An Aces Christmas (The Aces' Sons)

My dress falls enough that one of my boobs is on display and Charlie’s in motion, wrapping her arms around my waist.

We’re falling.

Charlie and I are chest to chest and my back is against the wall.

We’re on the floor.

The five second video has no sound. I look completely out of it and Charlie turns to the camera. She looks like she’s screaming at them for filming us.

“I was yelling for help,” Charlie says, sounding completely defeated.

My ears were ringing as I stared at the video playing over and over on a loop.

“Everyone has seen this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My gaze shot to Curtis then Draco. “You’ve both seen this?”

Draco’s eyes were soft on mine as he barely nodded.

“Oh, my God,” I breathed.

Nausea rose so fast that I barely got to the toilet before I threw up the jelly sandwich Rose had packed for me that morning.

Everyone in school had seen me. They’d passed around the photos like it was some kind of joke. Like I’d deserved to have topless photos of me on display.

I heaved again.

Curtis had seen me like that. He’d seen the dazed look on my face as I’d passed out half naked in a hotel hallway. Every boy in our school and who knew how many creepy older siblings and parents had seen it.

I had no idea how I could ever leave the safety of that bathroom.

Tears and snot dripped down my face as I stood up and flushed the toilet.

“I’ll take care of it,” Curtis said, speaking for the first time since he’d entered the bathroom.

“You can’t,” I replied, staring into the toilet, frozen in place. “Everyone’s already seen it. There’s nothing you can do.”

“Yes, there is,” he said, his voice coming from close behind me.

I barely breathed as his hand rested on my back, his thumb rubbing gently from side to side. I waited for him to move away, but he didn’t. Instead, his hand traveled up to the back of my neck, and gently, so gently, slid around to the front. With his thumb on my jaw and his fingers underneath my chin, he tilted my head upward.

“I’ll take care of it,” he whispered, dropping his hand as he kissed the back of my head. “And then we need to talk.”

He was out of the stall before I could reply.

“Get them out of here,” Curtis ordered Draco. “Take the car.”

“You think I’m leavin’ you here to deal with this shit on your own?” Draco asked in disbelief.

“I think you need to get Charlie and Kara out of here,” Curtis replied firmly. “Come find me after.”

As I stared at the wall in front of me, I could hear the door to the bathroom open and close again.

“Come on, K,” Charlie said. “Let’s leave while everyone is in class.”

It was the best idea I’d heard in my life. I lifted my t-shirt to wipe the gunk off my face—who even cared about tissues anymore—and left the stall.

We didn’t bother hiding our escape because it wouldn’t have mattered if a teacher tried to stop us. Draco led the way through the halls with singular purpose, and I watched the bottom half of his legs just to make sure I wasn’t going to trip over him. If I could’ve closed my eyes completely, I would’ve. I didn’t want to see anyone. I didn’t want to know if anyone could see me.

I felt naked and on display.

“Get in the car,” Draco said as we reached Roxanne. “I’m gonna try and call Curt.”

“You can have the front if you want,” Charlie said to me, her voice full of remorse.

“I’ll take the back,” I replied tiredly, scooting past her to climb in. The protection of the car was a welcome relief. If I laid down on the seat, no one would be able to see me. I barely resisted the urge to do it.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more angry in my entire life,” Charlie said tonelessly, turning in her seat to look at me. “I’m so sorry, K.”

“Stop saying that,” I replied in exasperation. “You were in those pictures, too. Why do you keep saying you’re sorry? They did this to you, too”

“It’s different for me,” she said, shrugging. “I wasn’t out of it. My dress wasn’t falling off.” She paused. “And everyone already knows I like girls.”

“But I don’t.”

“Exactly,” she said, shaking her head. “Travis is an absolute dickbag.”

“I can’t believe people are just believing this shit,” I said, leaning back against the seat. “They know us. They know me. Why isn’t anyone thinking to themselves, something isn’t right here. Kara doesn’t even drink and she was taken away in a freaking ambulance.”

“Because people like to believe the worst,” Charlie replied. “Human nature.”

“I don’t care if they think I’m a lesbian or bi or whatever,” I said, kicking the back of her seat. “But hooking up in a hallway? That’s just trashy.”