Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 119650 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119650 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
“I … just … can we take like, a million steps back?” Ilaria says, moving in beside me as we start making our way up to the fiery pits of hell otherwise known as the school. “I’m confused. Is all this one big lie? I thought Addison was at some big-time performing arts school, well on her way to becoming Hollywood’s newest it girl.”
I shake my head, my heart shattering at the thought of having to tell them where Addison has been all this time. I come to a stop, not wanting my words to be overheard by the gossipy assholes around us. “No. About six weeks ago, Addison was drugged and raped by Colby at a party in Hope Falls.”
Ilaria’s eyes bug out of her head. “Your ex?” she gasps, disgust marring her pretty features. “But … I slept with him. Don’t tell me I slept with a rapist. Please, Bri, tell me there’s been some kind of mix up.”
“I wish I could,” I murmur. “But if it makes you feel any better, I’m right there with you.”
“Wait,” Arizona says. “If that was six weeks ago, then where the hell has Addison been all this time? If you’re innocent, can’t she just tell the police?”
My gaze shifts up to Tanner still standing by the entrance of the school, his stare locked heavily on mine, so many unsaid words flowing between us. Turning back to the girls, I drop my gaze to the grass and start walking again. They fall in beside me, hanging on my every word. “The cocktail of pills she was given put Addison in a coma. She’s been in the hospital ever since, just lying there, not waking up.”
“Holy shit,” Ilaria breathes. “Are you fucking kidding me? That’s insane.”
“Insane doesn’t even begin to cover all the bullshit that’s come from this.”
“How do you mean?” Chanel asks.
“I still haven’t quite worked out all the details, but I know Erica had something to do with it. She was screwing Colby behind my back, and the night of that party, she was doing pills with him when Addison turned up. I guess Colby and Tanner have some beef about something that happened years ago, and Colby saw Addison as a way to get revenge on Tanner. Erica and Colby got her fucked up on pills and then Colby raped her in the bedroom, and all this time, Erica knew all about it.”
Arizona gasps, her eyes going wide. “That’s what that fight was about at the track,” she says. “We thought Colby was jealous because you and Tanner were getting close.”
I give her a tight smile. “Bingo,” I say. “Well, there’s more to it than just that. Colby showed up at the track only because I put him on blast and was refusing his calls, but he had to know the second he turned up at the track, Tanner was going to destroy him.”
“So, Tanner knows it was Colby?” Ilaria questions. I nod and her brows furrow. “So why did the cops arrest you for rape?”
A heaviness rests against my chest as we slowly creep closer and closer to the front of the school, all eyes on our group. “A few days ago, Erica showed up at my place and accidentally outed herself for having something to do with it. I gave her an ultimatum to tell the cops, or I would, and she played me. She gave a statement saying it was all my idea and that I was in the room, basically cheering Colby on as he raped Addison. They have all this false evidence of me holding the bag of pills—which I never did—and now they’re trying to pin it on me as aiding and abetting. They’re saying I was the brains behind this, and Colby was the brawn.”
“Are you shitting me?” Arizona demands, gripping my arm and bringing our whole group to a stop once again. “That’s fucking sick.”
“You’re telling me,” I say. “But the cherry on top—Colby snuck into the hospital the night he wrapped my car around a tree and tore the breathing tubes out of Addison’s throat, and they’re trying to pin that on me too, despite the surveillance footage clearly showing a male figure.”
“That’s fucking bullshit,” Ilaria says. “You were literally at Tanner’s place with a broken rib and all of us there to back it up. Colby can’t honestly think he’s going to get away with all of this.”
I scoff. “Who knows? Orlando’s still taking his case, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he walks free.”
She shakes her head, anger raging in her honey-colored eyes. “What about Erica?” she asks. “That bitch needs a fucking ass beating. Just say the word and we’ll jump her after school. I mean, after dance practice, of course. My mom would kill me if I skipped out on training.”