Page 91 of Voracious

So I do. I watch – listening as she speaks to him like he’s me, the sounds so clear as she weeps through the kissing, through him on her and inside her, to her on him, telling him she can’t see straight, that the room is spinning. She feels weird. She thinks she’s dying.

Chris is hard in the corner, stroking himself until he releases once again, and as he glances up at the camera, he fuckingsmilesbefore vanishing from the room.

He’ll be at the Fields’ manor. I’m going to burn it to the ground.

Sweat covers them both as skin slaps together, and I want to gouge my eyeballs out and stuff candle wax in my ears.

She keeps saying my name. Moaning it.

“I love you, Giana.”

Stacey’s eyes are glazed, slobber rolling down her chin from the amount of drugs she was given. “I love you, Kade.”

I can’t stop the vomit. It’s out and down me before she can say it again, and I can’t avoid seeing the smile he gives her, his eyes red raw.

The smile that I thought was for my girlfriend.

Bernie hums. “Interesting. Archie, go get the car ready.”

“Fuck that. Can’t we use his room?”

I pay them no attention – all I can do is watch the screen as they pass out and the footage skips to the morning.

The sound is off, but they’re yelling at each other in double time as she covers herself, sobbing into her palm. He grabs his hair and paces, then gives her a change of clothes to cover her nakedness.

She keeps mouthingsorry.

Sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s my brother. He’s a monster. I thought you wereKade.

And Jason mutters afuckand storms out of the room.

My body feels exhausted from watching all of this and the truth it holds, so I don’t notice anyone has approached me until someone stabs something into my arm. My brain goes cold just as the footage skips one last time – to Stacey standing on the Erskine Bridge with tears pouring down her face, wearing what she had on when I told her to get the fuck out of my life.

My brother is trying to get her down.

Stacey was suicidal for something that wasn’t her fault.

No.

27

KADE

FLASHBACK

Hours after Stacey leaves the manor, with a parting kiss and promising to see me tomorrow night, Jason shows up at my bedroom door.

“What do you want?” I hold the door open – confused.

“Going out with some of the guys from work, but my black shirt is too tight at the arms.” He walks in, instantly going for my dresser to go through my tops. “I’ve been going heavy at the gym and can’t button past my chest.”

“What makes you think my clothes will fit you? I’m tall and you’re…” I stare at him, gesturing to his height. “Not.”

“I’m only three inches shorter than you, dickhead.”

I shrug. But when he pulls open another drawer, I sigh. “Did you draw this?” he asks.

It’s a sketch of Stacey. Her face. Her smile. Each freckle and imperfection on her skin detailed, her hair cascading all over the page. I only started sketching again a few days ago. I gulp. “Yeah.”

---