Private (Private 1)

he who had done the damage. I wasn’t going to let him do it again.

“You guys . . . about the other night,” I said.

No matter how much he begged. This time I would be strong.

“We’re not talking about that now,” Noelle said firmly. I decided

“All clear,” Ariana said, checking around the side of the building.

to keep my mouth shut the rest of the way.

“Let’s go,” Noelle said.

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They walked me right past the safety of Billings and through the open quad, where they could have gotten snagged by any number of authority figures, making sure I got to my own dorm okay. We said good-bye and I crept quietly inside and up to the bathroom to clean up my wounded knee. With every wince I recalled Thomas’s face

AN UNEXPECTED VISIT

and told myself enough was enough. If he ever did beg for my forgiveness again, I just had to remember this pain.

Constance was out cold when I slipped in, but I didn’t undress, not wanting to risk waking her up and having to explain where I had been. I stepped out of my shoes and crawled under the covers fully I dressed quickly on Friday morning while Constance sang along to clothed.

her stereo under her breath, bopping around the room as she put There was no chance of me falling asleep. I was too wired.

on earrings and fluffed her hair. I hadn’t slept at all. Not for one I kept thinking about what Noelle and Ariana had said. How pro-minute. I was exhausted, but exhilarated. Today I would be back at tective they had become. How much they clearly cared. I was back the Billings table. Today was a whole new start.

in with the Billings Girls. I still had a hope of a future.

I pulled my pair of backup jeans on gingerly over my injured

And I had no one but Thomas Pearson and his psychotic temper

knee and had just fastened the button fly when there was a knock on to thank for it.

the door.

Constance shot me an intrigued look. Mostly, the girls on our

floor just walked into one another’s rooms with no preamble. She opened the door and froze when she saw Thomas standing there. I knew the feeling. The wind was knocked right out of me.

“Hey,” Thomas said to her.

He was wearing the same clothes he’d had on the night before

and his eyes were bloodshot and watery.

“Can I come in?” he said to me.

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Somehow he took that

as an invitation.

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