Page 123 of Truck Up
“Then who did this to my daughter?” Dad yells.
I close my eyes and gather up every ounce of strength inside me before I let the truth out.
“Badger.” The name escapes my lips, a mere breath, but it’s enough to shatter the silence, all eyes turning toward me, a collective gasp escaping their lips.
Linden’s knees buckle beneath him, his body crumpling to the floor. He looks utterly defeated, his face a mask of pain, a vulnerability I’ve never witnessed before. This is going to hurt them all, I know it. The fallout from this revelation will leave scars that may never heal.
“I’m going to need more context,” Linden says as tears prick the corner of his eyes. He fights it back, but there’s no denying the sadness that overwhelms him.
Watching Linden crumble before me is agonizing. My brother, the invincible, the one who always wore his emotions like armor, is broken, his facade shattered. I’ve never seen him like this—this raw and vulnerable—and the sight of his pain tears at my heart. I fear my truth may destroy him.
Tears stream down my face, blurring the already chaotic scene. I take a shaky breath, the sobs threatening to consume me. I have to say it, to release this burden that has been crushing me for years. I need to tell the truth, and then I can lock it away again, bury it deep within the recesses of my mind, where it can no longer hurt anyone.
“It was late.” My voice is shaky, but I push through. “It was karaoke night at the bar. Nova and Hadley had already left. I hung around a while longer with Clara and a few of the teachers at the school. I hardly ever do that, but we were having so much fun singing.”
“How long ago was this?” Nova asks. “I don’t remember.”
“Two years, three months, and three days,” I say without hesitation. I close my eyes because I hate that I recall the exact number of days since Badger assaulted me.
“Jesus fucking Christ.” Linden rubs his hands over his face before he looks at me again. “What the hell did he do to you?”
I reach out and take Linden’s hand. I squeeze it as much for him as I do for myself. Getting this story out will not be easy. “They had just announced last-call. I didn’t realize how late it had gotten, so I said my goodbyes and headed out.”
I drop my head and take a deep breath. “He was waiting by my car.”
“Badger?” Linden whispers.
I nod, unable to hold back my tears as I’m forced to relive that terrifying night. “At first, I thought nothing of it. I’ve known Badger all my life, and he had never hurt me. Annoyed me? Yes. But not hurt me. As I got closer, I felt uneasy, almost threatened. There was a look in his eyes that I had never noticed before. Wild and dangerous.”
Tears stream down my face, blurring the room around me. The memories, long buried, rise to the surface, each one a searing, agonizing reminder of the pain he inflicted. I’ve spent so long building walls around these memories, burying them deep. Exposing the raw wounds, and the pain is almost unbearable. But it’s necessary. This is the only way to make them understand.
“He was leaning against the driver’s side door with this disgusting smirk on his face. When I asked him to move, he said no. He said he was tired of waiting for me and that he was taking what was his. I tried laughing it off, treating it like it was some sort of joke, but that only made him angrier. He charged me. Pushed me to the ground and ripped my clothes.”
My throat tightens, and my tears stream down my face. Reliving this is too much, and I fall apart. My shoulders shake and my sob breaks free.
Linden lunges forward and wraps me in a safe embrace. “Fuck, Lia. Did he … you know?”
He doesn’t want to say the words, and I can’t say I blame him. That night could have gone differently if Christian hadn’t showed up.
I shake my head. “I screamed. So loud. Christian was heading toward his bike and he heard me. Badger violated me in other ways, but Christian stopped him before he—”
Even I can’t say the word out loud. I was so close to being raped that night. One more minute—one more breath—it might have been too late. That thought alone is enough to cause me to spiral.
Linden lets me go and steps back. “He’s a dead man.”
My gaze meets my dad’s, and the sight of his grief shatters me. Tears stream down his face, each one a silent apology. My mother’s sobs are muffled, but the raw pain in her voice is undeniable. My brothers pace like caged animals, their faces a terrifying mixture of anger and horror.
My friends wrap their arms around me, a warm, protective cocoon against the storm of emotions threatening to consume us all.
“Fuck!” Tanner shoves his hands into his hair. “And to think we’ve been pushing you to marry him.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Dad asks as he falls to his knees before me.
“I was scared, and I didn’t think you’d believe me.” I cry. “You love Badger like he’s family.”
Dad takes my hand and pulls me into a tight hug. “You’re my daughter. I’ll always believe you.”
I look up at my dad and cup his cheek, doubt threatening to take over. “Then believe me when I tell you Christian is a good man. He saved me from a horrible fate, and he’s kept me safe from Badger ever since.”