No. No, that’s not?—
My brain refused to catch up with what my eyes already knew.
Sixteen. She wassixteen.
And I did nothing.
That’s not true; I’d called her a liar and erased her from my life.
The moisture vanished from my mouth as blood thundered in my eardrums, drowning out the words spoken between my future stepfather and my then-best friend. As he leaned toward Lexi, the camera caught the smirk tugging at his lips, shooting acid up my esophagus.
The sunlight glinted on his tousled blonde hair and made his blue eyes sparkle, giving him an angelic appearance, but there was nothing divine or good about him.
“You should learn to be more respectful, little girl.” The sudden menace coiling around Stan’s words penetrated the haze clogging my mind. “I offered you a ride; you should really be thanking me.” He reached across the console to curl his hand around Lexi’s thigh.
And then his filthy hand disappeared beneath her skirt.
Everything in me fucking shattered.
Both versions of Lexi—the one in my lap and the one in the video—remained frozen, glued in place by fear. Choking terror pierced her gaze on the screen, and something inside my chest cracked wide open.
My sweet, kind, brave Lexi was violated, and when she finally trusted me with the truth, I betrayed her. I refused to believe her because I didn’t want anything to spoil my chance at a new life.
I didn’t just doubt her. I chose him.
I’d looked her in the eyes and decided she wasn’t worth the truth.
She’d shown me the truth, shown me how broken she was... and I just broke her again.
Stan was the devil, and I offered up my soul on a silver platter to gain money and power.
As Lexi faced the real-life nightmare on the screen, tears leaked down her cheeks. Her hand trembled so hard the mouse rattled beneath her fingers.
“I can’t watch this anymore.” She clicked the pause button so hard I was surprised the mouse didn’t crack.
I’d made her relive this. All to prove a point.
“I need to see it.” Even if it destroyed me. I didn’t deserve to look away. My nostrils flared as the embers of fury sparked into flames in my gut. “You were right. I need to know the truth.”
My stomach turned, bile clawing up my throat.
Every second of this felt like a knife dragging across my skin.
I couldn’t breathe, but I couldn’t look away.
Every tear that slipped down her cheek was another blade carving into my chest.
Every second felt like a punishment I fucking deserved.
Lexi shoved out of my lap like she couldn’t stand the contact anymore and paced across the room, dragging her hands through her hair.
I forced myself to press play again and witnessed my stepfather stealing Lexi’s innocence, breaking her all within a few short minutes. The sick bastard probably planned to pull over and rape her, but she puked in his lap and escaped the confines of his prison.
And I wasn’t there. A bitter, burning pressure built behind my ribs.
I wasn’t there for her.
She’d unexpectedly arrived at my house right after, distraught and shaky, and I held her as she cried into my chest, easily accepting her explanation about missing her ACT. Andthen I let her walk away with it. Alone. I should have known it was more than her father’s car breaking down and being unable to take a test. I should have pressed her for more information.
