Chapter 21
CHAPTER 21
KIARA
“How are you feeling?” I ask as I take the kettle off the stove and pour us both a cup of peppermint tea. Yolanda looks the worse for wear—she’s extremely hungover, a few of her braids have come undone, and she has a couple bruises forming on her arms. When I asked her if she remembered what happened between her and Ahmad last night, she somehow was able to recount more than I would have thought.
I thought I’d gotten there in time, but they didn’t even get out of the car before he started touching her. By the time I’d gotten there, he’d already raped her twice. He must have slipped something into her drink at the club because she wasn’t even that drunk when I last saw her there.
I hand Yolanda her mug and rub her back soothingly. She’s been sitting here staring into space for the past ten minutes.
“Talk to me, Yo,” I push gently. “Let’s call the police.”
She shakes her head furiously, the beads in her braids clinking together. “No, Kiara. Just drop it.”
I sit back and stare at her, astonished. “So, you’re just going to let that bastard win? He took advantage of you when you were vulnerable, Yolanda. He deserves to rot in prison for the rest of his life.”
She seems to consider my words for a moment.
“What about Malcolm?” she asks quietly. “Did he try to… you know…”
Malcolm.
In the craziness of last night’s events, I’d completely forgotten about him.
I take my phone out of my pocket and pull up the local news app. My stomach sinks when I see Malcolm’s smiling face underneath the headline reporting his death.
But when I see Ahmad’s picture next to it, my heart jumps up into my throat.
My fingers fly over the keyboard as I text Zyran.
It was you, wasn’t it?
My hands shake as I wait for his response.
“What’s wrong, Kiara?” Yolanda asks nervously, but I don’t respond.
When his message comes through, I nearly drop my phone.
Yes.
He doesn’t even bother asking me what I’m talking about because he already knows.
Why would you do something like that?
The gray bubble taunts me as I wait for his response.
I didn’t kill until I met you.
That’s all he says. My fingers fly over the keyboard furiously as I type out a response.
And that makes it okay???
YES
If I didn’t, those men would have raped you and your friend, Kiara.
I swallow down the sick feeling beginning to creep up my throat.
The man Yolanda was with did rape her.
I chew on my bottom lip impatiently as I wait for his reply, and when I finally get it, it sends shivers down my spine.
Then I did the world a favor.
You should be thanking me.
They could have just done time in prison. You didn’t have to kill them.
Why am I defending rapists?
Zyran takes a minute to respond, and when he does, I’m overwhelmed with a feeling of intense dread.
But it was fun.
I drop the phone on the table and rake my hands through my hair so hard it feels like I’m ripping out the strands. My phone vibrates, but I ignore it.
“Kiara,” Yolanda says sternly, “what the hell is wrong with you?”
“If I tell you, you have to swear on your mother’s grave that you won’t go to the police.”
Her eyes widen in surprise—I would never have her make such a promise if it wasn’t serious.
She nods slowly.
Taking a deep breath, I explain to her what happened last night. Zyran confessed to murdering two men, and he did so without even a shred of guilt or second thought. I get that he did it to protect us, but I think there are other ways he could have done so, like getting the police involved.
But then I feel ridiculous for even thinking such a thing, because why would a literal stalker go to the police about anything?
Yolanda grips her mug so hard her knuckles turn white. “Kiara, this is serious.”
“I know, I know,” I say impatiently, silently cursing myself for even getting myself into this mess. If I’d just called the police the first time I met Zyran, I wouldn’t be sitting here with the weight of his confession smothering me.
I look at my friend and feel my heart tug at the confused look on her face. “I know you’ve got to be feeling so many different emotions right now.”
She swallows and takes a sip of her tea. “There’s a part of me that feels like I should thank him for what he did,” she says quietly. “But the other part of me realizes the fucked up situation we’re in.”
I shake my head. “No. I got myself into this shit by letting my hormones override my common sense. You’re not involved. I’ll make sure your name never comes up.”
“You’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’m letting you go through this alone.”
I sigh. She’s always been strong-willed, and even now, after everything she went through last night, she still wants to protect me.
I put a hand on her arm and squeeze. “The only thing I want you to focus on is healing. That’s all that matters to me right now.”
“You’re my family, Kee—you matter to me.”
I lean over and grab her into a tight hug. “I love you so much, Yo. We’ll get through this together.”