We’re all fucked.
There’s a knock at the door, jolting all of us from our train of thought, but I ignore it. There’s no one I want to see or talk to other than the pretty girl I find myself thinking of every moment of every day.
“Hi,” she says meekly, letting herself in with a bag on her shoulder. “I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now, but I need you to forget about that for a second and just be my friends. I- I really need a friend right now.”
I rush up to her without thinking, wrapping my arms around her and holding on tighter than I intend to. I bury my face into the top of her head and melt at the smell of fresh flowers, how the hell does she always smell so good?
“What the hell happened to your face?” Davis blurts.
Claire lets out a soft chuckle, “you really suck at making a girl feel better, Davis.”
I push her away to take a look, and my body turns stiff the moment I realize she’s covered in bruises. Her lip is split, there’s a scab covering the top of her brow, there’s a dark bruise covering her left eye and… a handprint around her neck.
Those weren’t there before.
I see August take a tentative step towards us out of the corner of my eye, “seriously though, what happened?” His voice is soft, like he’s scared of what her answer is going to be, and I think I’m a little afraid as well.
Tears well in her eyes, and she swallows, “that’s why I came back.”
My body instantly hums with anger, itching to punch something as I go through the events of the last couple months. She lied about the bruise on her hand and covered it in makeup, she’s jumpy and nervous when people raise their voice at her, the bruises on her face now… she’s been abused. Even though she’ll never admit it, I know what it looks like and how someone acts when they’ve gone through that.
“I’m going to beat him into a bloody fucking pulp” I say through gritted teeth, storming towards the door. Claire tries to grab my arm but I shove her back, “don’t try to stop me. How dare he pretend he cares for you but then turn around and dothat.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Blair yells.
I throw my arms up, “fucking Chris. He’s the one that did this to her.”
Claire stares at me like I’m stupid, her lips slightly parted making me want to pull her close and taste her again.
Nope, not the time.
“You’re so fucking stupid,” her whole body shakes from how hard she’s laughing right now. “Chris would never lay a hand on me, he may be scary, but he’s a huge softie.”
“Then who the hell did that to you?” Miller asks.
She takes my hand, fire spreading throughout my fingers as she pulls me towards the living room, “I promise I’ll tell you guys, but you need to relax first. It’s being dealt with, I’m okay, and for the first time in my life I actually mean it.”
* * *
The world is tilting, she just told useverything, and I don’t know how to process it all. Between what she went through growing up —being used by her friends to get to Chris, and her parents abusing her— I don’t know how she’s still standing in front of us. Any normal person would be ruined byoneof these things happening to them, let alone all of it combined.
“Claire, we had no idea,” August says, grabbing her hand.
She smiles sadly at him, “it’s okay. I didn’t want any of you to know.”
My body begs for me to wrap her up and hold her, to let her cry into my shoulder and release everything that’s built up inside. She’s so strong —stronger than I ever thought— and she’s been doing it all alone for years.
“Why didn’t Chris do anything?” I ask.
She gives me a pointed look, “don’t you dare make him the villain here. He didn’t know, he wasn’t home when it started and I hid it from him… he was there when it counted, that’s all that matters.”
We all nod, understanding that she won’t let anyone think poorly of her brother, even though heshouldhave been around to see it. He should have been able to tell.
“Claire?” Davis says, “can I ask a question?” She nods her head, and he continues, “why’d you think we’d be the last people that wanted to see you?”
She sighs, melting into the couch and looking up at the ceiling. Tears well in her eyes, and she bites her lip to keep them at bay, “because I’d made a huge mess of your game, I figured you’d be angry with me.Millersure was.”
Miller stiffens beside me, “I-” he hangs his head, “I’m sorry. I was just angry you put yourself in a position to get hurt. I didn’t mean to make you think I was angry.”
