Page 192 of Wicked Little Darling

His eyes looked a bit glassy, and concern speared through my chest. “I really wanted to leave just so you would chase me,” he said, his voice hoarse.

“I really want you to get looked at, Reese.” His tiny smile fell away, fear sweeping across his face.

“No, please, Dakota, please, I’m fine.” He grabbed onto my arm; he was trembling, and fuck me I couldn’t add to his hurt.

“What about the school infirmary?” Val asked quietly. He was staring at the manor, where people were leaving in droves, eyes filled with disbelief.

I looked back at Reese. “Would you go to the campus infirmary? It’s not a hospital. We’d be in and out really quickly. We just need to make sure you’re really okay.”

“I don’t want to,” he whispered. His voice broke on the last two words, so I wrapped my arms around him and picked him up. He locked his legs around my waist and buried his face in my neck.

“Let’s go,” I said to Val, who was staring at the manor with a dazed look of shock. “I just wanted to…have a party…” he whispered.

Fuck.

I tugged on his arm. “I know. It’s not your fault, Val.”

“But I?—”

“Val,” Reese said, reaching out to grab his hand. Val’s gaze swiveled to Reese. “It’ll be okay. You have Dakota right here, but we need to leave, okay?”

Val didn’t say anything, just let Reese hold his hand. And then his eyes darted all around Reese’s face, panic setting in. “Oh my god,” he cried. “Reese, I’m so, so sorry.”

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault,” he said, squeezing Val’s hand.

“Yeah, but?—”

“Val,” I said. He would spiral if I didn’t stop him. “Come on. I wanna take Reese to the infirmary.”

“Y-yeah, of course, yeah.” He shook his hands out, glanced toward the manor one last time, then nodded at me.

We turned away from all the chaos and walked toward the darkness in silence.

The next fewdays were madness.

The truth came out and spread like a virus. People were coming up to me and apologizing, giving me their condolences, expressing sorrow for my circumstances—and it was all so disgustingly performative.

Reese, Val and I were called into the police station and questioned about what happened that night. There was a ton of press from all over the state, from out of state, from some of the biggest news outlets in the country. Classes were canceled for the next week while the university tried to figure out what the fuck was going on and what the fuck they should do and how to keep the press off their property.

Dean’s son assaults another student at their affluent estate, the online articles said. The stories were multiplying rapidly, changing and growing and eviscerating the Voss family.

The dean of Ashbrook Academy of the Arts is facing some tough questions about his son’s behavior

Is the dean of Ashbrook having an affair?

Dean’s son tries to kill another student at luxury party

Dean’s son acts like a total psychopath

Dean’s son shows his true colors

Dean’s son ruins the Voss family legacy

Everything was a goddamn mess.

The emcee from Val’s party had left the microphone on, apparently, and every single thing that happened in that room before Albert got there had been broadcast to everyone in the ballroom.

It was Evelyn who called the police. I wondered what they thought of their son now, this vile creature they’d pampered for twenty-two years.