Page 74 of If You Dare

Violet

Someone is sleepingin my roommate’s bed, but it’s not Aneesa.

Wes is passed out on top of her blanket, eyes shut and chest rising gently. This is the first time I’ve seen him look peaceful since before Chloe died. He’s in the same clothes he was wearing last night at the party.

My head swims, temple throbbing. What the hell happened last night? All I remember is going upstairs with Wes at the Beta Theta Pi party and his mouth on me. Then nothing.

If Wes is still here, whatever happened can’t be good.

I throw the blanket off me, preparing for the worst. But I’m fully clothed, Aneesa’s dress completely intact. My panties in place. My hand rushes to my chest, the relief spilling over me.Thank god.

I can’t remember having more than one drink last night, but maybe I had so many, I simply forgot how many I really had.

Or maybe Trey put something in that cup he handed me.

Wes invited me to the Beta Theta Pi party to hook up, not to roofie me. This must’ve been entirely Trey’s doing.

Right?

Aneesa’s words stick in my head.This is just another trick. Nothing good can come from you being around Wes Novak.

But no, he wouldn’t do something as sick and twisted as instructing his teammate to drug me.

Still, I need to know exactly what happened to me last night.

I jump out of bed and shake his shoulder. His eyes fly open, confused for a second before a weak smile crosses his lips. “Morning, gorgeous.”

The compliment makes my stomach flip. “What happened last night, Wes?”

He sits up, rubbing the back of his neck. “Trey spiked your drink.”

I blink back tears even as my hands curl into fists. Trey is the worst person I’ve ever met. Everything he’s done to me is so much worse than anything Wes has done. He needs to be stopped.

I already know the answer, but I ask it anyway because I have to hear it from his mouth. “You didn’t know, right?”

Wes swings off the bed, opening up my fists and sliding his fingers through mine. I want to melt into him. “Of course not. I’d never do that to anyone, let alone someone I—”

He cuts himself off, but my heart aches to hear the rest. “Someone you what?”

“Someone I...care about,” he manages.

Not the exact words I hoped to hear, but they’re still more than I deserve. He cares about me. Even after everything.

“You passed out while we were in bed. I carried you back here. Nothing happened,” he adds, even though I already know he wouldn’t take advantage of me while I’m drugged and unconscious.

“So you never left me alone after I passed out? No one...did anything to me?”

His eyes grow more tender. “No, I never would’ve left you alone. Not for a second. If anyone had tried something, I would’ve buried them alive.”

My heart soars at the words, and I manage to whisper, “Thank you.”

He drags his thumb over my cheek. My breath catches. “Chloe would’ve haunted my ass if I’d let anything happen to you.”

A surprised, relieved laugh bursts out of my mouth, even as something painful in my chest swells. He mentioned Chloe in front of me. Without rage or blame.

I miss her so much. I wish she was here to cry to. To make Trey pay for what he did to me.

“Having her as a roommate freshman year was the best thing that could’ve happened to me.” I smile because if I don’t, I’ll break down sobbing again, and I’ve cried enough in Wes Novak’s arms. He shouldn’t be forced to comfort his sister’s killer.

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