Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 73153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Kris huffed and walked out of the room, muttering under her breath. I shook my head when she disappeared around the corner. "Why do she and Emily expect me to come to their rescue every time something happens that they don't like?"
Mom smiled. "Because you're their big brother, and big brothers are supposed to be overprotective and make every boy that comes near his sisters run for their lives."
"That's so stupid.” I rolled my eyes.
Mom smiled. "That's how things normally work, honey." She patted my shoulder. "I've got to get up early in the morning and so do you. I'm heading to bed. Make sure you go to sleep at a decent hour."
I rolled my eyes at her but nodded anyway. Getting up from my seat, I leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Mom.”
She hugged me tightly. "Goodnight, Kaleb."
She walked upstairs, and I sighed, following behind her silently. After enduring school, football practice, and then that damned dinner, I didn't have the energy to dwell on anything that Mom talked to me about tonight.
Tracey could take care of herself. I really didn't think there was anything to worry about.
Until she didn't show up to school the rest of the week.
Chapter Five
TRACEY
Iclutched my head where it throbbed incessantly from the blow that I received about half a week ago. He wasn't happy that I had talked to Kaleb before I was given permission, even if he had wanted me to be Kaleb’s friend in the end anyway. He had been absolutely furious.
I stumbled, my blurry vision causing me to slam into some lockers next to me. I winced in pain as the sound only caused the throbbing in my head to worsen.
Fuck him for making me come to school the same day I came to consciousness.
"Tracey, are you okay? You look like shit."
I looked up at Kaleb. He easily towered over me. I jerked away from him, desperately needing to get some space between us. However, that was the wrong move since my head only began pounding harder, making my vision blur even more.
"Woah, calm down!” He quickly reached out to steady me, but it only made everything worse.
My breathing quickened, becoming labored, and I began panicking. Black spots danced in my vision when his hand landed on my shoulder to try to steady me. Tears spilled from my eyes, and my entire body began to quake in fear.
Please let me go.
KALEB
I wrapped my arms around Tracey, catching her before she collapsed to the floor. Lifting her up into my arms, I jogged to the nurse's office, ignoring the whispers and stares of everyone as they watched me rush Tracey to the front office. The office receptionist looked up when I stepped into the room. A gasp left her lips, and she lurched from her chair before running to the nurse's door, swinging it open for me.
I thanked her as I stepped past her into the room. The nurse looked up at my entrance, and she stood to her feet. "Put her on the cot. What happened?" I gently laid Tracey down as she began to don gloves.
I shrugged after I stood back up to my full height. "I don't know what happened.” Mom’s words chose that moment to ring through my head. Worry slid through me. Did Tracey’s parents do this? Was this the reason she was out all week?
“She fell against some lockers, and she was holding her head. I asked her if she was okay, and she tried running away, but she stumbled. I touched her to steady her, and she began having a panic attack and passed out, I guess. It all happened really fast." I pushed my fingers through my hair.
"Where was she holding her head, Kaleb?" Her voice remained calm and soothing, helping me think and not freak out.
Had her parents hurt her?
I laid my hand where Tracey had been clutching at, and I quickly yanked it back when something wet stuck to my hand. I looked down and clenched my jaw at the blood covering my hand. The nurse's eyes widened, and she pointed to the door. "You need to leave, now. This is serious. I have to get her to the hospital and contact her parents."
Mom's words rang in my head louder than ever about her possibly being abused. It was like a red alarm.
I couldn’t allow her to call her parents.
I frantically shook my head at the nurse, desperately hoping she would listen to me. "You can't call her parents, Mrs. Williams."
She eyed me cautiously but shook her head a second later, her gaze moving down to Tracey’s still and pale form. "Do you think her parents had something to do with this injury?" It was as if she was afraid of knowing the answer.
No one ever wanted to find out one of their students was being abused. Hell, I never wanted to know a peer was being mistreated, and the thought of Tracey being subjected to any kind of abuse made me sick to my stomach.