by Pru Schuyler
I let his hand go, and he leans back with a smile stretched across his lips. He nods sharply at me, accepting my warning.
Okay, point for you, James.
He helps her set the table while I run upstairs and grab my backpack. I empty the contents onto my bed to clean it out. I stack all the books and junk nicely on my desk.
Wait, where’s my journal? Oh crap, I must’ve left it in my locker at school.
I stuff my bag full of all my necessities for the night—short dress, camcorder, pepper spray, and a change of clothes for after. Adrenaline spikes through my veins, as I know what’s to come.
I head back downstairs to the kitchen.
“Hey, Mom. I’m heading over to Cal’s to study,” I announce to her as I step into view.
“Okay, honey. Be home at a reasonable time, please.” Her attention stays focused on her new boyfriend.
I’m happy for her. She hasn’t dated anyone since Dad died. I was two years old, so I don’t really remember him. But she’s talked about him my whole life—how they were truly soul mates. I’m glad she’s finally putting herself out there again. She deserves to be happy. I can’t remember a time I’ve seen her smile like she does with James, except maybe when she talks about Dad.
The drive to Cal’s seems almost natural. And Marty is already there when I pull into Cal’s driveway. My nerves are at an all-time high. Cal and I need to get into Brooke and Cade’s house, undetected. Marty is going to sneak us in through a side or back door while everyone’s occupied. He is going to actually be attending the party. At some point, he will tell Brady to help get me out of the house because I snuck in and I’m “drunk and passed out upstairs.”
The plan is to get Brady upstairs without making a scene to avoid drawing the attention of Cade and Brooke. Then, he’s going to leave me and Brady alone. He will be on FaceTime on my phone, which will be set up, angled toward the bed. When Brady finally gets in the room, Marty will broadcast it onto the movie screen that they will all be watching. I have no worries that Brady is going to take the bait. But everything has to fall into place. If any step goes wrong, it’ll all be ruined.
“Here.” Cal hands me the box that has all the jewelry in it.
I open the lid, and my stomach twists again. Seeing it for the second time is almost as appalling as the first. I pick up Brooke’s necklace and slide it on. It instantly adds a pressure and weight to my chest, but none of it actually comes from the necklace.
I then clasp the silver bracelet on my wrist. Last but not least, I grab the other necklace and put it on, the two Bs sliding together. Wearing these is only going to piss him off more. I need him emotional and caught off guard for him to confess to me. Hopefully, these will do just that.
With my armor in place, I step into the hallway bathroom to change into my all-too-revealing outfit. I slide a tight gold sequined dress over my head. I got this for some work ball at my mom’s old job. It’s so short; it barely goes past my butt. I was a much different girl a year ago. The neckline plunges deep in my chest, revealing a lot of cleavage. I take one last look in the mirror, touch up my makeup, and head out to the living room to join the boys.
Marty and Cal both look up when I walk into the room, their eyes widening.
“Yeah, that’ll do it,” Marty says.
His eyes dip a little too low, and I clear my throat to grab his attention.
“Eyes up here, Marty. Unless you want your ass kicked tonight too,” I half-joke to him.
His eyes shoot back up to mine. “Yeah, yeah. Like you could kick my ass.” He laughs and heads to the door.
“She might not be able to, but I certainly can,” Cal retorts. He steps up to me. “You’re sure you want to do this?” Worry fills his eyes.
I respond instantly, “I’m sure.”
I have no doubts I want to do this. Am I scared out of my mind? Yes. But that doesn’t change the fact that I need to do this. For Brooke, for the other B necklace, and for the owner of the silver diamond bracelet.
And even for me.
I never got justice for what happened to me. It took me a while to even accept what had happened. By the time I considered speaking up about it, there was no evidence. I might never get to face my rapist in court and get the satisfaction of watching him get cuffed and taken away, but I will make damn sure Brooke does. If that’s the route she wants to take, of course.
I follow Cal out to Marty’s car. We both slide into the backseat to stay undetected when we get to Cade and Brooke’s house. Marty threw a bunch of blankets back here in case we really need to hide when we pull in.
He starts the car, and off we go. No turning back now. Although I think the turning point was a few months ago. Everything has been leading up to this moment, ever since the day she forgot her journal at my house.
“All right, Stella, when I get inside, I’ll scope the place out to see your best entrance, and I’ll text you. Don’t even try coming in till then because I have no clue exactly what we’re walking into. You’ll only have one shot.” Marty twists his hands over and over on the steering wheel.
“Okay, I’ll be waiting,” I respond. I press my hand against the window, letting the coolness calm me. My heart has been out of control since we left Cal’s. I close my eyes and just focus on my breathing.
In, five. Out, five.
“Hey, I’ll be there. We won’t let him hurt you.” Cal sets his hand between us.
I keep my gaze outside, looking through the window. “I know. I’m just nervous.”
“I’d be more scared if you weren’t nervous.” He chuckles softly, but his voice is soothing, calm.
We pull onto my street, and I reach down and pull a blanket up. I lower myself down in the seat to hide my head from the windows. We drive a little farther. We must be getting close.
“No one’s outside right now. I’m gonna park on the street by your house, Stella,” Marty informs us, so I know where I’m getting out at.
“Okay,” I respond. I feel the car jolt to a stop, and the engine dies.
“All right, I’m heading in. I’ll text you shortly. Good luck.” Marty pats my window before turning.
I can hear my heartbeat. This is it. The anticipation is killing me. My blood is pounding in my ears. I start counting to distract my mind. One, two, three…
When I get to ninety-eight, my phone vibrates in my hand.
It’s from Marty.
Marty: Use the back door. It’s unlocked. Everyone’s in the movie room in the basement, no parents. Hurry. Keep quiet. I’ll let you know if anyone leaves the room.
“Cal, I got it. Back door. I need to hurry,” I whisper to him even though no one is in earshot of us.
“Be safe. Let’s get the son of a bitch.” His voice is shaky, the nerves getting to him too.
I slide my hand under the door handle and pull the blanket off of me. “I will. See you soon.”
I step out of the car and crouch to keep my body low. I take a quick glance up. The sky is black tonight, not a star in sight. I walk fast and head straight for their backyard. I take the path between my house and theirs. I’ve snuck through here once to hang out with Brooke. Memories of us together fuel my already-roaring fire.
The lights in my house are off. Mom’s out on a movie date with James. The kitchen lights from Brooke and Cade’s house flood my path. Marty had better be right about everyone being in the basement. I slide open the fence handle and step through the opening. I quietly lay it back down and try to stick to the shadows as best I can.
I tiptoe over the gray bricks that line the house. When I reach the back door, I take a peek inside before grabbing the handle. No one is in sight. I slowly turn it and push the door in. It opens with ease.
Thank you, Marty.
My heart rate and anxiety are through the roof, but I continue on. The main floor is pin-drop quiet. I walk through the lit kitchen and turn right to the stairs. Coast is still clear. I quietly climb up them and turn Brooke’s doorknob to her r
oom. The room is pitch-black. I shut it behind me and then turn on the light on my phone to guide my path.
Being in her room again makes my heart ache. Everywhere I look is full of our memories. The first night I came up here to get away from the party and we watched John Wick. The endless movie nights since then. The night we got ready for the fall formal and she told me how Cade really felt about me. My heart swells and aches at all the fond memories.
But I need to focus. I drop my backpack by her desk and grab the pepper spray. I lay it on the bed and throw a pillow on top of it. Next, I grab the bottle of vodka and take a swig for the nerves and to put the smell on my breath. It burns the whole way down.
I type out the final text to Marty. The last text before all hell breaks loose.
Me: Everything’s in place. I’m ready.
My stomach rises, twisting and turning. Last but not least, I set my phone up on her desk and hit FaceTime to Marty, who will be projecting it downstairs in a minute.
I lie down on the bed, face in the pillow. I quickly smear my makeup and grasp the bottle of pepper spray under the pillow; it’s my only defense—well, besides Cal and Marty.
My heartbeat is pounding in my ears, my breathing quick and heavy. This is it, really it. The ball is rolling, and it’s heading straight for me. I focus everything on my ears, listening for the slightest sounds and movements. Moments later, I hear a door slam down below. That must be the movie room.
Showtime.
I hear footsteps ascend the staircase. They get louder and louder as they near me, stopping right outside the door.
The doorknob creaks as it slowly turns, sending cold chills down my spine. As the door opens, the air shifts in the room, dropping ten degrees. I take one last deep breath before attempting a steady rhythm.
Brady’s familiar voice adds to the tension in the room. “Oh, Stella, why must you try to ruin her birthday?”
I hear a loud screech dig into the floor near the door. It takes me all but a second to realize what he’s doing. My heart drops. He’s blocking the exit, moving the dresser. He’s trapping us in.
This was never part of the plan.
I tighten my grip on my only weapon. Then, his weight drops onto the bed next to me. His ice-cold fingers find the back of my knee and slowly trail up to my thigh. My skin crawls from his touch. He lifts his fingers from my bare skin and pulls all my hair from my back to one of my shoulders.
His breathing quickens, getting heavier. My body is screaming for me to run, to flee. To never look back. But I can’t. Not yet.
He throws his leg over me and sits down on my butt, pinning me to the bed. His weight is suffocating. I can feel what he wants to do from the bulge pushing against my lower back. I won’t be able to lift him off me.
Brady takes hold of the zipper of my dress and unzips it as far as it will go, exposing my panties and butt. He slips his hand over my right butt cheek and squeezes hard. It takes all of my power not to recoil under his touch.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long, long time. Too bad Cade got to you first.” His voice is cold, almost unrecognizable.
His fingers slowly crawl up my back, hooking under the straps of my dress. He slides his hand down my left arm. As his icy fingers graze my wrist, my entire body tenses.
All of a sudden, my wrist is sharply yanked behind my back, my fingers tingling from his tight grip. He flips me over, and I can’t stop my eyes from flying open. He looks like him, but he is someone else entirely, a true predator.
“Where did you get this?” He yanks the bracelet. His voice is low, almost a growl. His eyes dart to my chest and then to the two necklaces—his other trophies.
His eyes darken, glazing over, and when they find mine again, a level of terror I’ve never felt sweeps through my body.
He spits the words at me, “It was you.” A menacing smile splits his lips. His grip on my wrist is burning, the pressure agonizing.
My body is bouncing between fight or flight. But once it decides to fight, I find a strange calm. Like I know I need to focus, to hone in on the task at hand, survival.
I look the monster right in his eyes. Wielding my weapon, I lift my face up near his and smile. “I know what you did last year, Brady.”
He wrings my wrists. The stinging causes me to wince. The burning builds and builds as his grip tightens. Then, a loud crack reverberates through the room, and excruciating pain rips through my arm. I hear someone screaming—a girl’s voice. It takes me a few seconds to realize that it came from me.
He smirks, inching closer to my face, challenging me. “Oh yeah, and what’s that?” His eyes squint.
But I challenge him back, snarling at him, “You raped her. The only reason you recognize the necklace and other jewelry is because I found your little trophies. Surprise.”
He laughs a deep-belly, bone-chilling laugh, and a cold shiver runs straight down my spine.
“No one is going to believe you. According to everyone else, you’re just a lying bitch.” He spits on my face.
He releases my broken wrist and strikes me hard across the cheek, drawing blood. The sensation is horrifically familiar.
But I’m not going down without a fight. “Oh, really? What makes you believe that? You think I would do all of this with no insurance policy?” I smile, baring full teeth. “Do what you want, Brady. You’re not walking away from this.”
He strikes me again, and I fall back to the bed. He grabs my hair and yanks me off the bed, slamming me to the hardwood floor. Agony shoots through my ribs and scalp. I look up just in time to see his foot colliding with my side, and a loud crunch cuts through the room, deafening my ears.
“You dumb little bitch! No one will ever believe that I actually raped my girlfriend. She’s never even figured it out herself. Thanks to a little Lemon Pledge, she never will.” He lands kick after kick until my vision starts to spot. “And no one’s going to believe her brother’s stalker ex, who apparently has a problem with breaking and entering. Especially a stealing liar like you.” He smiles as he lands another torturous blow to my stomach.
I roll over and look him straight in the eyes. Summoning all my remaining strength, I say, “Smile for the camera.”
Every breath is excruciating. But this is so, so worth it.
After everything he’s done, I will never forget the look on his face when my words register in his mind.
His face pales, and he stumbles back a step.
Suddenly, the door is slamming hard into the dresser, making him lose focus on me. I waste no time. I sit up and drag myself over to the bed. I grab the pepper spray in my non-broken hand and lift myself to my feet.
“Hey, Brady.” The words rasp out of me.
He turns, and I slam my finger on the button, blinding him. He drops to the ground and rolls over and over, screaming in pain.
The dresser crashes to the floor, and Cade bursts into the room. He grabs Brady and smashes his fist into his jaw. A popping sound rings in my ears. He hits him again and again and again. Blood sprays from Brady’s broken nose. Marty and Cal grab Cade and pull him away from Brady, stained in red.
Sirens sound outside the house. Just in time. Cade’s focus falls to me, and his eyes are drowned in pain. Everything seems fuzzy.
He rushes to me, and I try to step forward, but I lose my footing. I start to fall, blackness edging my vision. Warm arms wrap around me, catching me. The ache in my ribs spreads, my breathing ragged. He bends down and swoops me up, his scent invading my senses.
My heart calms, as I’m in the one place in the world where I truly feel safe. It hurts to keep my eyes open. I let the blackness spread a little, and my eyes slowly drift shut.
“Stella, you’re going to be okay, baby. Stay with me,” Cade’s beautiful voice hums in my ringing ear.
People burst into the room, and I hear them seize and arrest Brady. Cade keeps me snug in his warm grasp. I hear wheels on the floor, getting closer. I flutter my eyes open, but light burns them. T
wo paramedics stare down at me.
“What’s your name?” the older male asks.
“Stella. Stella Sullivan,” I mumble out.
He shines a bright light in my face. I shy away from it immediately.
“We’re taking you to the hospital, Stella. Stay awake for me,” the older woman commands.
“It’s okay, Stella. I’ll be with you the whole time,” Cade whispers in my ear.
“I’m sorry, sir, but there isn’t room. You’ll have to wait,” the older man informs Cade as he lowers me on the gurney.
“It’ll be okay. I’m gonna call your mom, Stels,” I hear Cade shout to me as they wheel me down the stairs.
I look around for Brooke, but I can’t find her. I’m so tired. I just want to sleep. Darkness surrounds my vision once again, and I don’t resist it. I fall headfirst, plummeting into nothingness.
Low murmurs fill my ears. I think I recognize the voices. I focus my ears and pick up my mom’s calming whisper, and … oh, that must be James. I go to open my eyelids, but they’re so heavy. I strain to separate them. A sliver of light fills my vision. I have to force them open the rest of the way. Everything’s blurry. I blink rapidly to clear it.
My mom comes into focus first. She rushes to my bedside. “Oh, honey, thank goodness.”
She grabs my hands and rapidly brushes her thumbs over the backs of them. I can only feel one though. I force my gaze down to my hands and see a white cast covering my entire left wrist.
I stretch a tight smile over my face. Her eyes well up at my struggle. James steps up beside my mother and places a gentle hand on her back.
My voice is rough and raspy as it comes out. “What happened to Brady?”
“He’s in jail. The police came by to see you, but you were asleep, so they just told us to call when you’re ready to give your statement,” she fills me in.
I try to clear my throat. “What time is it?” I ask her.
“A little past midnight. Honey, I’m going to go get your doctor.” She squeezes my hand and turns, patting James’s chest, and then heads out the door.
