Page 80 of Look at Her and Die

I might not put the sparkle in your eyes, but I’ll definitely put the ‘what the fuck’ wrinkles in your forehead.

—Searcy to Posy

SEARCY

I’d gone through several sets of emotions since that phone call two hours ago, and I was exhausted.

“Walk me through the night again,” Malone urged.

“I was with my friends. At least, I thought they were friends. But we pulled over because Byron needed to use the restroom. Since I did, too, I left the car running and got out. I had the keys in my pocket, though. My car’s really old and I can take the keys out of the ignition. I walked inside, used the bathroom, and when I got back, the car and my friends were gone. Byron came out, and we started talking. and Byron said that they were just going down the road for some chicken. So, we waited, but then the store clerk told us we either had to buy something or leave, so we left. I was standing outside, like at the corner of the building, when Byron grabbed me.”

I tensed, not wanting to hear the rest.

A warm hand curled around my hip and pulled me to him, and I immediately leaned into Posy’s hard body.

Without even realizing it, I’d given him my whole trust.

He was in.

So deep inside my heart that I felt like he’d finally filled a piece that I hadn’t realized was missing.

“What happened then?” Malone asked.

“Then, he pulled me deep into the shadows on the side of the building and forced me down to my knees. He was so strong that I couldn’t fight him off. He had a hold of my hair, and he was unzipping his jeans, and I just…froze. I couldn’t fight. This wasn’t like the times before when boys got handsy because they were drunk. Or…” she looked at me, letting me know that it wasn’t like the last time where she was able to get away. “Before I knew it, he was shoving his penis in my mouth. And I just…bit down.”

Malone winced. “You tore it off?”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “I got it with my back teeth, and when he went to rip himself away, I held on.”

Posy’s hand squeezed my hip, likely to contain me because my body had gone rigid.

“It came off in my mouth and I just…ran,” she said. “I called my sister and walked to the Dairy Queen down the street. I didn’t know about my car, though. I thought those kids had it still. I was going to ask Searcy what I should do.”

It took three more hours at the police station.

When we got out, Gunner was still there waiting for us, though all the other guys had gone home.

He held out the helmet to Calliope and said, “Where to?”

“Posy’s place,” I said.

Calliope blew out a breath, likely because she knew what was coming.

The drive to Posy’s place took us forty-five minutes—fuck Dallas traffic.

When we all got inside, Gunner walked to the fridge and started to pull out stuff for breakfast.

Gunner began cooking eggs and bacon while making a drop biscuit in between egg and bacon flips, while Calliope and I stared at each other at Posy’s table.

It was eventually her that broke.

“I know what you’re going to say.” She sighed.

“What’s that?” I asked carefully.

“That I need to make better decisions.” She scrubbed her hands over her face. “But I swear to you, I don’t make bad ones all the time. I’m making straight As at school. I’ve applied to colleges. I’m set to graduate in December. I even have a job.”

My brows rose. “You have a job?”

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