Page 41 of North

The minutes stretched, each one thick with unease, and the more I sat there alone, the more the doubt crept in.

I couldn’t stay here. I needed to find him.

Pushing to my feet, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway. The music from the party was louder now, laughter and voices blending into a dull roar. I followed the sound, my heart pounding harder with every step, and then I froze, my pulse hammering in my ears.

At first, it was muffled, indistinct. But as I got closer, the sound became unmistakable. Familiar.

“Fill me, North. Please, I need you to fill me.”

The words—my words—rang out through the room, followed by an eruption of laughter. My breath caught, my vision blurring as I stumbled forward.

No.

No, no, no.

I stepped into the living room, my heart slamming against my ribs. The TV screen was bright, displaying a grainy, shaky video. The angle wasn’t clear, but the sound was unmistakable.

Me.

My voice.

Another voice mimicked mine, exaggerated and mocking. “I’m your pretty little slut, North! Please, use me, ruin me—”

More laughter. More jeers.

The world tilted, the floor dropping out from under me as the room spun. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.

This can’t be happening.

Someone whistled. “Damn, North, you really trained that one fast.”

“She sounds desperate as fuck. Bet she’d let anyone fill her up.”

“Is she gonna cry?”

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t blink. The betrayal sank deep, cold, and absolute, numbing everything but the raw, searing pain ripping through my chest.

North did this.

He set me up.

He used me.

The laughter continued, sharp and cruel, but I didn’t hear it anymore. I was already moving, pushing through the crowd, shoving past their leering faces, my vision blurred by hot, burning tears.

I didn’t look for North. I didn’t want to see him. Didn’t want to hear whatever excuse or lie he’d try to give me.

I just needed to get the fuck out.

A hand caught my arm as I reached the door. “Quinn, wait,” Summer’s voice was urgent, her grip tight. “Let me drive you home.”

I barely registered nodding, and barely felt myself being led to the car. The ride was silent, the air thick with something I couldn’t name. My chest ached, every breath sharp and painful. Summer’s face was blank every time I looked at her.

We pulled up to the house, and my stomach twisted. “Did you know-?” I couldn’t even finish my sentence, but I didn’t have to because Summer’s face twisted with guilt as she turned to face me.

“You knew, didn’t you?” My voice trembled, my hands clenched into fists.

Summer’s face paled. “Quinn, I—”

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