He took a step toward her. She waited as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. The space between them was sparse but enough to keep her from having a panic attack.
His arms shook. They were heavily muscled. She knew without a doubt of Noah’s strength.
He was a ball player, an athlete. She’d watched him fighting some of the guys at school if they pushed him too far. He could always hold his own. He was one of the strongest guys she knew. She’d seen him in the height of his career at high school and yet, here he was, unable to fight the three men. He’d always been invincible, unstoppable.
They were locked in their room. The four walls, with the toilet in the corner, anything but a good room.
The bed they shared was nothing more than a mattress on rusted, metal springs. If it got too much worse, they could always slit each other’s wrists and end their miserable existence.
Don’t think like that.
You’re going to get out.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Skye. You know that, right?”
“We both knew this wasn’t going to be easy, Noah.”
He went to reach out to her, and she pulled away, wincing as pain erupted all around her. Wrapping her arms around her body, she drew her legs up, resting her back against the wall. She covered her chest with her arms, staring at him, waiting.
“I’m … not going to hurt you.”
“I know.”
“You don’t want me to touch you.”
“I … I … everything hurts. My head. My body. My…”
“Pussy.”
Heat filled her cheeks, and she stared down at her knees.
“I’ve never been naked in front of anyone before.”
“You haven’t?”
“No.” Why was she bringing that up? It wasn’t like he cared, not about her. They were two different people, from different circles.
He was the popular guy, she the nerd.
“I’m sorry you had to do that.”
“Don’t fucking apologize to me, Skye. I don’t deserve it.”
She saw the remorse in his eyes.
“We heard them,” she said. “The men and women that pass. Do you think they all had to do something like that?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t fucking know.”
“They had to do something.”
“Can we not talk about this?” He placed a hand on her ankle. Even that hurt, and she stared down at his hand.
The light from the single bulb seemed a little too bright.
“I wonder why they made us do that,” she said.
“Why do you even care?” he asked.