Page 183 of The Surprise Play

“She says she doesn’t like to worry people.” Sienna shrugs while everyone else in the room squirms uncomfortably. “I get the impression that she hid a lot from her parents as well.”

“I don’t think they know Jade’s at Nolan U. Or that Satch is being bullied again. The way they were talking last weekend…” I shake my head. “They have no fucking idea.”

“It kills me that she’s been carrying this all by herself.” Sienna’s voice quakes. “I feel so bad for her.”

Zander’s expression buckles as he leans forward and kisses Sienna’s cheek, no doubt trying to comfort her.

I want to comfort my girl.

Fuck, I want her in my arms.

But she doesn’t want to be in mine right now.

Resting my head in my hands, I fight off another wave of nausea.

“Maybe she’s battling some kind of shame?” Grady puts it out there, his voice low and gruff.

“For what?” My head snaps up. “She didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Yeah, but sometimes victims try to hide stuff. They feel embarrassed that they can’t fight their own battles or protect themselves.”

“Yeah.” Nylah nods. “I mean, maybe she’s humiliated by everything that’s been done to her, and she doesn’t want you to know. She doesn’t want you to see her like this tortured victim. I get that.”

“But I could have helped her. Protected her,” I whisper, my voice losing all its strength. “Tonight was supposed to be…” I trail off, and it’s impossible to ignore the aching disappointment swirling around the room.

“I’m sorry that it wasn’t.” Sienna’s crying now, tears trickling down her cheeks.

“Hey.” Zander pulls her to his side, cupping her head when it comes to rest on his shoulder. “She’s gonna be okay.”

“How do you know that?” I shake my head.

Much to my annoyance, and heartache, he doesn’t say anything. How can he? He doesn’t fucking know, and the agonized frown he gives me tells me exactly that.

Standing up with a heavy sigh, I pad out of the room, climbing the stairs and calling Satch along the way.

Once again, it goes to voicemail. I don’t bother leaving a message. Instead, I text her, telling her I’m sorry, that I didn’t know about those girls, and that I’m livid with them. I ask her if she’s okay and beg her to call me just so I can hear her voice.

I end the message withx’s ando’s and three little words that will hopefully make her feel better.

Because they’re true.

I love her.

Maybe now more than I ever have.

CHAPTER 56

ELIZABETH

I’m woken from a restless sleep by my phone. I’m cursing the idiot who would call so early until I notice it’s my mother and it’s actually not that early.

It’s nine thirty, and I normally would have been up for a few hours. Yes, even on the weekends, I’m an early bird. It doesn’t seem to matter how late I stay up, my body clock wakes me right on time.

Except for last night, because I’d lain awake crying for so long, then had the worst headache and couldn’t switch my tortured brain off. I think I’m running on about two hours’ sleep, and I feel like shit.

My voice is raspy when I answer. I sound like a groggy drunk.

“Bessie? Sweetheart, are you okay?”