Page 25 of Bitter Truths

I close my eyes against the spinning world, and darkness claims me.

4

BIANCA

Pain splits my skull. Every pulse throbs behind my eyes, sharp and relentless.

I peel my lids open. Light stabs straight through to my brain. Each blink drives the ache deeper. My mouth tastes like roadkill marinated in cheap vodka.

A groan claws up my throat.

“Hey, take it easy.”

Winston’s voice cuts through the fog. I squint past the throbbing to find him slouched in the armchair beside my bed, shadows carved beneath his eyes like bruises.

“What time is it?”

“Nine twenty-four.”

A sick feeling hits me. We leave at eleven forty-five.

“Relax. Mom already packed most of your stuff.”

“I’ll grab you water. Don’t move too fast,” he instructs, dragging his palm across the stubble on his jaw.

The second he vanishes, I snatch my phone from the nightstand. The bright screen sears straight through to my brain.

A single text from Whitney waits from last night, alongside a string of messages in the group chat.

Whitney

B, heard you got hurt and left. Are you okay? Text me!

Does she know what her dad told me yesterday?

I skip hers, clicking on the chat that includes Winston.

Owen

Winston, you get Bianca home safe?

Winston

I just got her in bed. She’s out cold. What the hell happened?

Freddie

Some drunk jackass was hitting on her and knocked her into the pool. She hit her head on the edge going down.

Tristan

She went under for a moment. Owen pulled her out.

Winston

She was unconscious? For how long?

Owen