Asher rubs his hand over his mouth. “We met her when we were all at NYU. She was a sorority girl —the life of the party. When she set her sights on us, we fell under her spell instantly. But she was still seeing other people. One guy in particular was on the football team and didn’t like that we caught him trying to roofie half the cheerleading team.”
There’s a special place in hell for men like that.
I grab Asher’s hand as he struggles with the rest of his story. “He wanted to get payback because we informed the school of what he was doing, and he was kicked off the team. So, heseduced Rachel into his bed. But instead of having a one-night stand with her, he tied her to a chair and recorded himself raping her. He posted the video on the internet with the title ‘BDSM sorority whore.’”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to hide myself from the tragic story. No matter what kind of lifestyle Rachel lived, she didn’t deserve that.
“She couldn’t handle the bullying and ridicule that followed. We did our best to shield her from it, but I’m sure there was more we could have done. When I got back to my room after class one day, I found her in my closet. She had hung herself with my belt. After that, we found the football player and did what we do best.”
“You killed him?” I ask for clarification.
“Yes, we did,” Zane answers.
“Good.”
Zane’s features soften. I didn’t realize he was nervous, anticipating my judgement. “After Rachel died, Paloma made us all see a therapist. She told us we need to talk to each other, especially considering we wouldn’t confide in her. Now, when anything happens, we talk about it as soon as possible.”
So, this is part of what keeps them together. This is part of their foundation. They’re not those guys that stick together out of familiarity or proximity. Their bond is cemented into their souls because they’ve seen each other in the bad times. They’ve walked through the trenches together.
This isn’t just friendship. It’s family.
And they want me to be a part of it.
Water leaks from the corner of my eyes as the feeling of rightness takes hold of my heart. This is where I belong. This is where I want to be.
With them.
They let me have my moment as everything sinks in. Asher keeps his arms wrapped around my middle while Zane and Rio hold my hands.
“We need to talk about your mom,” Asher states.
I freeze. “I don’t think that’s necessary. She said all she had to say.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t.” Zane gestures to me.
Of course, Asher already told them about my mother’s role in everything. Shaking my head in denial, I push the betrayal down into a dark abyss.
“Don’t let it eat you alive. Don’t let her win, Mama.”
My body trembles as I hold in a scream of frustration. It doesn’t last long, though.
I jump to my feet. “She didn’t win! There’s nothing to win! This isn’t a game! This is my life! She fucked withmy life!”
Asher, Rio, and Zane stand as well, monitoring my outburst.
“How could she do that to me? What kind of mother sells her child?” I pace back and forth over the bed of pillows and blankets.
Zane’s tone is sincere. “No mother should ever do that. I’m so sorry she made that choice.”
I throw my hands in the air. “You shouldn’t be sorry! You didn’t do anything wrong! She needs to be sorry. Shesoldme. She sold my virginity to the highest bidder, and she didn’t care. All she saw when she looked at me were dollar signs.”
“I know, Princess.” Asher is calm.
They’re all fucking calm . . .
How are they all so calm?
Whirling on them, I direct my frustration at them. “Why aren’t you angrier about this? Any of you!”