Page 47 of Boys Who Hunt
How did I even get here?
Did … Max actually bring me to my apartment?
How did he get inside?
My whole body begins to shiver.
Fuck. I shouldn’t be here. It’s not safe.
“Did you buy the cereal?” Cora asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
“No … not yet.”
She pouts. “Aw…”
“But I will. I’ll get it for you today,” I say.
I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I will.
Cora’s eyes grow bigger. I didn’t even realize I had a shirt on until she points at it. Or that there’s a bloody stain near my pubic bone. “You’re bleeding!”
“Oh,” I mutter, swiftly taking off to the bathroom. “Don’t worry! Lemme just take care of this first.”
I take off the shirt and look at it with a frown. I haven’t worn this in ages.
How did I put this on? Did I even do this myself, or …?
A cold shiver runs up and down my spine.
There are red markings all over my skin.
I grab a towel, wet it under the faucet, and dab my skin until the blood is gone and the letters are clear.
THIEF.
That’s what’s now eternally etched into my skin, thanks to Silas Rivera, a vicious, demonic boy … And I gave him permission to do it, to defile me, use me, hurt me in any way he wanted.
All of it … just so I could keephersafe.
I look at the door as my hand balls into a fist.
“I will protect you,” I whisper softly so she can’t hear. “With every last shred of my dignity.”
“Are you okay?” I can hear her squeaky voice through the door, and it nearly breaks my heart in two.
“I’m fine.” I clear my throat and throw the shirt in the washing bin, then grab a fresh one from the bedroom closet. I reappear through the other door like a magician. “Tada. See? Fine.” I do a weird little dance to make her laugh.
“You’re so funny.” She dances with me and shows off. “See this? I learned this last night from that man.”
I freeze. “What man?”
She sheepishly looks at me. “The man who brought you home.”
“Max,” I mutter.
“Yeah!” She jumps up and down like his name alone makes her happy. “He taught me some cool moves before he left!”
“How did he come into the house?” I ask.