I look down, unable to see what she's focused on. But I do see the angry red scratches marring my arms and legs. "What?"
"You have a bruise," she says, gently touching my collarbone. It's tender but not bad. It must be from when Vic pinned me against the wall. "Seriously, what happened to you?"
"Can we sit?" I ask, so tired, I feel like I might fall over.
The girls slide back into the booth, and I slip in next to Tori, slumping down against the cracked vinyl.
"So?" Tori demands when I don't start talking right away.
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I have no idea where to even start.
"What happened with Joey?" Nina blurts.
I close my eyes and groan between clenched teeth. "I never want to see another Harrison ever again. Not a single one of them. Ever."
"He didn't do that to you, did he?" Tori asks, ready to be just as pissed off as I am.
"No. This is courtesy of Vic." I focus on Nina. "Did you give him back his gun?"
"What?!" Nina replies, shocked. "No way. It's right ... " She shuffles through her satchel. Her eyes narrow in confusion as she starts dumping items on the table. "I swear it was in here." She looks up, at a loss. "I have no idea where it is."
"He has it," I tell them. "Stupid fuck. Did you see him when you left?"
They both shake their heads.
"What did he do to you?" Tori asks.
I grind my teeth together, knotting the muscles in my jaw. With a shake of my head, I rake a hand through my loose bangs.
"Lana," Nina implores, "you have to tell us. You know we'll protect you no matter what."
"Let me think about it," I tell them, needing to figure out what could potentially happen if they knew.
I don't want to risk them being involved if it goes to shit. I have no idea if Allie really is okay. Or if that screaming girl told anyone what she saw. Hell, Vic could claim to be a witness to me pushing her, and I have no way of proving that I didn't. Telling Nina and Tori could put them at risk. I don't trust Vic not to go after them, especially if he thinks they may be a threat.
"Can we go home?" I ask with a heavy sigh. "Every inch of me either hurts or is covered with dirt."
"Lana, where are your shoes?" Nina exclaims with a laugh.
"In Parker's car. I took them off when I started walking back from the country club."
"You really are having the worst night ever," Tori declares.
"You have no idea."
Chapter Ten
"She isn't your curse." I keep my eyes shut at the sound of my grandmother's voice. "You can love her."
"I'm trying," my mother whispers. "But every time I look at her, I see the truth, and I know I've lost him."
"Not because of her," my grandmother says gruffly.
"Yes," my mother counters sadly, "because of her."
"Here," Nina says, holding out a pair of sparkly black flip-flops.
"You have flip-flops in your purse?" I ask incredulously.