Page 106 of Commit

I grip my phone tightly and slide my bag over my shoulder. “Well, if you move your asses, I’ll get out of your hair.”

Claire holds her hand out to Demi, who pulls out a baseball bat from behind her back. A wave of fear works its way through me, but I hold myself steady and wait for her next move.

“We don’t want you to come back. If you’re gone, Abbot will come back. I guess it’s time for me to step up and take out the trash.”

“Fucking hell, get over yourself. This is high school, not the fucking mafia. What? You’re going to attack me in broad daylight and think you’ll get away with it. Are you insane?”

Demi and Kim give each other a nervous look, but they keep quiet.

“That’s the difference between you and me. No one’s gonna snitch on me. They like me. I bet you wish you could say the same. But oh well, it’s too late now.”

She raises the bat as she steps closer.

I back up, pulling my bag in front of me like a shield. “Kim, Demi, talk some fucking sense into her before you all end up in jail.”

“Claire, maybe we should?—”

“Shut the fuck up, Kim, unless you want me to use this on you.”

Kim takes a step back and looks away.

Guess I’m on my own.

As Claire swings, I duck and throw my bag at her. I shove past her, only to be grabbed by Demi.

“Let me go!” I scream in her face just before the bat slams into my shoulder blades, dropping me to my knees.

My phone tumbles to the ground as Demi pushes me onto my back, just as the bat comes swinging down again. With no other options, I do the only thing I can: cover my head and curl up into a ball, making myself as small a target as possible.

I scream at the top of my lungs as the blows keep coming, hoping and praying that someone will hear me. But I purposely picked this restroom because it’s near the football players’ locker room and no one’s around.

A wave of dizziness washes over me, my whole-body throbbing in agony as my prayers go unanswered yet again.

I’m trying to find the strength to crawl under a stall door when I hear a roar of anger, and the blows stop.

“What the fuck?!”

“Hayden, it’s not what it looks like,” Claire coos, trying to sound all innocent.

But Hayden isn’t buying any of it. “John, Mac, grab her and take her next door.”

“No, you don’t understand. Abbot is?—”

“Not Starling, you stupid bitch. She isn’t responsible for him. Get her out of my sight. And take Kim and Demi with you. If I have to come find you, you’ll regret it.”

I hear crying and shuffling before gentle hands touch my arm. I jolt and try to roll away but cry out as the pain steals my breath.

“Oh Jesus, Starling. Fuck. Hold on and let me get some help.” Hayden’s voice is full of horror. Fuck knows what I must look like.

I reach out, ignoring the pain, and grab his wrist. “Hudson.”

“What?”

“Call Hudson. My phone… somewhere… on… the floor.”

“Okay, hold on for me while I look for it.”

I hear him moving around as I open my eyes and try to focus.