Page 67 of Saving Barrette

“I don’t know. I can’t see Roman needing to rape a girl. Look at him. Wouldn’t you just willingly spread your legs for him?”

“I know, right?” another girl gasps. “Seriously,sohot.”

Then they laugh. Like it’s funny.

“I heard she’s dating Asa Lawson.”

Now I know who it is. The way Asa Lawson rolls off her tongue, like she’d do anything to be with him. Eva. Turning on my heel, I face them, the bitter cold wind of the morning slapping my face. “For your information,” I spit, smiling at them with a sudden edge I didn’t know I had and quite possibly want to bottle up and store. “I am dating Asa Lawson. He’s mine, and you can stop your fucking games. He’s always been mine. Not yours.” I pause and point to Bethany, her sidekick. “Or yours, or anyone elses. He doesn’t belong to this school as your legend of football. He’s mine. Allfuckingmine.” I have no idea where the words are coming from, just that they’re pouring out of me like I’m speaking in tongues and have no control over what comes next. I take a breath, gasping, unsure what’s coming next. They stare, wide-eyed, slack-mouthed.

Eva’s the first to speak, blinking rapidly and adjusting her bag on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.” That’s all she says, and then walks away. I want to run after her and rip her bleached hair from her head, but I’m not going to do that because everyone is staring at me. And I do mean everyone.

I’m a good person. I am. Until I’m given a reason to show my evil side. And these girls, they’re bringing out everything bitter inside me.

I knew my life would change forever when I filed that police report. A new kind of reality—other than Eva and her friends—I hadn’t prepared for it to hit me Monday morning in class.

The one I had with Roman.

Part of me thought he wouldn’t come to class. Why would he? He knows I’m in it.

But that wouldn’t be Roman. He’s a shithead and specializes in making everyone uncomfortable. The moment he enters the room, bile floods my mouth. Looking at him makes me physically sick to think of what he did. In my dreams, he has a face now, the face of a villain playing the leading role in my nightmare.

Gossip and wandering stares follow him as he pushes past the doors, entering the room and casting a lingering glance my way. He sits next to me, leaning into my shoulder. “Drop the fucking charges, Barrette,” he seethes.

A shiver works its way through me, despair and anxiety battering me as I contemplate if going to the police was the right thing to do. I don’t know what to say. Trembling takes root in my hands and I drop the pen I had been holding.

Panic creeps up my throat, my heart pumps wildly in my chest. My fight-or-flight instinct kicks in and I don’t know if it’s just my mind playing tricks on me, or if I’m remembering details about the night. I move my gaze from the teacher’s to Roman’s.

His jaw clenches and a malicious grin slips over his mouth. “Is that a no?”

Panic bubbles inside me, but I refuse to let this get to me. “If you’re so innocent, why’d you lie?”

To my surprise, he laughs. I want him to suffer. I want him to pay for what he’s done. He runs a hand through his hair, a few loose strands falling over his forehead. “I didn’t lie. We’ve had a relationship.”

I’m trapped in his gaze, completely immobilized. I can’t wrap my head around his reaction, or mine, let alone tell myself to move. I’m paralyzed. “No, we didn’t. We were friends until yourapedme.”

At the word, he averts his gaze to the teacher, but his words hold a menacing edge I’ve never ever thought I’d hear from him. “What makes you think you didn’t ask for it?” And then his eyes slide to mine.

My body locks up, my hands clenching my sides. Rage hits my chest and the hatred in my eyes radiates through me.

Amusement dances in his eyes, a cocky smirk plastered on his face. “You did. You fuckin’ begged me.”

“To stop,” I shout, causing the entire class to draw their attention to us. I want them looking. I want them to know who he really is.

“Well played.” His lips pull into an arrogant smile, his voice dropping. “But I don’t remember it that way. Guess it’s your word against mine.”

“Fuck you,” I lash without thinking and slap him across the face. Nausea churns in my gut, my spine rigid with tension. I’m so sick of this shit with him. I won’t let him manipulate me.

His cheek reddens, his jaw locking like he wants so badly to smash my head into the table. He smirks and gestures between us with a flick of his wrist. “You already did, or so you say.”

“I’m not dropping the charges. In fact—” I stand and push away from him. “—I can’t wait to face you in court and see the look on your face when your entire future is taken away from you because of what you took from me.”

And then I stalk away without another glance. My hands shake as I dial Asa’s number and press the phone to my ear. He answers on the first ring. “You okay?”

“I need you.” I can barely get the words out I’m shaking so bad. “Right now.”

“I’ll be there in a minute,” he rushes to say, and I can hear the noise in the background of his professor asking why he’s answering his phone in class. “Send me your location.”

I hang up and send him a pin drop to where I’m at. He’s right, he’s there in a few minutes, just enough time for Roman to walk out of the classroom with Codey and two linemen flanking his side.

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