Page 66 of Make No Mistake

I nodded and stood. She followed me into my room and immediately went to the dresser. She pulled out a bra, underwear, yoga pants, and an old volleyball shirt and walked into the bathroom with them.

“You’re all set. I’ll wait here if you need anything.”

I nodded again and went in. The mirror taunted me. Part of me didn’t want to look, but the other part needed to see.

My face was ghostly white and my hair was a tangled mess. I looked over my body and saw the scratches Aubrey mentioned.

He hadn’t touched me.

I repeated that to myself over and over.

As violated as I felt, nothing had happened.

I got away.

I was the first to hear him first. I ducked instead of getting hit in the back of the head.

I ran.

He didn’t touch me.

I untied my bathing suit and resisted the urge to shower. It would take whatever energy I had left to do it.

No, I just needed to change now. Larson would be here soon, and I couldn’t pass out when I gave my statement.

Once I was dressed, I opened the door and Aubrey jumped off my bed.

“Come on.” She placed her hand gently on my arm and led me to the couch in the living room.

Jay’s head was hung in his hands. He was on the couch but didn’t seem to realize we were there.

I sat next to him and he finally looked up. His eyes found mine. They were so dark and full of something I couldn’t describe. Fear, maybe?

“Mac.” He whispered my name before reaching for me and pulling me to him. I ended up in his lap like a child. He wrapped both arms around me and stroked my hair with one hand.

“I’m okay.”

I wanted to reassure him as much as I needed to reassure myself.

He held me like that until there was another knock at the door. Aubrey jumped up to answer it.

“Come in.”

She led Detective Larson and another man to where we were. They sat on the loveseat next to us.

“Ms. Page, this is my partner. Detective Maynard this is Ms. Page.”

“Please, call me Mckayla.”

I felt odd sitting in Jay’s lap in front of them, but Jay didn’t seem like he was going to let go anytime soon and the detectives didn’t bring it up.

“Mckayla, can you tell us what happened?” Maynard opened his notepad and waited.

I took a deep breath and Jay began rubbing my back. Knowing he was there was all I needed.

“I’d just gotten home.”

“From where?” Maynard asked, and I realized I needed to be more detailed.