Page 222 of Shhh…It’s A Killer Story

"I..."

She swallowed.

"I need to tell you something."

Every instinct inside me sharpened. My thumb stroked absent-mindedly over her knuckles.

"You can tell me anything."

"I..." She laughed nervously, though there wasn't an ounce of humour in it. "I want this, I want to have sex with you and so much more."

"I know, baby. We will."

"I want... all of this."

"Seraphina, why do I feel like you’re going to say the word but."

"Because I am Honey..."

Her voice cracked.

"This was my first time..."

She stopped.

"...but it also wasn't."

My brows pulled together. For a moment, I genuinely didn't understand.

"What do you mean, baby?"

She didn't answer straight away. Instead, she shifted closer until her forehead rested against my shoulder. Her entire body seemed to deflate. I wrapped both arms around her instinctively, pulling the blanket higher over her bruised shoulders. She closed her eyes.

"Promise you won't get angry."

"I won't."

"Promise you won't hate me."

My heart damn near stopped. I tipped her chin upward until she had no choice but to look at me.

"Seraphina."

My forehead rested against hers.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"You hear me? Nothing you're about to say changes that."

She let out a shaky breath. Some of the tension left her shoulders.

"I was..." she whispered.

The words caught. She tried again.

"I was raped when I was little."

Everything inside me froze. My lungs. My heartbeat. My thoughts. Nothing existed except those six words. A pressure built behind my ribs so violently I thought they might crack.