Chapter 31 #3
“You always wondered why she never came to you with her problems, and this is why. You’re not honest with her. You weren’t protecting her, you were saving yourself from having to deal with the aftermath. That makes you a selfish piece of shit, Skeet,” Hunter snapped, keeping me close.
I wanted the floor to swallow me up, my body going numb.
She was gone. Never coming back, just like Max had said. My mom was fucking dead.
“She knew she could come to me about her problems,” Skeeter hissed.
“Really? Then why didn’t she tell you she was raped on her birthday? Why do I know and you don’t?” Hunter threw back, and you could hear a pin drop as the room went silent.
I looked over to find Skeeter staring at me, disbelief and confusion on his face.
“What’s he talking about?”
“Oh, so now you’re worried?” Hunter bit out as I stayed silent. “How come I’m the only person that knew someone touched your damn girl? She didn’t want to talk to you about it, but she opened up to me. She knew she could trust me, that’s why.”
“Hunter,” I warned, needing him to shut up. I didn’t want Slash’s name tarnished. Right now, I didn’t even give a shit about it hurting Skeeter, he’d burned that bridge, but the thought of everyone thinking badly about Slash made me feel sick.
“Who? Was it someone at the party? Did Matteo—” Skeeter was rambling, trying to figure it out in his head, but there was no way he’d come to the conclusion on his own.
“Slash broke in and held a gun to her head,” Hunter said through gritted teeth, my eyes closing as if it would block it out. I couldn’t picture Slash like that anymore, not now that I’d seen the softer side of him. “He forced her to strip and fucking raped her in her room when no one was home.”
“What?” Skeeter scoffed. “Slash didn’t rape her. They were together.” My chest was getting tight, and I pulled away from Hunter, walking towards the door. “Aurora, stop. It wasn’t Slash, right?”
I turned, and I had no idea what he saw on my face, but realization filled his eyes.
“Telling you wouldn’t have done anything good, just created an internal war. I loved him, and I wasn’t going to tell you after he’d died because what was the point? I guess both of us were keeping secrets.”
“Aurora—”
“Go to hell, Skeet,” I said before walking out the door towards the Lamborghini, slamming the door behind me.
“Hey, whoa,” Marco said as he climbed out of Hunter’s car and jogged towards me, blocking me from getting in the driver’s seat. “You can barely walk in a straight line. Are you drunk?”
“Fuck off, Ortega,” I barked, giving him a shove, but he barely moved. “I said, fuck off!”
I swung a fist at him but he dodged it easily, somehow pinning my arms by my sides to stop my attacks as he hugged me tightly.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, my body drooping to the point that he was holding me up with one arm, his other hand sliding up into my hair to keep my face pressed against his shirt.
“He knew,” I managed to get out, hearing him sigh.
“I know, Princess. I’m so fucking sorry.”
I wasn’t sure why his apology was what broke me, but a sob broke free, and he held me a little tighter.
I could hear Hunter and Skeeter still arguing inside, but all I could think about was the fact that Skeeter had known about Mom for months and hadn’t said a thing, letting me look for her like he hadn’t known shit.
I felt so fucking stupid.
“I’ll take her home,” Marco mumbled, making me realize he was talking to Hunter, who was now next to us. When had he come out?
“I want to go and see the guy,” I forced out, joining their conversation. “I need her body. She needs—”
“I’ve already handled it,” Hunter promised, brushing hair from my face.
“The guy buried her, but he didn’t erase the evidence of what had happened.
He was more than happy to turn over her gravesite.
Turns out, Max never gave him the second half of his payment.
Go home with Mark and I’ll make sure the cops find her this week so you can bring her home and bury her wherever you like. ”
“That doesn’t take back the fact you just told Skeet shit that I was trying to keep buried,” I said bitterly, his face falling.
“It just sort of came out. I’m so fucking mad that—”
“It wasn’t your secret to tell,” I growled, managing to punch him in the chest before Marco pulled back a step, his voice firm.
“Hey, we need to go. You need to hold it together a little longer, okay? The cops can’t know that you already know about your mom when they come to tell you.
” I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage that, but I nodded, his hand cupping my chin.
“Don’t take anything else today either. It won’t help. ”
“I didn’t—” I started, but he gave me a pointed look that told me he knew I was lying. “I won’t.”
“Good girl.”
Hunter eyed me for a second before sighing and walking towards his car, and Marco helped himself to my pockets for the keys before encouraging me to get into the passenger seat of the Lamborghini.
Skeeter was watching us through the window, an unreadable look on his face. I hoped he thought the worst, that we were going home to fuck my pain away. I hoped that he laid awake all damn night thinking about it too.
I really hoped that the fucker dropped dead and I never had to see him again.