“Kinsey…” He drew in a deep breath and minutely shook his head. “Just watch. Please.”
I sighed and pressed play. Onscreen, George put the mug down and leaned over the bed. Then he muttered something I couldn’t quite catch and began to peel the thick blankets back, slowly exposing my body.
My heart hammered in my chest as I took it all in. What the hell was he doing? And why wasn’t I waking up? I was usually a very light sleeper, so it didn’t make sense that I was lying there with my eyes closed despite all the noise and movement around me.
“Jax… what is this?” I asked in a low voice.
He didn’t reply. Just sat there and stared down at the screen with his jaw clenched.
I swallowed hard and kept watching the video. With every second that passed, a new wave of horror crashed over me. George was…no. He couldn’t be. This was a mistake. A huge, horrible mistake.
I shook my head quickly. Too quickly. “This didn’t happen,” I whispered, overwhelmed by the sudden dizziness. “It’s not real.”
“It is,” Jax said quietly.
Panic and fear gripped my stomach like cold, skeletal hands. I gritted my teeth. “No, it’s not. It can’t be.”
The video was a cruel deepfake, designed to make me run away from this town as fast as my legs could take me. It had to be.
Jax’s voice hardened. “It’s real, Kinsey. I swear. This is what my dad has been doing every night for the last two weeks.”
“No.” I dropped the phone on the floor with a clatter, vehemently shaking my head again. “It’s not possible! You… you made this up!”
“Kinsey, please.” Jax took hold of my left arm and met my eyes. “I know it’s a huge shock, but I swear, it’s real. I’m not trying to hurt you. I just wanted you to know the truth.”
Deep down, a terrible understanding was slowly dawning on me. The videowasreal. Even Jax wouldn’t be sick enough to fake this.
“I don’t understand,” I whispered. I could feel the blood draining from my face. “How could this happen?”
“I think he’s been drugging your drinks at night so you won’t wake up. That’s probably why he checked the mug when he came in. He wanted to make sure you finished it all.”
I was coming apart. A rope breaking, a single strand at a time. “Did he…”
“No.” Jax firmly shook his head. “He didn’t do that. But it’s still bad, Kinsey. Really fucking bad.”
“What…” My voice broke again. It felt like I was suffocating on my shock and revulsion. I coughed to clear my throat and wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. “What exactly did he do to me, Jax?”
“It’s probably better if you just finish watching it yourself,” he said softly, leaning down to retrieve the phone from the carpet.
“I can’t.” My whole body was trembling now. “Just tell me. Please.”
Jax scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “He touched you everywhere. Jerked off on you.”
“Oh my god.” I jumped up, suddenly feeling the need to scrub myself for hours. Burn my skin off with acid. “No, no, no….”
Jax rose to his feet too. “I’m so sorry, Kinsey,” he muttered, pulling me close. “I’m going to help you with this. I’ll do anything you want.”
I held myself rigid in Jax’s arms, rejecting his touch. “Stop,” I said sharply. “Get away from me.”
He pulled back and raised his palms, eyes wide with contrition. “Fuck. Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
I swallowed thickly and stared up at him, chest heaving. “Get out of my room.”
Jax frowned and shook his head. “Kinsey, I just want to help you. I’m going to do whatever I can to make this right. I swear.”
“Bullshit!” I shoved him in the chest as tears welled in my eyes again. “Do you really expect me to believe that you’re going to betray your dad and helpme? After everything you’ve done to me?”
“Kinsey, I—”