Chapter 43
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
NICOLE
Before Akio could respond, I hurried out of the bathroom. I didn’t want to talk anymore about it. I didn’t want to even think about it.
When I stepped into the hall, Principal Vaughn’s door swung open. Jace Harbor pulled Allie, whose eyes were filled with tears, out of the office and slammed the door behind them.
“Don’t say anything to my father,” he whispered to her. “We’re staying here for now. It’s the only place that’s safe. As soon as school ends, meet me by my car. We’ll go home once I know my dad is gone. Don’t leave with anyone.”
“We’re just going to let him continue to video innocent people?” Allie asked.
My eyes widened as I wondered what the hell Allie could be talking about, especially after leaving Vaughn’s office. Who was videoing innocent people? What were the videos about? Clearly, I had missed something during the time I hadn’t been in school.
Jace stopped a little ways down the hallway, obviously not having spotted either Akio or me yet. “My dad is far more of a threat than Vaughn. Let me take care of him, and then we can take Vaughn down, along with the rest of Redwood’s most corrupt. Okay?”
Allie balled her hands into fists. “Jace, we can’t let him get off. He’s ruined my life.”
I looked between her and Principal Vaughn’s door, wondering what that pedo had to do with this. He and Dad were good friends, and he had touched me for the first time in the summer before ninth grade.
If he had hurt Allie in any way—or touched her—I would … do something to him.
I didn’t know what. I didn’t know how. He could hurt me all he wanted, but when he touched Allie—one of the sweeter and more innocent girls at Redwood—then I had a problem. It was bad enough he had already slept with most of the cheer team.
Jace took her face in his hands and stroked his thumbs against her cheeks. “He won’t. I promise that I’ll take care of him. Redwood is about to be blown to pieces and crumble. We just have to give it a little more time.”
Her lips trembled, yet she held out her pinkie. “Pinkie promise me.”
Jace curled his pinkie around Allie’s. “I promise you that I’ll make everything right again.”
And with that, they disappeared down the hallway toward their class.
“What happened?” I whispered to Akio, watching them depart.
“Jace and Allie’s sex tape was leaked.”
“Their sex tape?”
“Sorta …” Akio paused. “Someone recorded them in the locker room.”
My lips quivered. “My God. That’s terrible. Who did that?”
Akio shrugged. “I don’t know.”
But I would bet my soul that it was Principal Vaughn. Dad had gotten him into recording young girls getting fucked, had shared his fair share of his own recordings with me with Principal Vaughn. They all used it for blackmail because this town was screwed to hell.
My stomach growled, and I placed my hand over it. “I didn’t get a chance to have breakfast,” I said. “I’m going to the cafeteria to see if they have anything left before I head to class. I’ll see you later.”
Before I could head down the hall, Akio grabbed my hand. “The librarian has muffins.”
He guided me to the staircase that led up to the library with his hand tightly squeezing mine and a pissed expression on his soft face. He had always been so nervous around me, always stuttering and fiddling with his shirt.
Never had I seen him so furious. Hell, Akio hadn’t stopped grimacing since I had told him about what had happened … or at least part of what had happened. As much as I liked him— loved him—I would never tell him the true extent to how Dad treated me. I had so much shame for allowing my own blood to fuck me.
More than once.
Akio would look at me so differently. Maybe even think I was disgusting.
When we made it up to the library, some girls sat in the back room for their free period. Akio marched us right up to the librarian herself, who smiled sweetly at him and readjusted her glasses.
“Akio, what can I do for you?”
“Can Nicole have one of your muffins?” Akio asked her. “She’s hungry.”
“Akio!” I scolded, not wanting to force her into giving me any of her food.
“It’s okay.” Without even a pause, she pulled out a plate of freshly baked muffins from underneath the counter and held them out for me. “Take as many as you’d like, my dear. I usually bake these for the girls in the first period, but they’re not hungry today.”
I glanced over at Akio to make sure it was okay, and he nodded.
After just taking a blueberry muffin, I thanked her. People were never so kind to me.
“Take another,” she said. “I can’t eat all these myself.”
“Are you sure?”
She extended the plate further toward me. “Go on.”
Once I took another muffin, she turned to Akio, who shook his head. He guided me to the back of the library and to the big beanbag chair where we had fucked last week. I sat down on the seat, finally feeling relaxed for once.
I slumped my shoulders forward and stuffed the muffin into my mouth. “Thank you.”
Akio nodded and stayed quiet.
When I finished my first muffin, I folded the wrapper. Akio held out his hand and took it from me. I smiled softly, my chest so warm and tight at the thought of people actually being nice to me for once. Most times, I didn’t deserve it.
But after what had happened this past week, I thought I did.
“What happened to your necklace?” Akio asked.
“What?”
“Your sister’s necklace,” he continued. “You’re not wearing it anymore.”
“Oh,” I whispered. “I accidentally broke it.”
He paused and crouched down in front of me. “Why are you lying?”
I tucked some hair behind my ear, flustered. “I’m not lying.”
“Nicole,” he said softly, taking my hand, “you can tell me anything.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I can’t.”
Pain crossed his face. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
But that was what everyone said before they did. The only person in my life who hadn’t hurt me was Hannah, and she had been gone for more than half a decade now. I had been all alone, and I didn’t know how to be with someone else. I didn’t know how to let them in on all my secrets. I didn’t know how to let them help me.
“One day, I’ll let you in on everything,” I whispered, gripping his hand. “I promise.”
I just hoped that I lived that long.