by Cala Riley
“You can open my gift later, T. I can’t top that.” V laughs.
“Sorry, V.”
She smiles and brushes it off. “No biggie. Now shots, then party?”
“Yes!” T grabs the glasses and passes one to each of us.
“To Tinsley. You only turn sixteen once, but you can be sweet as long as you want. I hope sixteen is the best yet.” V grins.
“To Tinsley!” I agree.
Then we toss our shots back, each making a face.
“Time to party!” V shouts.
An older song comes on, and it talks about getting it on for your birthday. Soon a wolf whistle catches our attention, and we all turn and find Finley has Tins in the middle of the floor, slowly bumping and grinding to the song while he sings the words.
“What. The. Fuck,” Reed growls.
“Well, he’s taken it to a whole new level now, huh?” V muses, coming up next to Reed and me.
“That would be an understatement,” I say while trying to contain my laughter.
“You have to admit it’s kind of hot. Who knew Tins could move like that?” Sterling teases.
“Watch it,” Reed and V say in unison.
“Like you could deny it, V. I caught you rubbing your thighs together. I bet if I touched your panties right now, they would be wet,” Sterling challenges her.
“Try it. I dare you,” V says while taking a step closer to Sterling.
“With fucking pleasure,” Sterling growls.
“Uh, how about you take this somewhere else first, yeah? We already have one show; we don’t need two,” I tell them.
V grabs Sterling’s hand and drags him through the crowd before stepping into the walk-in pantry and snapping the door shut behind them.
“That's not very sanitary,” I say and feel Reed laugh on the back of my neck.
“Wouldn't be the first time that pantry has seen some action,” he admits.
The song ends, and Tins and Finley stop dancing and make their way toward us. As soon as they’re within arm’s length, Reed reaches out and slaps Finley upside the head.
“Hey, what the hell, man?”
“Really? What the fuck was that?” Reed demands.
“It’s her birthday. Some asshole put on a song called ‘Birthday Sex’—I repeat, ‘Birthday Sex.’ So I dragged her onto the floor before anyone else could. Would you have preferred I let her stand there for anyone to come up to?” Finley challenges.
The whole time, I watch Tinsley’s face closely. Hurt consumes her, but she quickly masks it with an expression of indifference.
“Gee, thanks. Good to know it was a pity dance. Just what everyone wants to hear,” Tinsley spits out before stalking away.
“Way to go, you fucking idiots,” I say in disgust.
“Wait, Tins.” Finley sighs while taking a step toward her.
I grab him by the shoulder. “Yeah, how about you don’t, and you two stand here and think about how you just fucked that up?”
I stalk towards where Tinsley went, pulling out my phone and sending V a text.
Me- 9-1-1, Tins just took off.
V- You good or need backup?
Me- Up to you.
I shove my phone back into my pocket as I make the top of the stairs and head right for Tinsley’s door. I take a deep breath before knocking. “Hey, it's me. Can I come in?”
The door swings open, and as soon as I step in, it slams shut behind me.
“I can’t believe those assholes,” Tins fumes.
“Well, is it honestly that surprising?” I ask gently.
“I mean, I know they can be dicks to others, but they rarely are to me,” she rants while raking her hands through her hair in frustration.
“Look, even though I don’t agree with his methods, you know Reed was only trying to protect you. You’re his sister. He’s always going to be an ass to any guy who has his hands on you. It’s his MO. As for Finley?” I sigh. “I don’t get it, Tins. What am I missing? Do you have feelings for him?”
“Of course I do! I wouldn’t dance with just anybody to a song like that!” she practically screeches.
“But I don’t understand it, Tins. You see what I do, right? You know you don’t have to take every little crumb he throws your way. You deserve better than his attention for three-minute intervals,” I plead.
“I know I do.” She sighs. “It’s just… I want him, and for those three to four minutes, I’m the only one he sees.”
“Yeah, but then he moves on to someone else, and you have to watch him stick his tongue down her throat. How is that fair to you?”
Tinsley throws herself onto her bed and groans, “And I hate it! But I can’t stay away.” She sounds completely defeated.
“You deserve better than a guy who’s only willing to give you a few minutes at a time. You deserve a guy who’s willing to put you first.”
“Like you and Reed?”
I scoff. “Reed and I are complicated.”
Tinsley takes her time before speaking. “You’re right, I do deserve it all. But for the record, I think if you and Reed were on the same page, you guys could be relationship goals, just like Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.”
“Really?” I ask skeptically.
“Really. The way Ryan looks at Blake is similar to how Reed looks at you.”
“Maybe someday, Tins. Maybe someday,” I tell her before lying back on the bed next to her and listening to the music from downstairs.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Over the past week, I’ve settled into a comfortable routine. Go to school. Avoid Reed. Hang out with Victoria and Tinsley. Go to work. Toss and turn all night until the morning where it starts all over. Lather, rinse, and repeat.
Today is just another day. I left school early, avoiding finishing class and Reed, showing up at work early. Thankfully, Beth needed an extra hand, so I jumped in to help. While our end-of-the-year ball isn’t for another two weeks, the local public schools are having their proms. That means a lot of activity at the mall, including Momma’s House.
I’m more than happy to tap out when Beth tells me to take a break. I sneak off into the back room, grabbing my phone and wallet. I figure I can grab a soft pretzel from the food court before I have to rush back here.
Glancing down at my phone, I notice two missed calls and a dozen or so text messages. I see Reed has texted and my heart stops. He hasn’t tried to reach out to me at all since our breakup. If you can even call it that. He never really cared about me, so while his lips said the words, I feel the whole thing was a sham. An elaborate prank on the poor girl.
Sighing, I scroll past his without reading it and look at Victoria’s next.
V- Tinsley caught Finley fucking Ms. Wheeler. She’s a mess. Don’t rush home. I have her, but come right home after work. She needs us.
My heart aches. Tinsley might not ever fully admit it, but she’s given her heart to Finley and he doesn’t even know it. He’s so caught up in his life that he doesn’t realize what he’s doing to hers.
This is devastating for her. I bet she feels like her world is ending.
Kind of how I feel about Reed.
I push my negative thoughts away and focus on Tinsley. I click into her messages next, seeing three unread.
T - I need help.
T - I did something stupid.
T - Sage? I need you!
My heart stops. I immediately try calling her, but after several rings, it goes to voice mail. I call Victoria next, but her phone doesn’t even ring, just goes straight to voice mail.
I chew my bottom lip, thinking what to do next. After a moment, I suck up my feelings and call Reed. He answers on the first ring.
“Sage?” His voice washes over me, causing tears to prick my eyes.
I miss you.
“Where’s Tinsley?” I clear my throat when I hear the emotion in it.
He sighs. “I was hoping you would know. She took off from school. She won’t answer any of my calls or texts. She turned off the
GPS on her phone. All I know is that she left with Victoria, but she turned off her phone after the third time I tried to call. What’s going on?”
I let out a humorless laugh. “She’s going through something. If she’s with Victoria, she’ll be fine.” I pause as I hear a message come through. Seeing it’s Tinsley, I continue on. “She just texted me. Give her space, Reed. She’ll come to you when she’s ready. For now, she needs some girl time. I’ll check on her and let you know if she needs you.”
I hang up before he can argue. He immediately tries to call me back, but I send him to voice mail. I wait for the inevitable second call, surprised when it doesn’t come.
Smart man.
I check the message Tinsley sent me.
T- I’m at a public party. I drank too much and don’t know anyone. Help me?
I don’t hesitate before I attempt to call again, but I’m sent to voice mail once more.
I text her back as I grab my jacket and head to find Beth.
Me- Where are you? Where is the party?
She sends me a ping showing her location.
I pull Beth to the side the moment she steps into the kitchen. “Family emergency. I have to go. I’m so sorry.”
I don’t wait for her response, already calling a cab before I’m out the door. It takes ten agonizingly long minutes, but when the cab finally pulls up, I hop in, giving him the address before handing him forty dollars, asking him to get me there as fast as possible.
The driver must be able to tell I’m not social, because he turns up the music, leaving me to my thoughts.
What seems like forever but is more likely fifteen minutes later, we pull up outside a two-story house with people spilling out the front door. It’s obviously a party with dozens of people inside. My heart clenches at the thought of Tinsley being drunk, surrounded by people she doesn’t know.
Where the hell is Victoria?
As I make my way through the front door, I don’t recognize anyone at the party. My mind is racing as my eyes frantically scan the faces I pass, going from room to room.
I’m almost to the kitchen when I spot a familiar face. I scowl as I recognize Ingram, but I figure she may be able to tell me if she’s seen Tinsley. That is, if she doesn’t want to be a bitch.
Mind made up, I stride up to her.
“Ingram, have you seen Tinsley?”
She turns to me, losing her smile. “What? Don’t tell me you lost little Yates. Reed might kill you for that.”
She throws her hair over her shoulder, intending to go back to her conversation, but I grab her arm, spinning her to face me once more. “This isn’t a game. Have you or have you not seen her?”
I catch a glint in her eyes before she sighs. “I saw her go upstairs. Here, I’ll take you since you’re obviously too blind to find her by yourself.”
She rolls her eyes at her friends but pushes past me, making her way to the front of the house. Once we reach the stairs, she starts ascending, but something catches my eye in the other room.
I glance back, trying to see what caught my eye, but it’s gone.
“Are you coming or not? I don’t have all night to play babysitter with your dumb ass.” Ingram is several steps above, impatiently tapping her fingers on the railing as she waits for me.
Shaking my head, I make my way up the stairs, following her to the second-story landing. It’s obvious that this is an “off-limits” area. There isn’t one single person down the long hall, and all the doors are closed.
My heart stops.
What if she’s with someone behind one of these doors? Worse, what if she’s not a willing participant?
“Which room?” I surge forward, moving to the first door.
“I think I saw her go into the last room on the right. It has an attached bathroom. She looked a little green.” Ingram wrinkles her nose as if the thought disgusts her.
“She looked sick so you thought you would leave her alone? What if she chokes on her vomit or gets raped? Are you that heartless?” I scream the last words at her, my worry for Tinsley taking over my sanity.
She narrows her eyes at me. “Little Yates is no longer my concern, not that she ever was. Reed devalued himself by getting with you, taking him out of the running to rule this world with me. Looks like Sterling Brooks will have to do. It’s a shame really. Reed is gorgeous.”
She looks at her nails as she delivers the last line, feigning disinterest. Internally I roll my eyes at her dramatics. She would take Reed in a heartbeat, but he wouldn’t take her. Even if I couldn’t have him, I knew I could take solace in the fact that she couldn’t either.
“Whatever you say. I’m checking on Tinsley. Feel free to leave.”
I don’t wait for her response, heading straight to the door she indicated. Twisting the knob, I sigh when I realize it’s unlocked, then cringe when I think of who else might’ve slipped into the room. As I open the door, I notice the bathroom light is on, casting a soft glow over the darkened bedroom. I take a couple of steps in, allowing my eyes to adjust to the new lighting.
“Tinsley? Are you in here?”
I take two more steps before something pulls me back. All breath whooshes out of me as a strong figure grabs me from behind, crushing my body to theirs. I go to scream, but a hand immediately clamps over my mouth.
“Shut the fuck up, you dumbass whore,” a male voice spits in my ear.
My mind starts flipping through every memory I have, trying to place the voice that I’m certain I’ve heard before.
“A little help here?” he says as I continue to thrash, attempting to break his hold.
“Don’t be such a pussy. She’s a girl. You should be able to hold her, or are you saying you’re weak?”
He grunts before picking me up and carrying me to the bed.
The blood is roaring in my ears as my frantically beating heart drowns out the voices around me. I continue to kick and fight, but it’s useless. The man has a tight grip on me with no intentions on letting me go anytime soon.
“Come on. Let’s get this over with.” The female voice registers as my body starts to fatigue.
Ingram.
What’s her game?
The man’s arm that’s wrapped around my upper body moves until it’s wrapped around my neck instead.
“Listen here, you little bitch. You’re going to do what I say, or this is going to get really unpleasant for you.”
I struggle more as a burst of adrenaline hits me.
My mind races with possible scenarios of what they’re planning to do. It’s the motivation I need to keep fighting. I land one good kick to his knee, making him drop me, pushing me forward on the bed. I immediately turn over, attempting to push myself up, but a punch to my right side has me wheezing.
“Stop moving, Sage. You’re only going to make this worse for yourself.”
I’m still coughing but manage to choke out, “Why are you doing this?”
“Seriously? Are you that stupid? Hold her down, Asher.”
My eyes flick to the guy as recognition hits me.
The punk who was handsy with Tinsley.
Tinsley. Oh no. Where is she?
Before I can do anything, Asher is on top of me, holding me down with his body weight as one hand wraps around my throat, squeezing harder than before. I grunt in pain but buck, trying to knock him off. When I feel his hardened member, I gag in my mouth.
Sick fuck!
Next thing I know, he has his other hand on my nose, pinching it closed. I gasp for air but am met by liquid immediately filling my mouth. The burn of alcohol causes me to choke on the liquid. Asher rubs my throat, whispering what I guess is supposed to be encouraging words, but instead it chills me to the bone.
“That’s it. Take it like a good girl. Swallow it all. It’s okay. It won’t be much longer now. Good girl.”
“Stop sweet-talking the bitch,” Ingram demands as she pours more of the liquid in my mouth, slapping her hand over it so I can’t spit it out.
<
br /> If this is anything like waterboarding, I understand why prisoners would talk. My throat aches while my body is slowly becoming numb. I blink a couple of times, my vision getting fuzzy around the edges.
“Damn, Ash, how much did you put in here? I didn’t think roofies worked that fast.” Ingram’s voice comes from across the room.
“Three. I figured we would need the job done quick. Let’s hurry up.”
His body leaves me and I attempt to move, but I’m held down by an invisible weight.
Ingram comes forward to lean over me. “I didn’t want to resort to this. I gave you plenty of warnings. You had every opportunity to leave this school and never come back. You chose to stay. You chose to mess with what’s mine. Now, I’m going to take it back. When Reed sees what a whore you are, he’ll come crying to me. When sweet Tinsley sees you messing around with the boy she likes, she’ll never forgive you. It’s a win-win really. Then dear old Grandpa will disown you for being such a whore. Like he always tells me, Humphries must always respect our name. Don’t do anything that may tarnish our reputation. He’ll take back his claim of you in a heartbeat. Then I’ll be the golden one again.”
As she speaks, my vision blurs even more, but I don’t miss the maniacal look in her eyes. All I can think is that this is how I’m going to die. In the upstairs room at a party with no one knowing where I am. Would they think I overdosed? Would they say I was always a troubled child?
I never let anyone get to close to me, and now that may be the reason my murder goes unsolved. They may never know what these two did because they couldn’t be sure that I would never do drugs. They can’t say that I would never go to a party and get drunk before fucking some loser in an upstairs bedroom. They don’t know because I didn’t let them.
I tune out the world around me as I feel my shirt being ripped down the front.
Next goes my bra; I feel two arms lift me as it’s removed from my body. I’m laid back against a warm body as another series of flashes goes off behind my eyes. I must’ve dozed off, because my eyes open again and I’m now on my stomach.
I feel hands pulling my pants, but then a bright light blinds me. I can hear commotion behind me, but I can’t move.
I’m roughly turned over before a face swims in my vision. A small smile plays on my lips as I recognize Sterling.