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I shake my head "That’s not necessary"

He looks intoto the hospital I need to be tested for STDs And get a ht I’d have to think about, o with you"

I shake h of my shame

"I can’t walk away and leave you like this"

There’s a quick knock on the door, and he calls out, "Who’s there?"

"It’s Rachel," says a muffled voice My soul cries out for her I nod, and he opens the door She rushes in and stops short Her face contorts, but she bites it back quickly when she sees a tear roll down my face "What happened?" she croons She wraps her arht I sob into her shoulder as she holds h the curtain of her hair and see that he’s blinking furiously He sniffles and straightens his spine when he sees o to the hospital," he says quietly

"I’ll take her" She looks around "How can we get her out of here without everyone seeing her?" she asks

He pulls his hoodie over his head and walks over to me He bunches it up like he wants to put it over my head, but he asks for permission to do it with his eyes I nod, and he drops it over me, and his scent wraps around me It’s like citrus and woodsy outdoor smells combined It wrapsit down around ave me earlier and wipes beneath my eyes "You have scratches on your face," she says Then she sees asps But she quickly recovers I cover rowl starts low in Peter’s belly, but I can hear it He’s angry for me "Thank you," I whisper to hihtly to mine

"Can I come with you?" he asks

Rachel looks at me for confirmation, but I shake my head

"Can I at least check on you later?" he asks "How can I find you again?"

"We need to go," Rachel says

He follows us down the hallway and through the noisy kitchen and the even noisier living room He shields my body with the width of his and opens the door for us so we can walk in front of him Rachel’s hand is in mine, but I feel the need to reach for his, because he represents strength for me "Thank you, Peter Reed," I whisper

"You’re welcoingerly sit down I’o?"

I nod I lay my head back and close my eyes And let Rachel drive me to the hospital

A shriek jerks me from my memories I watch as a blond irl ith the three men launches herself at Peter Reed I know it’s hiht, but I am completely sure that my savior just walked out of the prison

A knock sounds on the passenger , and I juh the glass I unlock the door, and he gets in He looks at the scene in front of us "Are you happy now?" he asks

My dad’s an attorney, and he took over Pete’s legal needs when I found out where he was I went looking for him a feeeks after the attack I asked around campus until I finally found someone who knew one of his brothers Pete was in jail for a foolishto have him freed ever since

My dad’s well known in this town for his ith the youth detention program, and he does a lot of pro bono work for people who can’t afford representation Dad found out that Pete had legal counsel that someone else set up for hio to jail, but he got a hter sentence because of Dad’s help Pete doesn’t deserve to be in jail He deserves to be given a medal of honor

I look at Dad and s to the farm?" I ask it very shyly because my dad reads me like I’ around, and "

I lay a hand on my chest and force et out of seeing this boy?" Dad asks

"I just want to thank hi you ht want to have his babies"

I snort "Not yet"

I’ll see Pete tomorrow I can’t wait

"Hey, kid," he says softly "He’s been in jail two years He ht so long ago"

Dad talks about it like it happened years ago But it happens again and again in ht