Page 34 of No More Secrets

She inhales a sharp breath. Holds it.

She could Zoom with Finn. She could email him without going all the way to the library and let him know where she is. Would he finally come get her if she told him what happened tonight? That her life was literally in jeopardy?

No, she needs more cash before she sees him. She won’t be a freeloader like her mom is with Ellis. He’ll have too much control over her. Maybe Lucas has money. She could sell the laptop.

Lucas’s eyes narrow. “There’s no money here, and that’s off-limits.” He points at the laptop.

Her head snaps to him. “I wasn’t—”

His eyes narrow farther.

“Whatever.” She hugs herself tighter and turns away. Another tremble rolls through her.

“You’re pale and shivering, and you’re freaked out. That’s normal.”

She walks farther into the apartment. “I don’t need a shrink. Just a bed.”

“Down the hall, room on the right. Bathroom’s right next to it.”

“Whatever, Dr.Luc.”

He snorts, keeping the corn against his face.

As if to prove that she isn’t as rattled or nauseous with residual fear as he thinks she is, she tosses the pea bag on the coffee table and stomps down the hallway, stopping outside the bathroom door. She does have to pee, and she could use a shower. Rather, she’s dying to take one. She can still feel their hands on her body. Her gaze dips to the doorknob. There’s a lock. Does she dare undress in a strange man’s apartment? She stares into the narrow room with the plastic shower stall and tub combo, toilet and square sink stuck in the corner. The shower curtain is white with mold spotting the bottom hem. A single navy-blue towel is draped over the shower curtain rod. The floor...

Her top lip curls.

The floor... is...

“Ew, when was the last time you cleaned?”

She hears him drop the corn on the table. He strides down the hallway, stopping beside her.

“What?” he asks, confusion riddling his face.

“Look.” She gestures at the bathroom. “It’s disgusting.”

Urine stains the linoleum around the base of the toilet. There’s a ring around the tub and scum in the sink. She doesn’t even want to look inside the toilet. Does he flush when he’s done?

“It’s grosser here than the one at the park.” Which was nasty. People vomited there and did who knows what else.

Red tinges his cheeks. His face twitches with embarrassment before he glares at her stonily. “Then go use that one. No one’s stopping you.” He steps aside so she can leave.

She takes a deep breath and slowly shakes her head, as afraid to leave as she is to stay.

“Deal with it. I don’t have a maid, so clean up after yourself.”

“Not if you don’t.”

He grunts and grabs a clean towel from under the sink. He pushes it into her arms. “I’ll clean tomorrow. Shower and get some sleep.”

Shiloh doesn’t move. What is she supposed to wear after she showers? The clothes she has are filthy, especially the ones she’s wearing. Bob’s and Barton’s hands were all over her sweatshirt, trying to yank it off her. If it weren’t the only one she has, she’d burn it.

“What’s wrong?” Lucas asks in a tone that suggests his patience is thinning. He might be regretting his decision to let her crash here. Then where would she go?

Her cheeks heat, thawing her chilled face. “I don’t have clean clothes.”

Lucas sighs. He does that a lot, as if she annoys him. Shiloh clutches the towel to her chest. She hasn’t had a shower in almost two weeks.She’d sleep on the bathroom floor tonight if it meant she could finally get clean and no longer smell like Irving’s car.

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