Page 92 of Revere

I pray for things to change.

I pray for a time in my life when things might be better than this.

I pray my mother will finally give up on my soul and whip me until I bleed to death.

Anything to break me free from this religious time loop where she takes out her regrets and shame on me.

“That’s good to hear.” Deacon Beech shifts closer; his arm brushes mine.

He’s close.

Too close.

The hair on the back of my neck stands tall as he leans in.

His whisper tickles the side of my face. “I’d hate for such a beautiful girl to lose her soul.”

My hair is dripping wet. Water soaks the dorm hallway with every step. Rainy season hit Bristal early this year, which figures because I didn’t think to pack a jacket before booking a last-minute flight back home.

I barely had time to pack a single bag of clothes after my quick shower because I was too worried Jacob would find his way back to the apartment and try to convince me to stay. If it weren’t for all the blood, I wouldn’t have stopped by his apartment at all. But trying to board a plane covered in blood would raise questions I can’t answer.

A chill runs down my spine, and it isn’t from the coolness of the summer storm. It’s the shiver lingering since discovering the truth about Jacob. Of all the things that are too good to be true, why did he have to be one of them?

I didn’t just hand that man my virginity; I gave him my trust. Proof I’m just a naive college girl after all.

When I reach the door to my dorm room at Briar, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I didn’t bother calling my roommates to warn them I was returning because they’ve probably already heard through the Sigma House grapevine.

Jacob isn’t near me, but I feel him everywhere. In the eyes at the airport. In the magical upgrade of my seat on the plane. He might have let me go, but I’m under no illusion that he isn’t still monitoring my every move.

If anything, my friends were probably told to expect me the second I escaped that basement.

I hold my breath and unlock the door, prepared to face the music. But when I swing it open, there are more people here than I realized. Violet and Kole are on the couch, talking to Mila and Alex. While Teal and Declan are in the kitchen. She’s pressing ice to his face, which is already bruising.

All eyes are on me as I shut the door behind me, but no one says a word. Alex is about to stand when I glare at him, and Mila reaches for his hand, stopping him.

Good.

My brother is the worst of all of them. He knew exactly who I was spending the summer with. That I was at the mercy of the man who administered his botched Sigma Sin initiation trial. And he let it happen.

Crossing the room, I walk to my bedroom and shut the door, dropping my bags on the floor before throwing myself onto my bed, soaking wet.

Unfortunately, my roommates don’t take the hint because a knock comes at my door a minute later.

“We’re coming in, Patience.” Mila opens the door, poking her head in first before pushing it farther for the other girls to follow.

They circle the bed, surrounding where I’m lying in a wet mess. Still, I refuse to look at them, keeping my eyes on the ceiling.

“How many of you knew Jacob was Sigma Sin?” I cut straight to the point.

I’ve gone in so many circles in my life. Buried myself in secrets. Protected everyone around me, especially my brother. I’m tired of it.

All three of them are silent, and I turn to look at Violet first, who is frowning.

“You knew since the plane, didn’t you?”

She bites her lip. “Kole mentioned he was a graduate, but he didn’t clarify his specific role in the House.”

I glance at Teal, whose shoulders deflate. “He’s the one who handled the paperwork when Declan had us secretly married.”