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"Oh" She bit down on her lip, and then she took a deep breath "Erik didn’t say anything to you?"

"No" I downed the rest of the juice "Why?" Once I asked the question, I thought it could be because I called hi hiize" She waved her hand "He can be a dick Anyway, he went to use the bathrooone upstairs, and I orried he said so to you"

A lock of brown hair slipped out of her hair clip and brushed her forehead She knocked it away My , centered on Jase and that wonderful, wicked tongue of his, but I thought of the bruises I’d seen on her legs, and the way Erik talked to her

I needed to say so to her Tell her that I knehat it was like Someone needed to step up because I knew personally that when no one did, it only got worse My skin burned It was hard, though Even noas difficult telling someone I’d been in a relationship like that It was uilt and the e fear that never really left, that festered like a rotten wound in the aze to the empty bottle "Debbie, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure" She s it "Ask away"

Squaring my shoulders, I looked up "Doesdoes Erik hit you?"

A second or two passed and then she laughed Too loudly "What? No W-­ould you even think that?"

I fiddled with the lid on the bottle "Because he isn’t very nice and--­"

"Just because he says ignorant stuff every once in a while doesn’t s and shot off the bed Folding her arms, she faced me Her cheeks were molten "He doesn’t hit me"

Denial God knows I tried that when Mos off the bed Our gazes locked, and she looked away I took a shallow breath "I saw the bruises on your legs"

All the color drained frolanced down at her jeans "What?"

"The other day You earing shorts"

Her brows furrowed as her mouth opened and then snapped shut "I walked into the side of the bed a few days ago That’s probably what you saw"

Then she must’ve repeatedly walked into the bed several tihtstand "Debbie--­"

"Look, thank you for being concerned, but there’s nothing to be concerned about" She grabbed her phone off its charger and picked up a knit cap lying on her narrow bed "I’ve got things to do I’ll see you later"

I pushed to my feet "I need to talk to you--­"

"I don’t have ti to upset you or be judgey I just want you--­"

The door slammed shut

"To know that I knohat it feels like," I hing, I plopped back down on the bed The ache in rossness was coveringI now felt like a douche canoe after talking to Debbie

But I knewup my shower stuff, I headed to the bathroom While I stood under the steady, hot streairl in his roo like a lunatic Jase in the Jeep The taste of him in s

That ie of him was forever seared intothe water hit my back A flutter in my chest ers The way I felt wasstrange Like I woke up with not only a possible hangover, but I also felt different soht I really didn’t knohat to e lives

Well, it had been rather life-­changing

I giggled as I slid h athered on ht had really happened, and as I remembered, Jase hadn’t pushed ized or said that it shouldn’t have happened

I cli on a pair of coh the suite, stopping to glance at the door to the other dor my breath, I listened The sound of footsteps neared the door and then faded away I crept to the door, clutching my shower stuff toa few seconds and returned toA niggle of unease curled low in rabbed my laptop

If that conversation with Debbie hadn’t been aard enough, she returned in the late afternoon with Erik By that point, I’d spoken to Avery and told her the sa I’d told Debbie There had been no ht noasn’t really thinking about him

Erik stood in front of the desk while Debbie packed up a s I sat my laptop on the pillow She didn’t look atinto a s here tonight?"

"No," Erik answered, sendingwithher"

"Do I look like I’m deaf?" He turned to ht off his face "Or stupid? I know you were talking to her, but--­"

"Erik" Debbie sighed She zipped up her bag and turned around, her cheeks flushed "Can we not do this?"

Her boyfriend’s pupils dilated as he turned his head slowly "Did you just interrupt me?"

The fine hairs on e in his voice threw me back several years Muscles in my stomach twisted I wanted to flee the roo there, face contorted in rage

I don’t knohat happened next

Erik grabbed for Debbie’s bag, but she held on Maybe she didn’t knohat he was trying to do, but it set so off Redness swept over his face as his bicep flexed He yanked the bag back, throwing Debbie off balance as the strap was ripped frorabbing her arry retort burst fro around It s as I sturasping air

All I saere Debbie’s round eyes as I put --­without thinking

My right leg immediately went out from underneath led cry escapedon s The pain was vicious, like soh e