“Are you serious? How can he get away with doing that?”
“He denied it. They couldn’t trace the email, but everyone knew it was from him. This time, though, one of the freshmen from the basketball team saw him put up that poster in the locker room.”
She was silent.
“Don’t worry, Red. This won’t happen again. I promise.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that. I don’t want you to feel like you have to protect me all the time.”
“It’s my job to protect you.”
“Caleb—”
I parked in front of Kara’s and turned to face her. “I want you to sleep at my place tonight.” When she opened her mouth—probably to argue—I cut her off. “Please. I need to feel that you’re safe. Just tonight. Please, Red.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“I’ll be back in two hours. I told Matthew to text the team to meet at his place. I need to make sure there are no more posters around.”
“It’s over now. Do you have to do this tonight?”
I held her face in my hands, rubbing her soft cheek with my thumb. “Yes. He won’t hurt you again. I’ll make sure of it.”
* * *
Veronica
“The truth is…” I hesitated, closing my eyes. “It scared me to see Caleb…like that.”
Kara frowned, sitting next to me on the couch where she’d placed a bowl of popcorn mixed with M&M’s on my lap. She grabbed the remote and absentmindedly channel surfed.
I glanced at the clock again. Caleb had left hours ago. What was taking him so long?
“Like what?”
“I didn’t recognize him. It was like he was a different person. He was so angry. It just…reminded me.”
“Reminded you?” Kara huffed. “Why don’t you explain all this to me so I don’t sound like a damn parrot?”
“My dad,” I answered after a moment.
“Oh.” Kara reached for my hand, her eyes apologetic. I squeezed her hand, let go, and wrapped my arms around my middle. I suddenly felt cold.
“But I realized that he was protecting me. Caleb would never hurt me.”
“Ver.” She turned off the TV. “Lockhart would cut off his hands before he hurt you.”
I nodded. “It’s just—”
Kara’s phone rang. When she glanced at the screen, her eyes widened in incredulity. “Who is it?” I asked.
“It’s Cameron.”
I raised my brows when she just stared at the screen. “Are you going to answer it?”
“No.” But she pressed the answer button and lifted the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
A voice spoke on the other end of the line, but I couldn’t make out the words. Kara listened with a stoic expression. A moment later, her face paled.