“Let’s play a game,” Asher said. I could tell he was trying to clear the tension in the room.
“What’d you have in mind?” Luca grinned.
Mags raised her hand with a bounce. “I know! Let’s pull out the liquor and play Never Have I Ever!”
I giggled. “No offense, but you always lose. You haven’t not done much!”
She grabbed her hair tie, and pulled it out. That allowed her hair to tumble down. Luca was staring at her with a certain look in his eyes. “I’m game,” he said, with his gaze focused on Mags.
Asher and Luca pulled out all the alcohol they could find, and we started playing. Eve stayed silent, with her eyes downcast. Gerald looked miserable. He had his arms crossed and refused to look at anyone. I hated their dynamic. Mags was right to be worried from the start.
Later, Mags had already downed eight shots. Luca and Asher had only downed four, and I downed one. Gerald and Eve had none.
“I have one!” Luca smirked at Mags. “Never have I ever slept with my cousin’s best friend.” He kept eye contact with Mags as he took his shot.
My mouth fell open. “No fucking way! You two slept together?”
Mags’ face was as red as could be. “Not cool, Luca.”
“When?”
Luca coughed. “Aren’t you forgetting to drink?”
I grabbed the shot glass and tossed it back. The alcohol burned my throat on the way down.
“Seriously though, when?” Asher asked.
Mags grumbled. “The same night you guys slept together the first time.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked them both.
They shrugged, avoiding eye contact with each other.
“I could’ve guessed.” Eve pushed her glasses up. “Mags always got especially giddy around Luca.”
Luca smirked at her. “Giddy, you say?”
“Eve! Don’t tell him that!” She hid her face with her hands.
Gerald stood abruptly. “We have to go,” he told Eve, whose smile faltered.
“But why?”
“Because we have to, Evelyn,” he raised his voice.
“Woah, don’t talk to her like that.” I frowned.
Mags shook her head. “You can’t speak to a woman like that!”
Eve’s mouth clamped shut, and she shook her head furiously. “It’s fine. Thanks, but we are fine.”
Gerald glared at us before he stalked out of the house with the front door wide open.
Mags grabbed Eve’s arm. “You don’t have to leave with him.”
Asher looked toward the door. “Seriously, no man should treat you the way he does.”
“You can stay here tonight.” I walked over to her.
She shook her head and patted Mags’ hand. “It’s fine. He just got in a bad mood. He doesn’t enjoy drinking.”
Mags snorted. “Bullshit. That man drinks like a brute.”
Eve bit her lip and looked to the side.
“I’m honestly worried about you leaving with him,” I said as he honked the car horn.
“I’ll text you both when we get home. I’m sorry.” She pivoted on her heel, scampered out of the house and shut the door behind her.
Nobody spoke at first. The shock of seeing Eve in that situation didn’t sit well with us.
“I hate him,” Mags seethed.
Luca wrapped an arm around her. “I can see why.”
“What do we do? Eve is too sweet.” I felt tears prick my eyes.
Asher pulled me into a hug. “Be there for her. Keep reaching out. She won’t leave because she’s told to. She needs to realize it herself.”
The night ended on a sour note. Mags and Luca stayed the night, and Asher and I went to our room. Eve stayed on my mind a lot that night. I hated how little Preston made me feel when he’d yell, but the way Eve acted with Gerald scared me. I prayed for answers that night. I had to help her get away from him.
Friday flew by. I thanked our reading test for that, because test days were always easy. The students asked about Rosie and when she would come back, but I didn't have an answer for them. At the end of the day, Asher and I reported to Mr. Higgins’s office again for yet another meeting regarding Rosie. I had hoped and prayed for good news, but the sinking feeling in my gut told me to expect the worst.
Officer Richards and Mr. Higgins were already waiting for us. We sat in those stupid chairs that hurt my butt, and Officer Richards got straight to the point.
“We’re going to need you both to testify. The uncle is denying everything. The family is having a difficult time with this but we have high hopes everything will work out. We will have you meet with a lawyer that works with the department the day you go to testify.”
My heart sank in my chest. “That poor family. I can’t imagine.”
Higgins cleared his throat. “Faith, I was able to find out who took his case.”
My eyes snapped to his. “Tell me it wasn’t my father.”
He shook his head. “It’s Preston Hill.”
My brain stuttered for a split second and my eyes took in more sunlight from the bay window than before. I hesitated while my thoughts caught up. It seemed like his name had knocked every wisp of air from my lungs, and I sat there struggling to function.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Asher whooshed out in one breath.
“Unfortunately no, we understand if you don’t want to testify with this circumstance.” Officer Richards stared at me.
“No, I’ll still help Rosie.” My throat became dry and I cleared it. “I think I need to go drink some water.” I stood up.
“I appreciate your willingness to help the girl. Both of you,” Officer Richards said. “Please, feel free to go home.”
Asher stood up and led me out of the office with his hand on the small of my back. I eased at his touch. “Want to head to The Coffee Shop?” he asked.
I attempted to calm my rapid shallow breathing with a deep breath. “Yes. I need something to drink.”
Once we had our drinks and food, we sat in the booth near the door. My mind was reeling from the fact that Preston had accepted this
