Nothing Sacred

“A little.”

Pursing her lips, Shelley nodded again. Of course he’d hurt her. What a stupid question.

“You don’t look too bad.” It was a lie.

“Thanks.” Ellen knew it was a lie.

“Well.” Shelley stood up. “I guess I’ll go get ready for school now.”

Ellen nodded.

“You going today?”

“I don’t know.” Ellen glanced around her bedroom as though lost, scaring Shelley all over again. “I don’t think so.”

The bastard was going to die. And burn in hell forever.

“You, um, need anything?” Please say no.

“No.”

“Okay, see ya later, then.” She had to force herself to walk, not run, from the room.

“Shel?” Damn.

She turned around. “Yeah?”

“It wasn’t—” Ellen stopped, took a breath that was very noticeable. “It could’ve been worse,” she said. “I mean, I wasn’t…a virgin…you know?”

Glancing at the open door, Shelley moved quickly back to the bed, and sat down beside her sister. “You weren’t?”

“No.”

Thank God.

“You and Aaron?”

“Yeah. New Year’s Eve.” Ellen almost smiled a real smile, but it must’ve hurt because she stopped.

Drake had been asking Shelley to “do it,” too, and she’d been coming up with excuses. She just hadn’t been sure. Couldn’t get over how disappointed Mom would be if she found out.

But that didn’t matter now.

If there was a rapist on the loose she wasn’t taking any chances. She’d much rather do it the first time with someone she loved. Just as Ellen had.

“Was that the only time?” she asked.

Ellen shook her head. “We really…liked it,” she said.

And then started to cry.

Shelley sat there staring for a second, with no idea what to do. So she started to cry, too.

And somehow ended up with Ellen in her arms instead of the other way around.

Life had changed and wasn’t going to change back. Not ever.

CHAPTER SIX