Page 19

I head out, not waiting another second, and make my way to the restroom, figuring it’s the most likely place she’d head. I’m correct. I push my way inside and find her staring blankly into the mirror, her face damp where she’s splashed it with water, her hands gripping the counter, her frame hunched.

I don’t hesitate to walk over and yank her into my arms. She doesn’t resist. Instead, she slides her arms around me, her hands pressing into my back.

“I’m sorry. I’ve barely started, and I’m already making a mess out of everything.”

“You did not make a mess out of anything. And you’re doing great. But if you need a minute, then take the damn minute. I’m just going to be right here beside you in case you need me, okay?”

She nods against me, but she doesn’t move back. I keep on holding her. I’d hold her forever if she needed me to.

Eventually, she pulls and looks up at me in resignation. “Okay, let’s head back.”

“You sure?”

She nods, though she looks anything but sure. I take her hand after she dries her face and lead her back in. This time, the guys say nothing, but I don’t miss the looks of concern.

“You okay, Lil?” Kruger asks.

Her smile is stilted. “Yeah.”

“Where was I?” she asks as I crack open the bottle of water and hand it to her.

“You were walking away from home,” I prompt.

She takes a few sips and nods before continuing. “It took me six days of solid walking to reach a road. But if there was one thing I was good at, it was surviving in the wild. The road was the first thing that threw me. I must have stood there and stared at it for an hour, so completely flabbergasted by what it was that I nearly died of a heart attack when a car came speeding around the corner. I froze. The car was going too fast to stop. Thankfully, it had slowed enough that when it hit me, it didn’t do as much damage as it could have.

“I don’t know what happened in the in-between parts where I was passed out, but I woke up in a hospital in a state of panic. I had a broken leg, wrist, collarbone, and fractured skull. When they realized I had no fucking idea what anything was or did, they assumed I had head trauma, and I let them. I didn’t know what else to do. I had nowhere to go but back, and I didn’t even know how to get there.

“Once I healed, they handed me a bill for medical expenses and sent me on my way. I’ll spare you the details, but I spent a lot of time in and out of homeless shelters and sleeping rough. I begged, borrowed, and stole just so I could eat, and with the rest of my free time, I learned. I went to the library every single day for three years. Took every free course they ran, read every book I could get my hands on. I know what I need to know now, but that knowledge is limited by its relevance—meaning history and geography, in particular, are black holes for me. I’m good with money because I had no choice but to learn fast, and math comes easily to me. My mom was a voracious reader. I think it was her only escape. She taught me to read and spell, and she read to me daily, which helped, or I’d have been even more fucked.

“I was trying my best, but then I made the mistake of pickpocketing the wrong wallet,” she says quietly, shame coating her cheeks red.

“We’ve all done far fucking worse to survive, Lil.”

“Maybe, but it’s not something I’m proud of. “

“You said you picked the wrong pocket. Let me guess, James fucking Taylor?” Mack curses.

But Lil shakes her head. “No. Just some random guy who was having a bad day that I made worse.”

“What did he do?” I ask when she falls silent.

“He threw me off a bridge. And that’s how I met James fucking Taylor.”

* * *

It’s like my brain completely glitches. All the sound disappears from the room as the rush of blood fills my head.

“I broke over half the bones in my body, including my back, hips, and pelvis.” I hear her say when the noise comes rushing back in.

“My face was unrecognizable, and for a while, they didn’t think I was going to make it.”

“How the fuck are you not littered with scars?” Probe chokes out.

She turns her head to look at him before replying. “I had a really good plastic surgeon.”

And that’s when the penny drops. Jesus, this woman—girl, really, back then—didn’t stand a chance.

Kruger bangs his head against the desk while the rest of us stare at her in horror.