Page 23 of Toxic Obsession

Not in my case.“I was on the cheer team, and it was my sophomore year in high school.” I swallowed down the panic that was threatening to rip me apart from the inside out.

To my surprise, Everlee didn’t fire a million questions at me, she just waited for me to continue.

“Some rumors started to spread, and my friends … I found out they weren’t my friends after all. The team staged a fake meeting one night. When I showed up at the school gym, they jumped me before I could even go into the building.”

Everlee gasped. “All of them? That seems like an unfair fight to me.” Her brown eyes narrowed as anger rolled off her in waves.

I pursed my lips together and nodded. “I was in the hospital for a week with a fractured rib, and broken jaw, wrist, and knee.”

“Jesus fucking Christ! Why would people do that to you? To anyone? Please tell me they were arrested.”

My shoulders slumped, the weight of the memories too heavy to bear. “No. The girls had shit figured out and avoided any cameras that would have caught it all. The rumors weren’t even true.” I stared at the floor. “So, I appreciate that you want to be friends, but know that it will take some time for me to trust anyone again.”

“Oh, babe, of course! I just want you to feel safe. Rumors can be so horrible. It’s like no one cares that they’re hurting a human being with feelings. It’s pretty disgusting if you ask me.”

I snorted. “No shit. It’s insane how lies can spread like a fire in the wind. After that, I homeschooled.” I peeked at Everlee. I wanted to trust her. Her bubbly personality had grown on me. “Wanna know what else is insane?”

Her brown brow rose. “Lay it on me.”

“After being beaten, I started to like really rough sex. It’s one of the few times I feel alive. Talk shit to me, hurt me, fuck me until I scream … I love it.” There, seed planted to see how she reacted and if my words would travel from her mouth to everyone’s ears. I didn’t give a shit who found out I liked it rough, so it was a good thing to share.

“Your secret is safe with me.” She twisted her lips, appearing deep in thought. “That makes a lot of sense. I mean, what destroyed you is what makes you feel alive.”

I tilted my head, wondering how in the hell she put that together. Hell,Ihadn’t even put that together.

“How do you get that?”

Everlee’s grin brightened the entire day. “I’m majoring in social work and minoring in psychology. I love to see patterns in people’s lives. It’s something that’s natural for me.” Her forehead creased. “But if my parents found out, they would be absolutely livid.”

“What? They don’t know? How?”

“Girl, have you met the internet? You can fake anything if you know the right people and have enough money, including class schedules, grades, everything.” She grinned like she’d just won the lottery. “My parents think I’m getting a degree in business. I don’t plan on telling them until I’ve graduated.”

“Why? I mean would they not pay for your college, or…?” Her revelation puzzled me until I realized she was giving me one of her secrets as well. Trust went both ways.

“Wynter, we all have our secrets. Some more serious than others, but like you, I have reasons to keep my mouth closed.” She patted my leg. “I know it will take you time to see that I’m genuine. If you piss me off, I’ll talk to you about it. If you have a fucked-up day, I’ll cry with you. What you see is what you get.”

“A WYSIWYG.” I cracked a grin. “My dad used to say that.”

“What the hell is a wizzy-wuh?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “It stands for what you see is what you get.”

“Oh.” She tapped her chin. “I like it. And yes, that’s what I am.” Everlee jumped up from the bathroom floor. “Are you in for the night?”

“Yeah.”

She offered a palm to me. “I have a stash of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Wanna share with me? We can watch a chick flick.”

My heart warmed. It had been a while since I’d hung out with anyone other than my sister. “Yeah. That sounds nice.”

I took her hand and wondered if she would treat me the same when she learned what had really happened. Since someone in the society knew my secret, it would only be a matter of time before my entire world imploded once more.

Only this time, it would destroy me in the process.

Chapter12

Quinn

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