” I say weakly, my mind turning over everything he just said.
How does he know what Jensen looks like?
I rush outside to find her standing by my car, her arms wrapped around her middle and she’s uncontrollably shivering. I go to her and grab her by the shoulders, giving her a gentle shake so she looks up at me. “Are you okay?”
She shakes her head, her teeth chattering. “C-can w-we g-get in the c-car, pl-please?”
I hit the keyless remote and then we’re both entering the car, me hitting the button to start the engine. I mess with the buttons and temperature knobs, cranking up the heat and turning on her seat warmer. “You should feel better in a few minutes.”
“Th-thank you.” She leans back against the seat and closes her eyes, sighing loudly. “I’m sorry I ran off. It’s just, this entire evening has me on edge, and Diane and Park were so cruel just now. And then…” She shakes her head, sniffing again. A single tear slides down her face, then another.
Then another one.
She’s full-blown crying, her shoulders shaking from her sobs, and I pull her into my arms, holding her close. I touch her hair, my lips at her forehead, hating that she’s falling apart in my car. I want to hold her, but it’s awkward with the center console between us. “Diane isn’t worth your tears, babe. Trust me.”
“I know, I know. This isn’t about Diane.” She hiccups. “I don’t know how to tell you this. It’s just so—freaking weird, and you’re probably not going to believe me.”
“I will believe you, no matter what. Do you understand?” I slip my fingers beneath her chin to tilt her face up and her gaze meets mine. “You can tell me anything, I swear.”
Her face is blotchy and her eyes are red. She rubs her tears away and then closes her eyes, like she can’t look at me. “It is the craziest thing ever.”
Unease slips down my spine and my heart is racing. “Just spit it out, Jens. What’s going on?”
“A man just walked into your father’s house, right when I was walking out. He looked right at me and winked, and I know he recognized me. He had to.” She opens her eyes, shuddering. “I know him, Rhett.”
She’s talking about my uncle. There’s no one else who walked into the house only a few minutes ago. “Who is he to you?” I ask.
“You’re never going to believe me.”
“I already said I would. Tell me, Jensen.” The words come out sharper than I meant, but that’s because I can take the suspense for only so long.
“He’s the one—the one who attacked me that night at City Lights.” Her eyes are wide as she stares up at me, and my head starts to spin. “He’s Greg, Rhett. The man who tried to rape me just walked into your father’s house.”