Page 11 of Depraved Truths

I catch Eli’s intense glare directed at Trevor from the corner of my eye.

“Tessa, are you okay?” Allie’s voice trembles as she reaches my side. “You scared the life out of me.”

“I’m fine,” I respond, steadying my tone. “Eli saw what was happening and pushed me out of the way.”

Turning to Eli, I add, “Thank you for saving me. I didn’t see that guy coming. Who is he?”

“Wilson Randall,” Eli snaps with disdain.

“Randall... is he related to Sheriff Randall?”

“Yeah, he’s Sheriff Randall’s youngest son. He’s constantly causing trouble, and his father always bails him out. I’ll let Bob know what went down, but I doubt he’ll do anything. In his eyes, Wilson does no wrong,” he says with a severe expression.

Eli’s gaze flickers to Jace for a moment, who is busy watching Allie, then returns to me.

“You should check out the local band performing tonight at The Blue Lagoon—they’re really good. We’re planning to meet up with some friends, and you two should join us,” he says as he wades toward the boat.

In one fluid move, Eli hoists himself out of the water, his glistening, toned body reflecting the sunlight and water around him.

I fidget uncomfortably. When it comes to socializing, I tend to shy away from large crowds. As his eyes implore mine, I can feel the intensity of his gaze, like a burning flame. Is it really that terrible to go out and enjoy ourselves? I quickly look at Allie and notice a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.

“Um, I will have to see what Dalton wants to do tonight,” she replies meekly, her eyes downcast, her voice lacking confidence. I can’t help but notice Jace’s eyes narrowing, his gaze becoming sharp and focused on Allie’s statement. It piques my curiosity, and I wonder if the two have a past connection.

“You two should come along and don’t worry about bringing that asshole,” Jace says.

Glancing away, Allie fidgets with the bracelet on her right wrist. The bruise on her left wrist is already turning a darker shade, the shape of the imprint now looking more like fingers.

I confront her with a determined look, ready to challenge her. “I’ll only go if you go.”

She’s constantly pushing me to be more social, and now she’s got her shot.

Allie merely shrugs in response.

I face the boys and casually brush my wet hair off my shoulder. “We’ll try to make it. I owe you a drink, after all. Bye, boys.”

As Allie and I make our way back to shore, I toss a wink at Eli, feeling his lingering gaze on my ass.

Chapter 11

After wading back to shore and pushing the near-death experience to the back of my mind, I pause to steady myself, exhaling slowly as I turn to my best friend.

“Okay, I've been waiting for you to tell me what's going on.” My voice is sharp, but Allie’s behavior is driving me insane. “You've been acting so strange ever since we saw Eli at the coffee shop this morning,” I say to her while we dry off and gather our things. My eyes never leave her, my frustration simmering beneath the surface.

Sadness clouds her face, her expression turning distant. Finally, she meets my gaze, and I catch the shimmer of unshed tears.

Damn, am I being too harsh?

“Allie, you’re scaring me. You know you can talk to me about anything. We've been best friends since we were kids. You were the one I turned to when I first came to summer camp, and you’re the one I trusted with my past. But I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.”

She takes a deep breath before responding. “Alright. I’ve been keeping something from you for a while. I just didn’twant to burden you, and I don’t know where to start,” she says, her voice trembling.

“Start wherever you're comfortable.”

“I’ve lived here my entire life. In this town, everyone knows everyone—or at least knows about them. Eli and his friends were two grades above me in school. After graduation, they threw a big party one weekend while I was at camp. It was the summer you didn’t come. I missed having you around, but I wanted to go one last time. It was always the best part of my summer.”

I nod, urging her to continue.

“One night, my roommates and I snuck out to the woods near the lake to get drunk. I bribed the janitor to let us sneak in some Boone’s Farm. We were just planning to relax and have fun. I never thought anything bad would happen.”

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