“Pssh, too bad all my parties are study sessions. That’s about as wild as I get.”
We finished our game of pool—he won, of course—just as our burgers arrived. We slid into a booth as the waitress placed our burgers in front of us. We didn’t talk much as we ate. Our eyes would meet across the table every so often, and we’d smile at each other before looking away.
“Mm, you’re right. Your aunt’s burgers are the best. And this milkshake is to die for,” I said, scooping out the last of my chocolate shake.
“I told you. Willow…”
I looked up and raised my eyebrows when his voice trailed off.
He let out a breath and threw his napkin on his plate. “I’d never lie to you.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, pushing my plate away and focusing my attention on him.
“I hope you and I are past the love-to-hate-each-other phase of our relationship and have moved into a friendship.” He looked at the dark green table and spun his fork in circles.
“I think it’s safe to say we have,” I answered.
And then some.
“So, I hope you’d never lie to me.” He looked up at me through his lashes.
“I wouldn’t.”
Except about not being able to play pool, but that was for a very good reason.
He let out a frustrated breath. “I saw the bruises.” I stiffened. “When I bent over to help you line up your shot. Your shirt pulled back and to the side, and I saw the bruises on your back.”
“Oh.” I looked down at the table, making circles on it with my finger.
“Look at me. Willow, look at me. Please,” Brody said softly. I slowly raised my eyes to his. “Who’s doing that to you?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but I snapped it shut before I said anything. Shaking my head, I fought the tears pushing at the back of my eyes. I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes closed.
I won’t cry. I’m stronger than that. Tim and Jenna ask me about my bruises. I don’t cry then. I won’t cry now. But the look in his eyes… he really looks like he cares.
“You can tell me. Is it Jaden?”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Brody. I promised I wouldn’t lie to you, but if we keep talking about this, I’ll have to break that promise… and I don’t want to. Just… It’s okay. I’m fine. Let’s leave it at that, okay?”
“No. It isn’t okay. Someone is hurting you. That’s not okay.” He reached across the table and took my hand, rubbing his thumb over the top of it. “There are places that can help, people you can talk to.”
“Trust me, it wouldn’t help. I need to get home. Are you ready?” I asked, grabbing my purse.
Brody stared at me for a second before he stood up. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
We said goodbye to Brody’s aunt and walked silently to the parking lot. Brody unlocked and held the passenger door of the Jeep open for me. He slammed it shut, and I flinched. We didn’t speak during the short drive back to the school where I’d left my car. He pulled up beside my car and threw the Jeep in park, jolting us both forward. I reached for the door handle.
“Wait,” Brody said, his tone clipped. I pulled my hand back. He climbed out of the Jeep and walked around to open my door for me. “Give me your keys.” He took them from my hand, unlocked, and opened the driver’s side door of my car. As he held it open for me, he said, “You’re wrong, you know.”
“About what?”
“There’s always something or someone that can help.” He dropped my keys in my hand and closed the car door. Jogging back to his Jeep, he drove away.
No, Brody, you’re wrong. This is one time where there isn’t anyone who can help. The damage is done. Only bad things would come from telling anyone. Some secrets should stay buried, no matter how much it hurts.
Friday. I stood in front of my closet, looking through my clothes. I was supposed to dress normal. Jenna texted me early that morning and told me I’d worn my limit of sarcastic T-shirts for the week. She said I was absolutely dressing in something that didn’t have words on it to make up for wearing the awful shoes I wore all week. I told her I’d see what mood I was in. Her next comment wasn’t very pretty and sounded a lot like she was PMSing, which was a dangerous time of the month for those of us close to Jenna. So I decided to try to find something she would consider normal and stay on her good side.
I finally chose a forest green moleskin shirt and jeans. I wore my brown, distressed leather, calf-high boots that matched my messenger bag. If that wasn’t normal enough for Jenna, she’d have to come over and pick out my clothes for me every morning.
I showered and blew my hair dry, scrunching it so it hung in waves. Put on a little makeup—I never wore too much—and called it good. When I got to school, I swiped some lip gloss on my lips and made my way to my locker.
“Jeez, it’s about freakin’ time,” Jenna said, rolling her eyes. “Finally, you look like a normal person. Nice choice, by the way. Love the boots.”
“Thanks.” I grabbed my books from my locker. “I figured if you didn’t like this, you were going to have to start dressing me yourself.”
“Well, if you insist on wearing those damn T-shirts and ugly ass shoes all the time, I just might,” she snapped.
Yeah, definitely sounds like PMS. Note to self—buy Jenna chocolate at lunch.
“See you in history.” I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing and walked toward biology.
Brody’s chair was empty when I got there. I felt a pang of disappointment. The first bell rang, and he still wasn’t in class. He was always there by the first bell. I wondered if he’d be at school and realized how lonely my day would be without him sitting next to me, trading teasing insults.
I heard him before I saw him. “I mean it, Victor. Things will get ugly,” Jaden shouted.
“Your empty threats really scare me, Jaden. Really. I’m trembling like a little girl,” Brody shouted back before he walked into the classroom and slammed his books on the table.
“I need to talk to you.” Jaden looked at me. When I didn’t get up, he grabbed my arm and yanked me from my chair. “Now.”
Brody was around the table so fast I wasn’t sure what was happening. He shouldered Jaden. “Don’t yank her around like that.”
“Stay out of this, Brody,” Jaden said through clenched teeth. A vein in his forehead bulged and pulsed in time to his heartbeat as he pulled me out of the classroom.
“I want you to stay away from him. Someone saw you two together yesterday. I don’t know what you’re up to, but I won’t have my girl running around with that piece of scum behind my back. Stay away from him… or there’ll be trouble.” Jaden smirked, rubbing his chin with the side of his hand. “You don’t want me to start talking, do you, Wills? Because I’m starting to feel kinda… chatty—like I have a lot to say. And I think there are some people who’d be really interested to hear it.”
Jaden shoved me back into the classroom. I stumbled backward. Two hands caught me before I fell. I looked up to see Brody holding me. His face hard.
“Let go of her,” Jaden ordered.
“If you can’t treat her right, she’ll eventually come to her senses and find someone who will. Your days are numbered, Jaden.” Brody said, his voice measured.
“Willow isn’t going anywhere until I say she is. Period. I have the power in this relationship, and she knows it. She’s mine.” Jaden walked away, slamming his fist against a locker.
Brody rubbed his hands gently up and down my arms. Turning me around, he stared in my eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” My voice cracked, and I closed my eyes for a handful of seconds to calm myself.
“Why do you stay with him?”
I shrugged a shoulder and tried to smile. “It’s easier than trying to leave him.”