“I’ll be right back.” Without even a glance at Layne, I hurried toward the exit and into the fresh night air. I rounded the corner of the hospital building and planted the palm of my hand against the cold brick. My breaths came in short bursts as the events of the evening plagued me. I’d been seconds away from being raped in an alley while Benji … A small cry slipped from between my lips, and agony coursed through me. What if his injuries are so severe that we lose him? I sucked in a quick breath, attempting to keep myself together. I spotted a few cement benches and flower beds with remnants of summertime roses. The walkway circled around an area cordoned off by a row of well-trimmed bushes.
“Avery,” I whispered, focusing on the phone and reminding myself of why I was outside. My hands shook as I tapped out her number. The call went immediately to voice mail. Dammit. I hated to leave a message about Benji, but I had no other choice.
“Are you all right?” Layne asked, rounding the corner. “I mean, really okay? I understand you wouldn’t want to worry Benji’s parents, but you were attacked tonight.”
My head snapped up at the sound of his voice, and although I willed it not to, my chin trembled. I’d sworn a long time ago that Layne would never see me as weak, but there I was—a mess and vulnerable. I shoved Marilyn’s phone into my back pocket, folded my arms over my chest, and leaned wearily against the wall. I didn’t have the strength to lie, not even to Layne.
“No. I don’t think so. I’m not … I hurt, but I …”
“I got these for you.” Layne held his hand out, and I greedily snatched the three Advil tablets from it. He produced a small bottle of water next, and I downed the pills. “Michael promised he’d come to get us if there was any news on Benji. Why don’t we sit down on the bench?”
My body and exhaustion were beginning to turn on me, and I hesitated briefly before I staggered over to the stone seat. I took another drink of water, and the plastic bottle crinkled loudly in my grip. “Why are you being nice to me?”
“I have a lot to explain, but the important thing is that it wasn’t me, Tensley. I had no idea what happened until the next morning when I saw you. I realize the timing is shit, but it’s been three years, and I might not have another chance to tell you the truth. I need to make this right.” Sincerity flashed in his eyes.
My anger simmered below the surface while I chewed on his words. Is he for real? “That shit doesn’t fly with me. Chloe never made a move without you.” Thick tension filled the space between us. “I’m too tired to have this conversation, and my only concern is my best friend, Benji. So maybe we can deal with it another time.”
Layne nodded. “Can I sit next to you?”
I scooted over without a word. He’d saved Benji and me tonight, so the least I could do was let him sit down. Fear swirled inside me, causing my chest to ache. Benji had to be all right.
“What did you tell the police?” I asked, not looking at him.
“From what I saw, two men were beating Benji, and the other guy was attempting to rape you. You put up one hell of a fight, by the way.” He attempted a smile, but apparently the night’s situation was weighing heavily on him as well.
“I’ve had a lot of practice.”
6
Layne’s brows knitted together in confusion.
“A lot of foster families come with horny, drunk men. Not all of them, but the majority of the ones I was in. They felt as though they were granted access to my bed when the system placed me in their homes.”
“Jesus. Did you tell anyone?” Layne’s shoulders squared. I’d rattled him.
I laughed quietly then repositioned my body on the bench so I could look at him. “No one cared. If I reported it, I would have been perceived as the troublemaker. I would have been placed into another home, maybe worse than the one I was in.”
“That’s not okay, Tensley. That’s never okay.” He shook his head in disgust. “And you had to deal with shit at school too. You probably never felt safe.” Regret danced across his face. “I’m so sorry for everything that happened.”
I snapped, my temper rolling to a boil like a volcano ready to erupt. “Why would you apologize? I thought you weren’t behind it?”
“I wasn’t. I had no clue. But the moment I saw you at school that morning, I knew who was responsible.”
I jumped off the bench and paced back and forth in the small space. “Why didn’t you stop it from happening? And if it weren’t for you, Chloe wouldn’t have found me!” My voice echoed through the area, but I didn’t care. I finally had an audience with Layne, and I wasn’t going to hold back.
“I know.” Guilt clung to his words. “I did tell her I saw you sneaking out of the janitor’s closet. After you left, I opened the door and saw a sleeping bag and your backpack. I realized you’d been living at the school, and I told Chloe.”
I squeezed the water bottle, crunching it in my fist. “Okay, fine. I guess we’re having this conversation after all. So let’s do this, Layne. Right fucking now. You say you didn’t have anything to do with it, but you just stated you ratted out the only safe place I had to live. So tell me, goddammit. Stop bullshitting me and tell me the truth.” I marched up to him and bent over until my face was so close to his that our noses nearly touched. Then I straightened and tapped my boot against the cement. “I’m all ears, so spit it out.” I was seething. Could he really not understand that he’d caused the epic show? Chloe had hated me for no other reason than breathing the same air she did. She’d put mean girls to shame, and once she’d had access to me, she took advantage of it. My skin crawled as the memories assaulted me.
Layne stood and shoved his hands in his front pockets. “Why were you living in the janitor’s closet? And for how long?” His voice was haunted, and I wondered what was behind it.
“My last foster dad was a disgusting pig. He had crawled into my bed for the last time. I was finished. The school was the only safe place I could think of to hide but not call attention to myself. If I attended classes, there was no reason the teachers would think there was anything wrong. Plus my foster parents would continue to receive a check. They wouldn’t report me missing or they’d risk losing the money. I found the old janitor’s closet our senior year, so I knew I had an option. I showered in the girls’ locker room and robbed the vending machine at night. I was doing well until …” My eyes narrowed, shooting venomous darts at him.
His shoulders slumped. “I had no idea.”
“Of course you didn’t. Your life was perfect. You never wondered if you were going to eat that day or if you were able to wear clean clothes. Layne Garrison was the school’s track and swim star. The girls loved you, and the teachers and parents thought you could do no wrong. You even dated the most popular girl in school. Why would it have even crossed your mind that another human being was going through hell?” I whirled on my heel and rubbed my temples, my pulse kicking into overdrive. Placing my hands on my hips, I faced him again. “Do you want to know what your girlfriend and her cronies did to me? What you instigated when you gave away my hiding place?”