Page 125 of Depraved Boys

“Do you want me to call the police?” I asked.

Her nostrils flared. “Yes.”

I turned to Cormac, who pulled out his smartphone and backed into the hallway. While he called nine-nine-nine, I stepped further into the room and leaned against the radiator to thaw my frozen limbs.

Pain wound around my lungs and crawled up my windpipe, turning all my words of comfort to ice. I would have offered her a hug, but she probably didn’t want to be touched. Especially not by someone she already despised. I blew out a labored breath and tried not to think of the first time I’d woken in the hospital.

“I feel so dirty,” she whispered.

“Don’t have a shower until the police come.”

“Too late,” she said.

My shoulders slumped with defeat. All that incriminating DNA evidence… now down the drain.

Cormac gave the door a gentle knock and cracked it open. “I’ve told the police to come straight to this room.”

I gave him a weak smile. “Thanks.”

“Tell that creep to get out,” Ashley screeched from where she slumped on the desk. “He’s always staring at your ass and boobs when he thinks you’re not looking.”

Pursing my lips, I turned to Cormac to apologize for Ashley’s outburst.

Cormac paled, and his face went slack. “That’s not true, Willow. I’ve never—”

“I know.” I crossed the room and placed a hand on his arm. “Ashley’s just lashing out, and I’m sorry.”

“Just go away,” she screamed.

“I’ll see you later.” Cormac backed out of the room and shut the door.

I whirled on Ashley. “Save your ire for Bruce and the others. Cormac ran out to save you.”

She turned back to stare at the desk. The notice board hanging above her space consisted of a blank cork board stuck with multicolored pins. “Well, he should have gotten to me at the start of term and given me a warning.”

My mouth opened to say that Cormac had told us about sexual harassment and the pull-a-pig game, but I clamped it shut. I’d only spoken to Ashley once since her initiation, and that conversation hadn’t gone well. She was likely still in avoidance mode and spewing out any old crap to distract me from asking her what happened.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.

“I’ll only go through it once when I tell the police,” she murmured.

“Right.” I stretched out my fingers and curled them back in an attempt to get the circulation flowing back to my hands. What could I say to Ashley in a situation like this?

I stared down at my feet, wishing things had turned out differently between us. Wishing that Ashley’s experience didn’t stir up my anguish about what she had chosen for me.

“This would never have happened at Cummersdale Comprehensive,” she croaked.

“That place was tame compared to Brittas,” I said.

She raised her head, revealing eyes puffy with tears. “Why did you bring us here?”

“The bursary—”

“See where your obsession with money has landed us!” She slammed her palm on the desk.

“No,” I snapped.

“What do you mean?”