Page 180 of Zero Chance

And it pissed me off even more that I couldn’t.Sprout was safely behind bars, serving life in prison for raping thirteen girls—thirteen girls who before today were anonymous faceless victims that meant nothing to me.But now I knew one.I knew her name.I knew her face.I knew her heart and soul and every inch of her beautiful body.And it gutted me to know what he’d done to her.I wanted to guthim.Even though I couldn’t.

Life was so fucking unfair.

My bottom lip trembled as I focused on Foster’s face.“Union,” I pleaded, not sure how to deal with all this hatred.

So I bowed my head and leaned toward him, knowing he’d make it better.

And he did.“It’s okay,” he told me, hugging me without restraint.“Just feel it.Let it out.Go ahead and hate him.”

I nodded and shuddered out the most pain-filled breath of my life as I let myself hate Gerald Sprout.

At some point, I vaguely heard him ask Raina who I was talking about, but she had no idea.And some time after that, others arrived.I heard Hudson’s voice and then Damien’s.

Then a hand took my arm and gently tugged me away from Foster until I was looking into Thane’s soft brown eyes.

“Keene, buddy.Can we take you somewhere else?Let’s go somewhere quiet to talk, okay?”

“Okay.”I nodded and wiped my face, stunned to realize my cheeks were wet, only to blink at Thane and ask dazedly, “Wait.What’reyoudoing on campus?”

He huffed out a sound of amusement, appearing pleased that I was at least aware enough to know he shouldn’t be here.He’d graduated two years ago.

“All the public-school counselors around town are on campus today,” he answered.“Leading guest classes for students interested in pursuing social work degrees.”

Which explained how Waverly’s mom had ended up inmyclass.

“And I was on campus to have lunch with Hope,” Parker spoke up, making me wrench around to find all six of my best friends present.

I blinked, finally finding Alec, who’d squeezed between Damien and Hudson to get to my side and silently just be there.

Exhaling again and more settled by their presence than anything, I nodded and clutched Alec’s arm, licking my lips before uttering, “I just—I can’t believe this happened to her.”

Thane nodded as if he understood.But how could he understand?How could anyone understand this?I didn’t even fucking understand it.

Behind him, Parker watched me closely.“You can’t believewhathappened to who?”he asked, looking ready to commit murder himself.

I opened my mouth but still couldn’t say it.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Waverly’s mom exit the nursing building.Feeling my face darken with anger, I narrowed my eyes hatefully, not able to forgive her for what she’d just done, whether it had been intended or pure coincidence.

The others turned at my glare, and Parker barked, “Katherine,” in a hard, unyielding voice.“What the fuck did you just do?”

Ms.Breeker stumbled to a surprised halt, looking around until she found him.When she spotted the rest of us—notably me—hovering behind him, her eyes narrowed, and she shifted a snarl Parker’s way.

“I should’ve realized you were one of his friends.”

But Parker shook his head slowly.“He’s not just a friend.He’sfamily.And no one gets away with reducing my little brother tothat.”When he jabbed a savage finger in my direction, I could only guess how shaken and pale I probably still looked.“Now what the hell did you do to him?I can only assume this has something to do with Waverly.”

Something flickered in her eyes—guilt, maybe—but it was quickly smothered with angry defiance as she lifted her chin.“He needed to know.”

Parker hissed, “Fucking bitch.”He shook his head sadly before saying, “No.Waverlyneeded to be the one to tell him, onherterms, when or if she ever felt ready.You had no right.”

“She is mydaughter,” Ms.B boomed, marching toward him.“And I will do whatever is necessary to protect her from skirt-chasing little assholes like him.He will ruin her.He will take and take and take, and the moment he learns what kind of overwhelming baggage she comes with, he’s going to abandon her, leaving her broken and more suicidal than the last time she tried to take her life.You know he will.He’s just like his fucking father.He?—”

“Whoa,” Thane broke in with his steely, calm voice and his hand lifted as he stepped up to Parker’s side to take over the face-off with Waverly’s mom.“Now wait one minute there.”

Stomach dropping because I knew his inner Papa Bear had just been triggered, and he was going to commence to wiping the floor with Ms.B’s face—while keeping a calm, gentlemanly facade the entire time—I reached for his arm to stop him, but he shrugged me off without even turning back, merely lifting a finger over his shoulder in my direction to let me know he’d handle me later.

“So I’ve caught on to the fact that you must be Waverly’s mother,” he started.

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