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“Stop worrying about these things,” said Caleb. “Dad will take care of everything.”
A wry laugh escaped me. “He will. Brian’s a decent man and wants to do everything for my mom, but when he gives me something, his sons will make sure I pay back with humiliation and pain. It’s too high a price, guys. I better make my own money and pay for my own shit.”
I was surprised to see a flash of guilt in their eyes.
“Anyway, I’ll be going out in half an hour,” I said. “You guys better pack up your food and get ready to leave too. I’ll be locking the apartment.”
They glanced at each other, doing their weird telepathic thing where they silently communicated. I left them at the table and stepped into the bathroom.
I took a hot shower and scrubbed my body clean thoroughly. The scent of my familiar green apple shampoo soothed me, helping me build back my strength to face the day.
I’d be seeing Noah if he decided to attend classes today.He’ll probably be there, I decided. He wouldn’t want to miss seeing my sorry, pathetic ass. I barely gave him the satisfaction last night after escaping with my friends.
I wanted to hurt Noah but knew there was nothing I could do.
The only retaliation left for someone like me was to make sure I did well and became independent with my own skills and hard work. No one could take those away from me.
A little over a month remained until the final exams.
I just needed to grit my teeth and work hard until then. Once I graduated, I could move away from this town and find work elsewhere.
While I worried about Mom, I knew I could trust Brian. He’d look after her better than me.
I took a deep breath and switched off the shower. Wrapping a towel around me, I walked into my room.
Corey and Caleb were still in the living room area. They were still giving me space for which I was grateful.
I dressed in a comfortable shirt and jeans, pairing the outfit with a navy coat. Monday was always hectic with back-to-back classes and work.
I checked my schedule, packed my backpack with all the notebooks I needed, and grabbed my phone. On a normal day, I’d bother with some lip gloss and mascara but I didn’t care enough today.
“I’m ready to go,” I announced, walking into the living room.
“We’ll give you a ride,” said Corey as he stood up and stretched.
“Thanks, but that won’t be necessary,” I said. “It’s best I don’t get noticed hanging out with you guys at campus. I don’t want to attract any attention to myself.”
Corey chuckled and glanced at his brother. “Has anyone told us to fuck off in such polite words before?”
“Nope,” Caleb answered.
“Come on,” I said, moving toward the door. “I need to lock up now.”
I felt overly conscious as I walked down the corridors of the department building. So far, things were going smoothly. People passing me by didn’t react differently or look at me twice.
Entering the classroom, my gaze traveled over the vast expanse of the lecture room, searching for Wyatt. My friend wasn’t here yet but Noah sat in the last row, his steely gray eyes fixed on me.
Anger and pain lanced through me. He was so beautiful and cruel, it even hurt to look at him.
“Milla,” a familiar voice called my name from behind me.
Turning around, I came face to face with Luke and Wyatt.
“How are you doing?” Wyatt asked, looking anxious.
“I’m okay,” I said with a nod. “Thanks for looking out for me last night.” Looking up at Luke, I let my gaze rove all over his face. He didn’t look hurt. “I hope they didn’t hurt you last night.”
“They didn’t,” said Luke in a grim tone. “But I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them from taking you. There was nothing I could do when they claimed they were your family.”
