Page 115 of The Boy I Loved
“Are you okay?” I asked hesitantly.
As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself. Of course she wasn’tokay. In just the short amount of time she’d been here, she had been subjected to all kinds of evil—rape, murder, torture, being stripped from her home and family.
The list seemed endless.
Hazel’s eyes narrowed, a cold film sliding over her orbs. It wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for, but it was better than the former. It meant that she was still in there somewhere.
“Why am I here?” she demanded, avoiding my question.
“Do you not want to be?” I countered, arching an eyebrow.
She didn’t reply for a few moments, her hands absently moving to her lower abdomen. “No,” she said at last. The wordswere like a knife to my heart. I knew the situation wasn’t ideal, but at least we had this small window of time together. “I don’t want to be here,” she continued. Her jaw twitched with anger, her gaze finding mine. “I don’t want to see you, sleep with you, acknowledge you, or put up with you.” She winced as she situated herself on the bed, her fingers pressing against her stomach.
My throat constricted, her vile words echoing through my skull. I knew she wouldn’t like what happened to Stacy, but it was a necessary evil. It was the only way.
Blowing out a breath, I fought the urge to reach out and grab her. I wanted to make her understand, to see that it had to be done. For us.
“Hazel…” I trailed off, my eyebrows tugging together in contemplation as I thought about what to say next. “I know you were becoming close with Stacy. I know that what you saw?—”
“You don’t know shit, Dominic,” she snapped, her eyes blazing with her inner turmoil. “You don’t know what it’s like to be violated, to watch the only friends you have be picked off like fleas.”
I opened my mouth but knew there was nothing I could say to make it any better. Instead, my gaze dropped to her hands. They were resting lightly over her stomach, her fingertips gently tracing the fabric over her abdomen.
“Are you okay?” I asked, changing the subject. “You seem to be in pain.”
She scoffed, her lips twisting into a scowl. “Am I okay?” she repeated mockingly. “What kind of question is that even? Seriously, Dominic.”
A frustrated breath expelled from my throat. “I’m sorry you’re in this situation, Hazel. You should have left me alone when I told you to.”
Hazel’s eyes widened in disbelief, hurt mixing with anger shining in their depths. “This ismyfault? You really believe that?”
Did I believe that?
The question was a loaded one. Had I been more firm with her, maybe she would have listened. I’d forgotten how stubborn she could be. Then again, Mason was still a factor. He still would have weaseled his way in just like he had. Mason and Clay were the true ones to blame.
“No.” I sighed. “Clay would have taken you regardless. He told me as much. He’d been interested in you since he first saw you, and even more so when he realized how close we were. I’m not sure there was ever a way around this.”
My honesty seemed to drain some of the fight from her. A frown tugged at her lips as she processed my words. I didn’t blame her for being angry with me. She was in a fucked-up position. I wished there was a way to make it better, to save her from this life, but I wasn’t sure there was anything I could do that wouldn’t get us both killed.
I might not have gottento spend the quality time with Hazel that I’d wanted, but we got to talk and that was enough.
Sighing, I snatched my glass of whiskey off the bar and downed it in one gulp, relishing the burn it inflicted within my throat. Rodney strolled up to me seconds later, his eyebrows drawn together. I wasn’t even sure he noticed me at first as he fixed himself a drink and turned to press his back against the bar.
“Something’s happened,” he said lowly, casting a nervous glance in my direction.
“Something is always happening,” I pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
Rodney shook his head, frustration etching its way into hisfeatures. That was when it hit me. Whatever he was talking about must have been serious. Straightening my posture, I glanced around the room for any potential eavesdroppers. When the coast appeared to be clear, I closed the distance between me and Rodney, trying to make it look as nonchalant and casual as possible.
“What happened?” I asked, my heart thumping loudly. I knew that whatever he said I wasn’t going to like.
“I’m not sure. I just came from upstairs. I overheard Clay yelling at Tristan.” He blew out a shaky breath, finally meeting my eye. “I heard Hazel’s name too. I think that whatever had Clay so pissed involves her.”
The breath was knocked from my lungs instantly, the world tilting beneath my feet. Clayneveryelled at Tristan. And if it involved Hazel … that couldn’t mean anything good.
“I’m going up there,” I decided.
Rodney grabbed my arm before I could even move. “Please don’t tell them I said anything.” The desperation in his eyes told me all I needed to know.
