Chapter 3

We were cruising down the highway on our way home when my phone started ringing. It was Atticus. I just treated it like another spam call and let it go unanswered.

Bennett kept his eyes on the road, totally oblivious.

The conversation circled back to the dinner party earlier. I finally couldn't help myself and asked, a bit uncertain, "Bennett, how did Atticus and Sophia meet?"

Bennett got lost in his memories. "Sophia was always Atticus's first crush. He's stayed single all these years, just hoping she'd come back to him.

"Back in high school, he even got himself a disciplinary record for her. Sophia was working at a restaurant, and a customer started messing with her. Atticus grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it right over the guy's head."

He added, "He ended up breaking the guy's ribs, got his own leg broken in the scuffle, and both of them wound up at the police station.

"Atticus was just a kid, so his folks had to shell out some cash to smooth things over. But since he ditched school that day, the school still slapped him with a disciplinary record.

"But honestly, I only heard about it. Back then, I wasn't even at his school. Weren't you off at that summer camp? No wonder you never heard about it."

The moment Bennett finished talking, my heart, which was already at its lowest, felt like it was plunging into an abyss all over again.

Was that really how it happened? Back when I was at that summer camp, the camp had taken us to a campsite at a popular local tourist spot.

That night, a few workers from a nearby construction site snuck into our campsite.

I still couldn't forget the feeling of those rough, calloused hands grabbing my thigh, gross and sticky, like a nightmare that clung to my bones.

Screams erupted all around. I wasn't the only victim that night. The other girls' parents rushed over, shouting and demanding someone take responsibility.

My parents were overseas at the time. Bennett was staying in the dorms and couldn't make it in time. I didn't dare reach out to Atticus's parents, either. The only person I could think of was Atticus.

My hands were shaking as I dialed his number. I thought he'd drop everything and come running to help me.

But on the phone, he just sounded vague and distant. "I'm tied up with something right now. Can you wait by yourself for a bit? Tomorrow morning, you'll see me, I promise."

"Okay," I replied softly, barely able to hide my disappointment.

The school put us up in a hotel for the night.

That night, I couldn't sleep at all. Whenever I closed my eyes, all I could smell was that greasy, smoky odor those men left behind.

The next morning, Atticus showed up at my hotel room door, looking exhausted with dark circles under his eyes.

I finally broke down and threw myself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Atticus nearly stumbled, sighed in exasperation, but there was a hint of affection in his voice. "Hey, Abigail, I'm here now, aren't I? Why are you still bawling your eyes out?"

After I finally stopped crying, it hit me that he was standing there with a crutch. He said it was a basketball injury. He'd slipped past the hospital nurses and rushed over here for me.

I was overwhelmed with guilt and sadness. I reached out and gently touched his injured leg, feeling a pang of worry for him.

"Does it still hurt?" I asked quietly. "I'm sorry. I had no idea."

Atticus gave a playful grin, joking around to lighten things up. "It hurts. Maybe if you kiss it better, it'll stop hurting."

But as soon as he said it, he was stunned. Because I really did stand on my tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his jawline.

After I kissed him, my face burned with embarrassment, and I tried to slip away, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me straight into his embrace.

Atticus's breathing was heavy, his voice suddenly hoarse and shaky, like he was fighting to keep control of himself.

He gritted his teeth, spitting out each word with barely restrained intensity. "Abigail, kisses are supposed to be initiated by the guy."

"Oh," I mumbled. Honestly, my mind was already a total blank.

"Why are you crying?" Bennett's anxious voice jerked me back to reality.

He looked like he was about to slam on the brakes, but I grabbed some tissues and wiped at my face. I blurted out some random excuse. "I got emotional over Atticus and Sophia's romance."

Bennett looked at me, half amused, half exasperated. "You girls are so soft-hearted. Seriously, is it that easy for you to get all emotional?" he teased.

He was about to say something else when his phone started buzzing. The screen lit up with Atticus's name.

I quickly turned my face to the window, afraid Bennett would catch the look on my face.

Atticus's deep voice came through the car speakers, tinged with an inexplicable anger. "Bennett, do you know where Abigail went?"