keep bantering. I think Storm is doing it on purpose, distracting him from Remi. When we spotted her at the edge of the clearing, I didn’t say a word, hoping they wouldn’t recognize her. I’d already tormented her enough yesterday and having themallcircling her didn’t make me feel good.

But then she turned to the side, smiled at some guy.

I’d recognize that smile anywhere. It was contagious back in high school. Before I fucked it all up.

Chase spotted her and wouldn’t let it go, her being here, and when Maya got distracted by one of the girls on the cheer team, I couldn’t get him to stop talking about her, making his way over here. Thinking about his hands on her like mine were yesterday, I had to walk with him.

“Yeah, pretty baby?” I whisper in her ear.

She’s not trembling anymore, but her nails are still embedded in my forearms. She hiccups, and I smile despite myself. Despite knowing she’s drunk, and she’s being really stupid, coming out here alone. “Don’t let them?—”

“Don’t let us what?” Chase sneers, his argument with Storm apparently done. He steps closer, and I drag Remi a step back. His pale eyes shoot up to me, a smirk on his face. “Oh, come on, Cort, you didn’t mind sharing her before.”

Remi starts shaking again. “Let me go, Cortland, I?—”

I laugh, cutting off her words. “Sure thing, baby.” I squeeze her tighter.

She stiffens with those words and the feel of me, her nails pressing harder into my skin as Chase laughs. “Fuck you.”

“That’s exactly what we want?—”

“Chase,” Storm says slowly, and Chase’s eyes dart to him again. “Learn when to shut the fuck up.”

But it’s not Chase that speaks up again.

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