Page 96 of Speak

“Ray, why didn’t you tell anyone?”

Who was I going to tell, little brother? Everyone here thinks I’m faking this, even my professor bullies me.

“Why didn’t you tell Jonas?”

We were broken up. I thought he wouldn’t have cared. And if I told you, you’d tell mom and dad and they’d make me drop out.

“That’s why you were sick wasn’t it? You broke up and had an… episode?”

I’m ashamed of it but yeah. Plus, toward the end, Chase kept mumbling really weird things while he was touching me. Sometimes he was touching me in his sleep, so I don’t think he was fully conscious the entire time. I was able to push him off me when he would.

“But you said you have proof. What do you mean by that?”

I don’t why I don’t tell Axel about the security cameras outside of the lake house, I just sign,The school’s cameras would show him coming in my room. I just don’t know how he got in here. He was using a key.

Jonas groans and pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s… that’s my fault. I made a few copies of her room key while we were together. I don’t know how he got one.”

He what? Christ he’s as bad as Damon.

“Jonas…” Axel says his name like he’s thinking Jonas is a sick son of a bitch and I should be wary.

I gave him the key. I lie.

“Sis, regardless of everything, I… I need you to be there with me. I… Tyler and I were close. You don’t have to go to the funeral. Just the wake. I need you there for me. Okay? I don’t think I can…”

My heart hurts for him but it leaves me feeling even more confused. Back then, Tyler was just his football captain. We were sophomores. Tyler was a senior. Always hazing him during his initiation to Sigma Delta Chi our entire freshman year. Is Axel gay? Bi? Were they in a secret relationship? Did they love each other or did he know about Tyler and seduced him to ruin him and exact revenge for me? Now that I know the initiation from the Syndicate is completely different from the SDC fraternity, did Axel ever complete his initiation to enter the Syndicate?

I nod at my brother while Jonas is texting furiously beside me.I’ll go. For you. But only to the wake.

“Thank you. I’ll pick you up. Jonas, do you want to ride with us?”

Jonas nods. “Yeah.”

Damon’s name pops up on my screen.I have to go, Dr. Archer is calling me. By the way, I like your hair like that.

Axel grins that wolfish grin but then says, “I’ve been trying to make an appointment with that man for weeks.”

I lift a shoulder and let it drop, hanging up on him and answering Damon’s call while Jonas goes to the boxes of food he brought and brings me one that has a gourmet burger and sweet potato fries.

“Put the camera back, little bird.”

“Camera?” Jonas asks and I almost laugh at the surprise on his face. “Did you watch us fuck in here?”

“No comment,” Damon grunts.

I shake my head, making the best unbothered face that I can. I don’t have the energy to tell them that they’re equally deranged. I grab a knife and fork from my desk and cut the burger into fours.

“Oh baby, that’s smart. Less mess.” He says and my heart somehow melts even more for my demigod. Since my attack, after being gagged, I developed a sensory issue to feeling anything on the corners of my mouth for longer than a few seconds. (Except dick, apparently.) Cutting up food into smaller portions helps a lot with that. Damon was the one that helped me get through a lot of the aversions I developed. I can even handle slight touches to my wrists now.

“What’s this about Jonas saying Axel needs you at Tyler’s wake?”

I tell him everything to which he gets Jonas’ attention. “Will you be going?”

“I have to. My father already called me. There’s a… a legacy has died. Which means a more thorough autopsy. There is always a meeting after the burial to discuss findings and determine whether or not it was a hit.”

“Axel is part of the Syndicate?”

Jonas exhales. “Tyler… I think TylerpaidAxel’s initiate fee. Tyler was Axel’s witness.”

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