The Hunt

6. Everly

6

Everly

I took another deep breath and folded my hands on my lap. “So, you know how Jake and I used to spend every summer together?”

“Yup,” the girls said in unison.

“We’d always meet up at his family’s main house first, and then we’d drive or fly to whichever summer house we were staying at. They’re super rich, so they have about twenty of them all over the country,” I said. “This summer, I was meant to arrive at the main house on the 7 th . But I thought I’d surprise him and arrive a couple of days early.”

“Uh-huh,” Bree said, head tilted slightly to one side.

“Because we were together for so long, I was pretty close with his family, and they trusted me with the gate code. I had a key, too. So I thought it would be fun to let myself in, sneak into Jake’s room, and shout ‘ surprise! ’.” I paused and shook my head. “It sounds so childish now.”

“No, it’s cute,” Sloane said.

Bree raised her brows. “I’m guessing you saw something you weren’t meant to see?”

“Yup. I walked in and saw him on top of one of the maids. Naked.”

“I thought you only found out about him cheating after the breakup,” Sloane said.

“He wasn’t cheating with the maid,” I said in a hollow voice. “At first, that’s what I assumed, but then I realized she wasn’t moving at all, and her eyes were closed.”

“She was unconscious?”

“Yes. At first, I honestly thought she was dead. She just looked so… limp.” I swallowed hard and went on. “Anyway, I screamed, and Jake jumped up. He started crying and shouting all this crazy, nonsensical stuff. Then he went and locked himself in the bathroom.”

“What the fuck?” Bree muttered.

“I went over to the maid. Checked to make sure she was breathing and covered her with a blanket. Then I tried to wake her up,” I said. “The whole time, Jake was in the bathroom crying like a baby. Just howling. ”

Sloane’s eyes were like saucers. “Did the maid wake up?”

“Yes, after a few minutes. She was really groggy and confused at first. Then she was scared. Really, really scared.” I briefly closed my eyes and took another deep breath. “I asked her what happened, and…”

I trailed off as hot tears of rage, regret, and sorrow welled up in my eyes. Sloane reached over and put a hand on top of mine. “It’s okay. Take as long as you need.”

I sucked in another deep breath and continued. “She told me she was cleaning in the hall outside Jake’s room. He asked her to come in and watch the game with him because he didn’t want to watch it alone. She wanted to say no, because she had work to do, but at the same time, she felt like she couldn’t reject him.”

“Because he’s her boss,” Bree said, nodding slowly.

“Technically, his dad is. But it’s the same thing. She felt like her job might be at risk if she pissed off any of the family members.”

“Yeah, I get it.”

“She said yes. He offered her a soda. She drank it, and that was the last thing she remembered before waking up naked on the bed.”

“So he drugged her.”

“Yes. I got her dressed and took her to the hospital because she looked really sick and could barely walk. But when they asked what happened, she lied.”

“About what?” Bree asked, brows knitting.

“She told them a stranger had drugged her at a bar. I stayed silent when she was talking, because I was so shocked,” I said. “But after the doctors left, I asked her why she lied. She said she felt like she had to.”

“Because of Jake and his family?”

I nodded. “Like I said, they’re rich as sin. Julia—that’s her name, by the way—was genuinely terrified of how they might retaliate if she reported him. She was also scared of losing her job, because she really needed the money for her own family. So she begged me not to say anything to the doctors, because she knew they’d call the police.”

“That’s a tough spot to be in,” Sloane said, wincing. “On the one hand, I’d be frothing at the mouth to turn him in. On the other hand, I’d hate to force a woman to take on a case like that when she already said she can’t deal with it.”

“That was the exact problem,” I said softly. “I didn’t want to force her to do anything. Especially because she was already so scared. But I told her that I was willing to help out. Make a statement about what I’d seen. Even testify in court if necessary. But she still said no. She said she would only turn Jake in to the police if there was real, solid evidence.”

Bree frowned. “Like what?”

“Like him admitting what he did on camera, or something like that.” I sighed and shook my head. “She thought her word and my word wouldn’t be enough. Not when his family has access to the most cutthroat lawyers that money can buy. They’d tear us apart in court. Make it look like we cooked up some scheme together to get money from the family.”

“I hate how accurate that is,” Sloane muttered. “It’s so fucking unfair.”

“Yeah. I understood where she was coming from. So I promised not to say anything.” I hesitated and twisted my fingers nervously on my lap. “I still feel so guilty about that. Like… I should have done more to convince her to come forward.”

“Don’t do that to yourself,” Bree said, shaking her head. “Like Sloane said, it’s a really tough spot to be in.”

I let out another sigh and went on. “They did a blood test at the hospital to confirm that she’d been drugged. They wanted to examine her for signs of sexual assault, but she refused. Told them nothing happened. I just stood there and stayed silent, as much as I didn’t want to,” I said. “After that, the doctors wanted to keep her there for observation, just for a few more hours. While they were doing that, I went back to the house to grab my suitcase. I figured Jake would’ve lawyered up already and called his parents to come home from wherever they were. But he was alone.”

“Still in the bathroom?”

“No, he was out of there by then. When he saw me walk in, he had the audacity to come over and try to hug me.” My upper lip curled with disgust. “He was still crying and panicking. Begging me to forgive him and not tell anyone what I saw. I told him the maid was okay, and that he was lucky she wasn’t pressing charges. Then I said I was leaving and never wanted to see him again. But he blocked the door. Told me I had to listen to his explanation before he’d let me leave.”

“As if there’s anything he could say that could possibly make it okay,” Bree said, nostrils flaring.

“No shit,” I muttered. “But I was still in shock. I just couldn’t believe this stuff was happening. And I was scared, too. So I agreed to hear whatever he had to say.”

“What was his excuse?”

“He… he said he has a sexual fetish.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. “I really can’t say it. You’ll think I’ve lost my mind.”

“Everly. We believe you.” Bree leaned forward again. “Just tell us.”

“Okay.” I took another deep breath, revulsion churning in my stomach. “He said he’s always fantasized about sex with… a dead body.”

“What the fuck ?” Sloane instantly looked sick with horror. “He wants to fuck corpses? ”

“He said he’d never actually do it, but he thought about it all the time. So then he thought it might work if he did something close to it instead.”

“Like… with an unconscious woman,” Bree said in a low voice. “Without any consent, I might add.”

“Yes. He said he only did it that one time, but I have no way of knowing if that’s true. And once is terrible enough anyway.”

Bree’s lips thinned. “No shit.”

“He would’ve had to plan it all in advance,” Sloane muttered, shaking her head. “Like buying the knockout drugs. Waiting until he and Julia were alone together. And then…”

She trailed off, and I nodded woodenly. “I honestly couldn’t believe it. I’ve known him since we were kids, and he was always the sweetest guy. Always considerate. Always asking for consent from me. I had no idea he was such a monster underneath it all. I just… I was so shocked.”

“I don’t blame you,” she replied. “I think I’d straight-up faint if someone admitted that stuff to me.”

“Oh my god!” Bree briefly clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes widening. “I just remembered something. I saw him hooking up with a girl at the bonfire party. What if he did something to her?”

“I doubt it,” I said in a hollow voice. “Because, unbelievably, the story gets even worse.”

Her brows puckered. “What do you mean?”

“Well, when he was admitting everything about the fantasy, I asked him if he’d ever done it to me,” I said. “He told me he hadn’t, and that he would never consider it, because he sees me as being from the same league as him. Like, socially speaking. But he doesn’t see Julia the same way. I guess she’s not even a real person to him.”

Sloane looked sick again. “That’s so fucked up.”

“Yeah. Even though I don’t come from a rich background like him, I was still his girlfriend, and our families know each other too, so I guess he’s always viewed me as good enough to be on his level because of that,” I said, putting the words ‘good enough’ in air quotes. “But other people, like the house staff—he sees them as below him. Sub-humans who exist to be used and abused.”

“So he’s an elitist about who he chooses to drug and rape.” Bree slowly shook her head. “That’s a whole new layer of twisted assholery.”

“Do you really believe me about this stuff?” I glanced anxiously between her and Sloane. “I know how crazy it all sounds.”

Bree patted my hand and nodded. “This shit is too wild to make up,” she said. “I believe you. I promise.”

“Me too.” Sloane’s eyes filled with sympathy. “And now I totally get why he’s running a smear campaign. He wants to turn everyone against you because he’s scared you’re going to tell everyone the truth about him.”

“I would if I could,” I said bitterly. “But like Julia said, it’s just my word against his in the end. Especially with her being too scared to come forward. So I can’t tell people. He’ll just say I’m crazy.”

“That’s the real reason you haven’t blocked him, right?” she asked. “Just in case he texts you something incriminating?”

“Yes. He’s spent the last few months cycling between sending me furious messages attacking me and sad ones begging me to take him back. Lately it’s mostly been the furious ones.”

“But he’s never actually admitted what he did in the texts?”

“He did, but only sort of,” I said. “At one point while he was sending me all the sad messages, I tried to bait him. I texted him something like: ‘ You know that I saw exactly what you did to Julia, and I’m sick of hearing your excuses. Be honest with me about what you did and why you did it, and maybe then I’ll see you again.’ This was his reply.”

I fished my phone out of my purse, opened my conversation thread with Jake, and scrolled up until I found his response to my bait message.

J: Babe, it was just a one-time thing. I swear! I’ve never done it before and never will again. You catching me was the wakeup call I needed. I’ll get therapy, I swear. Please give me a chance.

Sloane’s nose wrinkled as she read it. “Too bad this would never hold up in court.”

“Yeah, because he didn’t actually say what he did,” I replied. “So his lawyers could argue that it’s about something else. Like him cheating, for instance.”

“Exactly.”

I gritted my teeth and inhaled through my nose, anger spiking in me all over again. “I just wish I could get him to admit it out loud while I’m recording him. Then I could give that recording to Julia. See if she’s willing to move forward with a case against him.”

Bree nodded. “That would be the best-case scenario.”

I let out a frustrated groan and scrubbed my hand over my face. “Honestly, it kills me that he’s freely walking around when I know what he’s capable of,” I said. “I worry every single day that he’s drugging other women he considers below him on the social ladder. I just go over it in my head again and again. It’s driving me crazy.”

Sloane grimaced. “And there’s nothing you can really do about it. Like you said, you can’t report him to the police unless Julia changes her mind,” she said. She paused and tilted her head. “Are you still in contact with her?”

“Yeah. I text her every few weeks to see how she’s doing.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Is she still working for Jake’s family?”

“Yes.” I sighed. “But she asked for a transfer to a different wing, at least. So she doesn’t have to see him when he’s there.”

“A different wing ?” Bree’s eyes widened. “Wow, they really are rich.”

“Yup.” My lips tightened. “Getting on their bad side is a really bad idea.”

“I get that, but you can’t just let Jake run around smearing you like this,” Sloane said, shaking her head. “These days, online rumors don’t just blow over. They can affect your future in so many ways. You can miss out on a ton of opportunities, and you can even get fired if your employer sees a nasty post accusing you of stuff.”

Bree nodded. “You could also get kicked out of Hollingsworth if enough people complain about you. So we really need to do something about that post.”

I shrugged defeatedly. “What can I do? Other than say it’s not true, which hardly anyone will believe anyway.”

“I have an idea.” Sloane lifted her chin, eyes glimmering with intent. “I know I’m only pre-law, but I already know legalese pretty well. Enough to make me sound like a lawyer, anyway. So I’ll write a professional-sounding email to Holler threatening to file a defamation suit if they keep that post up. It’s not even wrong, because what they’re doing is literally defamation. I’ll also get them to post a retraction.”

“You think they’ll do that?”

“They will after I’m through with them. I’ll even ask one of the law professors for help if I need to,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “I’m really sick of these anonymous assholes who go around trying to wreck people’s lives from behind a screen.”

“Thank you so much,” I said, shoulders slumping with relief.

“Don’t thank me. I feel like such a bitch for jumping to conclusions earlier. I’m a shit friend.”

“We both are,” Bree muttered, looking down at the table.

I sighed. “It’s okay. I get it. It’s hard to know what to believe when so many people are saying it.”

“No, we should’ve known better.” Bree jerked her gaze back up to meet mine, guilt etched on her face. “Really… I’m so sorry, Ev.”

“Shit,” Sloane blurted out as she glanced at her watch. “I have to get to my next class. I’ll write that email to Holler afterwards, okay?”

“Okay.” I nodded and rose to my feet. “I’m going to go hide in a corner of the library for a while. I think it’s safer for me there than anywhere else on campus right now.”

“That’s probably true.” Bree sighed. “I’d come with you, but I have to go meet my study group soon.”

After I’d said goodbye to the girls and promised to meet them for much-needed drinks at a local bar later, I headed for the library with my jacket hood up and sunglasses on, hoping that would be enough to disguise me from all the people on campus who were out for my blood. Thankfully, it seemed to work, and I made it to my usual corner on the third floor without anyone giving me dirty looks or yelling at me.

I sank into a chair and let out a groan, leaning forward to rest my head on the desk. Guilt was weighing down on me constantly, like a shadow I couldn’t shake.

I hadn’t told the girls the whole story about how Jake’s actions had affected me mentally. I didn’t tell them for two main reasons. Firstly, because I worried about how they’d look at me afterwards, and secondly, because it wasn’t really relevant to what happened to poor Julia anyway.

It was relevant to me, though, and the crushing shame of that dark secret pressed down on me all day, every day.

The truth was: for as long as I could remember, I’d had a fantasy that I’d never explored. A desire to be taken against my will. Completely helpless and at the mercy of a big, strong man.

I thought that fantasy would vanish after I saw how Jake violated Julia, but it didn’t, and every day since then, I’d worried what that said about me—that even after witnessing another woman’s fear and trauma from such a terrible crime, I still had all these dark wishes lurking deep down.

I kept trying to tell myself it was harmless; that I’d never actually want it to happen in real life. It was just a fantasy that had nothing to do with who I really was. But if that were true… why did I feel so guilty all the time?

It was almost suffocating, constantly reminding me that somewhere inside me was this inexplicable desire that didn’t align with what I knew I should feel. I should’ve been horrified by the mere idea of that desire; repulsed enough to wipe it from my mind completely.

And yet... it was still there. That wish to be hunted down and brutally claimed with absolutely no say in the matter.

I took a deep breath, forced those thoughts aside, and sat up straight. Then I spent the next few hours going over my old lecture notes and rewriting them so the information would really sink in.

At five, my stomach started to grumble. I packed up my books and trudged out of the library, keeping my head down to avoid people’s gazes. I considered going to one of the dining halls for a meal, but I knew it would be packed at this time of day, and I didn’t want to face any verbal abuse, so I decided to head straight back to my dorm instead. I had a few bags of pretzels and mushroom jerky on my desk, so that would have to be my dinner for tonight.

A few people in the hallway threw dirty looks at me when they saw me, but no one said anything, unless you counted the guy that mumbled something unintelligible under his breath as I passed.

When I arrived at my dorm, I hesitated and knocked on the door first. “Tessa, it’s me. Just letting you know I’m back, in case you need a minute to mentally prepare, or whatever.”

I heard footsteps from inside, but she didn’t respond.

With a sigh, I grabbed my keycard and pressed it on the electronic lock. Then I pushed the door open and slowly stepped inside, stomach churning with anxiety as I wondered how Tessa would react to my presence.

She wasn’t at her desk or on her bed. The bathroom door was closed, and I could see light spilling out from the crack at the bottom.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. Then I cleared my throat and called out. “I know you’re still really mad at me, but if you let me explain, I think you’ll understand what’s going on. Can you please come out of there and talk to me?”

She didn’t reply, but I heard her feet shift on the tiles.

“Tessa, come on. You can’t hide in there all night,” I said. “Unless you plan on sleeping in the shower.”

My words were met with more silence.

“I was just joking about the shower, in case you—”

I abruptly cut myself off as I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out to see Bree’s name flashing on the screen.

I slid the green answer button across and lifted the phone to my ear. “Hey, how’s your study group going?”

“Oh, that ended ages ago, but it was fine,” she replied breezily. “Anyway, you need to come to The Cabin!”

I frowned. “I thought we weren’t meeting there until eight.”

“I know, but I ran into Tessa a while ago, and I explained everything to her. Please don’t be mad. I know you wanted to tell her yourself, but I really wanted to fix everything to make up for what an asshole I was to you earlier.”

My frown deepened. “Hang on… what?”

“Don’t worry! I made her promise not to say anything to anyone, and she won’t, because she knows Jake might escalate if he realizes you’re finally telling people what he did,” Bree said hastily. “Anyway, she feels horrible about how she spoke to you today, and she wants to apologize. But she’s too chickenshit to call and ask you to come here herself, because she’s convinced that you totally hate her now.”

I took a slow step backward, eyes focused on the shadows moving in the crack of light spilling out from the bathroom. “Bree… are you saying you’re with Tessa right now?” I asked in a low voice. “Literally as we speak?”

“Yes, we’re at The Cabin. Can you meet us? Sloane is on her way too.”

“Oh my god,” I whispered, slowly backing away. “I think someone’s in my dorm.”

“What?” Confusion filled Bree’s voice. “Ev, are you okay?”

The bathroom light turned off. Then the door burst open, and a tall man dressed in black stepped out, his face hidden behind a black-and-white skull mask.

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. The hollow, empty eye sockets of the mask seemed to pin me in place, as if they saw straight through me. It felt like every nerve in my body was screaming for me to run, but my feet wouldn’t move. I could only stand there, frozen, as the masked man took one slow, deliberate step toward me, silent as a shadow.

Then he lunged at me.

I screamed and scrambled out of my dorm, legs feeling like they might collapse beneath me at any second as my heart slammed against my ribs. The skull-faced man strode straight past me without another glance in my direction, cutting through a group of students gathered in the hall. They all laughed as they saw him pass, presumably thinking it was some sort of prank.

I ran back into my dorm and slammed the door shut. Every nerve in my body was buzzing with panic, but I forced myself to step into the bathroom. As I flicked on the light, my heart dropped.

There, lying shattered in the sink, was my laptop, its screen a jagged spiderweb of cracks. Cold dread clawed up my spine as my gaze lifted to the mirror above, where blood red letters were smeared on the glass. A warning.

Get out before it’s too late.