Page 93 of Did They Break You

What about me?

I glare at my screen in the dark, listening to Sloane’s soft snores. Finally, he texts me again when he must realize he pissed me off.

Cortland

For now you’ve got me, pretty baby.

“Were you up late last night?”Sloane asks as she fluffs her hair in the mirror on our door.

I stretch my hands overhead, yawning, then roll over, slapping a pillow over my face so the morning sun doesn’t hurt my eyes. “How can you tell?” I ask, speaking loudly so she can hear me.

She laughs. “God, one day we’re gonna get coffee together again. I thoughtIstayed up late, texting with Asa.” She smiles when she says his name. I can hear it in her voice. “Who areyoutexting? Is it that boy in your history class?”

I think about Cortland’s words last night.“Someone called you babe.”

I’d seen the texts I’d sent to Van and Sloane the night he took me back to his house. The night he claims hesaved me.But maybehesent those.

My face flushes under my pillow and sweat forms on the back of my neck. “No one,” I mumble. “I was just scrolling through the news.”

“You don’t even like non-fiction,” she shoots back, which is a direct quote fromme.

But I start laughing over how ridiculous that is and sit up, my pillow tumbling down to the floor as I rub my fists over my eyes. “Sloane. It’s the fucking news,” I say with a laugh.

She doesn’t return it.

I drop my hand and meet her gaze, but when I see where she’s looking, my stomach drops.

Fuck.

I swoop my arms under my comforter, my face flushing hot.

Her eyes travel up to mine. “You okay?” she asks quietly. “Looks like you got attacked by a cat.”

My pulse thrums too fast in my chest and it’s suddenly hard to breathe.

Just go, Sloane. Please don’t press this.

I swallow, holding her gaze, my mouth already dry from the morning but worse now with her insinuation.

Only Cortland knows this.

Only he can deal with how messed up I am.

“I fell,” I lie to her. “Those bushes outside of the gym?” I laugh, balling my hands into fists under my blankets. “I tripped. My shoes were untied.” I close my mouth, because the more someone talks the guiltier they are.

Sloane arches a brow. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I shake my head, likeshe’sthe crazy one. “Because it’s embarrassing, that’s why.”

She crosses her arms over her body, jutting out one hip. Biting her lip, she looks down. “Look, Rems, if you?—”

“I fell.” My tone is flat, a bit of a bite beneath my words, and I know that’s not fair. I knowI’mbeing the shitty friend.

But I can’t tell her this.

I can’t tell anyone.

She nods, her gaze coming to mine. But I see her shift from foot to foot. “Okay,” she finally says, shrugging. “You want to meet me for a late lunch?”

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