Page 47 of Unmasking Mayhem
Her jaw drops, and the betrayal flashes in her eyes. She pushes against my chest, shaking her head, disappointment and despair painting her features.
“So you’ve been stalking me? Even while I was with Dustin, getting my ass beat? You knew what I fucking went through and endured and didn’t step in? You never reached out, even though I was so worried about you?” She spits, her words like daggers to my heart.
“It was safer this way. We didn’t want to put you in further danger,” I reply, my resolve wavering as she steps further away,her hands pressing against me as if creating distance from my guilt.
“You watched him fucking beat me. You stood by as he hurt me... as he took my baby from me,” she cries, and my heart fucking shatters. “You could’ve stopped it. You could’ve saved us. But you chose to be stalkers!”
I lunge for her, yanking her back into my embrace, desperate to feel her fury and heartbreak instead of facing the unbearable weight of guilt alone. She struggles against me, landing punches against my arms and chest as I wrap her tight, tears streaking down her cheeks, merging with the evening dew.
“We weren’t watching when that happened. We were on a job with Masked Mayhem, I promise. We didn’t discover what had happened until we saw the footage the next day,” I assure her, though I can feel the words hanging heavy in the air.
I hold her close, feeling her heart racing, matching the rhythm of my own as we remain intertwined. Hawk watches quietly from the sidelines, guilt etched into his features.
“Raze, you don’t understand.” Her voice trembles with the weight of her despair. “You can’t just stand by and watch someone you love get hurt, especially when you have the power to act. I trusted you... I trusted both of you.” She pulls away, breaking the connection we shared moments before, anger and pain radiating off her.
“Hawk, help me out,” I plead, turning to him, but he merely shakes his head, equally lost and guilt-ridden.
We both failed her, leaving her to bear her burdens alone. Whitney wipes her tears angrily, as if erasing the evidence of her vulnerability.
“I thought you two were my refuge, but you’ve turned out to be just as unreliable as everyone else.” The accusation cuts deep, rendering me speechless as I step back, feeling the sting of her words.
“Whit, please listen,” Hawk tries, stepping forward cautiously. “We believed we were protecting you. We didn’t want to abandon you. We felt it was safer for you while we dealt with our own issues. We thought we were doing the right thing.”
She scoffs bitterly, the sound echoing in the cool night air. “The right thing? This feels more like betrayal.”
The word reverberates in my mind, echoing the sentiment I feel for myself looking back. I take a deep breath, finally allowing the truth to emerge.
“I should have reached out. We both should have,” I admit finally, my voice barely a whisper. “What King did to you was inexcusable. I wish I could change the past."
Whitney’s hardened gaze softens slightly. Underneath the anger, I see remnants of the bond we once shared—years of laughter, late-night secrets, and whispered promises. But reminiscing isn't helpful now; we need to confront the present and fix what's been fractured.
“Whatever King thinks he knows is wrong, and I’ll ensure he realizes that,” I declare, the fire igniting within me, eclipsing guilt and despair. “You deserve more than this. You deserve freedom from the monsters that haunt you. If King thinks he can toy with your life, he doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.”
Whitney eyes me skeptically, but a spark of hope flickers in her gaze as she contemplates my words. “You can’t just go after him, Raze. He’s more powerful than you realize. If he’s willing to blackmail me, why would you provoke him?”
“Because I’d rather die than watch you suffer,” I respond passionately, the raw truth spilling from my lips.
“That’s noble,” Whitney replies, her bitterness ebbing. “But I won’t let you risk your lives for me.”
“Hawk and I have fought too hard and too long to let this go. This is bigger than just you; it’s about us—our lives, ourdecisions. We face this together, and we won’t let King walk away triumphant.”
Hawk steps forward, his voice laced with determination. “Whit, we’re a team. Always have been, always will be. We have to stick together; this is one battle we can’t shy away from.”
Whitney scans our faces, indecision lingering in her emerald gaze. Then, as the stars twinkle above, I witness a defiant light begin to pierce her uncertainty.
“Alright,” she confirms, her tone resolute. “But we’re doing this my way.”
“What do you mean?” Hawk asks, a hint of confusion in his voice.
“I need to understand what we’re facing. I’ll confront King’s threats, and if he tries anything, I’ll be prepared. But I won't be reduced to a pawn in someone else’s game again.”
“That’s fair,” I agree, fully willing to follow her lead. “Whatever you need, just tell us. But don’t forget—Hawk and I have your back, always.”
Whitney nods, a trace of warmth flickering in her expression. The three of us huddle together, fierce against the encroaching darkness. This time, we stand as one, ready to take back the safe spaces we thought we’d lost. We might be broken, but for Whitney, Hawk, and me, the fight is still going. And no matter what it takes, we will take control of our lives back from the ashes of betrayal.
After talking for a few more hours, mainly reminiscing on our younger days, we start to feel little droplets of rain falling from the sky. The clouds grow thicker and darker, quickly covering the once bright stars and shining down nothing but darkness on us. Glancing over at Whitney, she looks at peace, like the rain is some sort of baptism for her. I get lost in her features, and Hawk eventually has to nudge my elbow to grab my attention.
"What?" I whisper, still locked on her face as she closes her eyes and turns her face up to the sky, welcoming the rain.
