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“They fuckingraped me!” I screamed. “The guy I slashed? He was fucking awful, Theresa! You have no idea what he did!”
Finally, the tears started. Not because I was sad, but because I was so fucking pissed. I was still paying for what that asshole did. I was still paying for my auntie Theresa, my father, and my mother. I was paying and paying and paying, and there was never any getting ahead, getting even, or getting better. There was only the horror of it, of what had been done to me, of what I’d done, and the fact that no matter how hard I tried, I could never escape the truth about my past.
“I hate your fucking guts!You’rethe one that should be in jail! You trafficked me—your own flesh and blood! And I was just a kid! I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t deserve…” The tears took over, sobs wracking my body.
“You should be in jail, and you’re going to jail,” a familiar voice behind me said. Cole and two police officers strode into the room.
“Did you hear everything, officers?” Cole asked the cops.Fucking great.He’d heard everything, and now I was being arrested.
But Cole immediately came to my side and wrapped his arms around me, cradling me against his massive chest.
“I heard enough,” one of the cops said. The officer took out his handcuffs and approached Theresa. “You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent, and for my fucking sake, I hope you do.”
“I’m being arrested? For fuckingwhat?” she screeched.
“Human trafficking of a minor, accessory to aggravated sexual assault of a minor, defrauding the state, hiding evidence, blackmail, intentional infliction of emotional distress…” He cuffed her tightly, then looked at his partner. “What else?”
“Being a disgusting human being?” he offered.
“That, and filing a false police report.” The officer roughly pushed Theresa past us toward the door.
“I know my rights,” she hollered, “and you are gonna be in so much trouble. This is police brutality!”
“Is it?” The cop jerked her handcuffs again, causing her to yelp. “’Cause I thought I was just making sure these were on right.”
Theresa gave me the evil eye as she passed. “You’re gonna pay for this, girl.”
I lifted my chin. I felt sick that Cole had heard what I’d said and sick that the officers had heard it, but I also felt… lighter. “I already paid, Auntie. It’s your turn.”
But once she’d left, I turned back to Cole.
And promptly burst into tears again.
COLE
“Babe.”I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead. “I’m so sorry, Jenny. I’m so sorry about everything.”
“Nah.” She pulled back, violently wiping her eyes. “I’msorry you heard all that. I know you won’t feel the same about me, but it’s okay. I guess I already burned that bridge, huh?”
“Of course not.” I brushed the fresh tears from her cheeks. “Jenny, I?—”
“I was gonna tell you the truth,” she said, her voice wobbling. “I even told Audrey I needed to tell you because you are my person. But then I figured it might be better to leave you alone. You never needed a whore in your life, Cole. You deserve better than someone like me.”
“Jenny.” Tears brimmed in my eyes. My heart hurt for her. “You’re the best person I know. What your aunt did to you… What she put you through… That’s terrible, babe. No one should have to go through that.”
“Yeah, that’s true. But I still did a bad thing, Cole.”
“No, you didn’t.” I reached for her. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Then why am I still being punished, huh?” she asked. “I tried to hurt one of the guys. He was real bad, you know? So I hida knife under the mattress, and I slashed him. There was blood everywhere.”
Jenny shuddered violently. “I thought he was dead. And then I ran away.”
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” I tried to hug her again, but she stepped back.
“I never told anybody what happened. I tried not to think about it. I pretended it was like a movie like it happened to somebody else.” Jenny composed herself. She stopped crying. She blew her nose again, loudly. She wiped her face.
“And I been alone my whole life until I met Audrey, and then I met you,” she said. “You two were the first people I thought I could trust. I almost thought I might end up having a real life, you know? I thought I might actually have a chance.”