She hands Rev a bottle of pain reliever and he takes the cap off and puts two tablets to my lips. I open and swallow them down with another sip of water.
Blade stands a few feet in front of us, arms crossed, eyes locked on my face, and I have never seen him look like this. Not angry exactly. Focused. Like every ounce of him is being held in check by sheer force of will.
Switch stays near the door, not pacing, not moving, just… there, solid and watchful, like he is guarding the room.
Blade finally speaks, and his voice is quiet, but it carries. “Sweetheart,” he says, and that alone almost makes me cry again because Blade does not use that tone unless he means it. “I need you to tell us what happened tonight.”
My stomach twists. Rev’s arm tightens around me, just a little, and I feel him shift so I am more protected in his lap, more shielded from the room. “You do not have to if you are not ready,” he says quietly.
I swallow, my throat burning. “No,” I whisper. “I… I should. You should know.”
Bella sits down on the edge of the couch, eyes red and swollen, hands clenched in her lap. Ansley is standing behind her, one hand resting on Bella’s shoulder. Bri is still right beside me, her knee pressed against mine like she is anchoring herself there.
I take another breath. “He picked me up at my house,” I start, and even that feels surreal, like I am talking about someone else’s night. “He was… He was in a suit and he looked…” I shake my head. “He looked like every book boyfriend I have ever read about.”
Rev’s jaw tightens under my cheek.
“We went to this restaurant downtown. It just opened last month. I had wanted to go so bad, but I never thought I would actually get a table.” My voice wobbles, and I hate that it does. “He ordered for me before I could even say anything, and it felt… controlling, but I told myself I was overthinking it.”
Blade’s fingers curl slowly into fists.
“He talked about himself the whole time,” I continue. “His job, his money, his cars, the houses he owns. He asked about me, but not really. When I told him about Mom and Dad, about dropping out of school to take care of you guys…” My chest tightens. “He just… moved on to the next topic. Like it did not matter. Said it must have been inconvenient. Who the hell says that?”
Bella makes a small, broken sound.
“I wanted to leave,” I admit quietly. “By dessert, I was already done. I told him I was tired and he paid and took me back to the car.”
Rev shifts again, his hand coming up to cradle the side of my head, like he knows what part comes next and wants to brace me for it.
“Outside the restaurant he apologized,” I say. “He said he liked me. That he was nervous. That he wanted another chance. AndI thought… maybe I was being unfair. Maybe first dates are just awkward.”
Switch lets out a slow breath through his nose.
“He did not take me home,” I whisper. “He drove to this overlook instead. Said the view was nice.”
The room goes completely still.
“He parked and kissed me,” I say, my voice starting to shake. “And then he said he wanted to take me back to his place. I told him no. That I was tired and wanted to go home.”
Rev’s arm goes rigid around me.
“And he got mad,” I whisper. “He said I was leading him on. That I wanted him. He kept touching me, and I tried to push him away and he…” My breath catches. “He hit me.”
Bella’s hand flies to her mouth again, a sob breaking out of her before she can stop it.
“And then he kept trying to… to force me,” I say, tears spilling over now. “I managed to grab my taser from my purse and used it, and he screamed, and I ran. I lost my shoes. I ran into the woods and hid.”
My whole body is shaking now, and I do not even realize I am crying until Rev’s hand wipes at my cheek.
“I could hear him yelling,” I whisper. “Calling my name. Cursing. Then I heard his car start and leave. I waited and waited and then I called Rev because I did not know what else to do.”
Silence crashes over the room. Not the quiet kind. The heavy kind. Blade’s face is completely blank, and somehow that ismore terrifying than if he were yelling. Switch’s jaw is clenched so tight I can see the muscle jumping. Bella is crying openly now, Ansley holding her from behind. Bri is staring at the floor, tears dropping onto her jeans, her hand gripping mine like she is afraid I might disappear.
Rev presses his forehead to my hair, his voice rough when he finally speaks. “You were so damn brave,” he murmurs. “You hear me? You did exactly what you had to do.”
Blade exhales slowly, like he is letting air out of a bomb. “This was Whitaker?” he asks quietly.
My stomach flips and I nod. “Grant,” I whisper. “Grant Whitaker.”
