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Caleb nodded He let out a brutal sob “I didn’t think he’d do it”

“I’ain until he settled He tucked his face againstdown my skin

“He kept saying he was sorry,” Caleb said “Even as he grabbedWhen he pushed inside of ed hi it When he was finished, I heard hi at my dad He was upset because he saw thatwith his phone Collateral, ed to pull in a few breaths “When I saw Mr Jennings at school the next Monday, he pulled ain But he began sobbing and then got on his knees in front of ive him That he’d done it only because my father had made him and that he cared about me and hadn’t meant to hurt me He… he threatened to kill himself because he felt so terrible I believed him,” Caleb murmured

I had no doubt the sick fuck had put on quite a show to convince Caleb to keep quiet

“I told hiave him He said he’d find a way to helpover and over again that he’d fix it”

Caleb’s whispered words as we’d fled fro in my ears

He promised

“I believed hi for it to stop I was foolish enough to believe Mr Jennings could so, but still be my dad But it didn’t stop and every ti on it”

Caleb sat up enough so he could look at me I automatically wiped at his tears and was stunned when he did the same to me

When the fuck had I started crying?

Caleb dropped his eyes “This kid I used to soed to record Eli’s testi my dad’s trial Cauess soave me the link and I listened to some of the testimony” Caleb dashed at his eyes “It was brutal,” he whispered “The things the defense attorney said to Eli, accused him of, it was sick I’ve never heard Eli sound like that – so scared and confused It was like… it was like he was being assaulted all over again When they announced that my father had been acquitted, I lost it I knew I’d be next and ot out, he’d kill s would help me now He was the only one besides Nick who knehat ht…”