Beg You to Trust Me (Lindon U #2)(108)

Serena rolls her eyes and settles beside me in my bed. “Then why did you want Anthony to bring you so badly a week ago when you realized it was coming out?”

Our oldest sister just scowls.

I smile a little, fiddling with the throw blanket draped over me.

“We need to talk,” Sienna declares.

Three sets of nearly identical blue eyes focus on me, pinning me to my spot.

“Guys, I don’t—”

Serenity stops me with a single look. “Skylar, you’ve been a mess for weeks. You’ve lost weight since starting at Lindon. You’re pale. Your eyes…”

“They lost their light,” Serena says sadly.

“And you’re on, like, your second dose of antibiotics since you ignored us about going to the doctors when we first told you to.”

I wince at the jab. I hadn’t wanted to go back to the clinic in Bridgeport after the first time, so I went to the one on campus. All they told me was that it looked like I had a throat infection and needed proper medication, but they couldn’t write me a prescription. Finals were kicking my ass and I didn’t have a lot of free time to go anywhere in between studying and trying to get in some sleep. Olive was in the same boat as I was, so asking her to take more time out of her day for me wasn’t fair to her.

And asking Danny wasn’t an option, even if I briefly considered it when even drinking water hurt.

Serena takes my hand in hers. “I know you weren’t telling me the whole story when you called me crying. Please tell us what’s going on. We’re getting really worried about you.”

Even Sienna is showing a semblance of concern, which isn’t common. She and Serenity are good at keeping their feelings hidden. It used to bother Mom growing up because she could never tell what was on their minds.

But the truth is, they probably have a right to be worried. I’ve lost two clothing sizes to the point very few pieces of my wardrobe fit me properly. My tan has been gone for a while now, and even though my skin is fair, I’ve looked peeked. Professor Albertson took me aside after I handed in my math final and asked if I was feeling all right.

“Mom doesn’t think you should go back,” Serenity informs me, making me gape. “She says she’s watching her baby girl vanish in front of her eyes, and no college education is worth that.”

The other two nod grimly.

“She…said that?”

More nodding.

I swallow.

Serena squeezes my hand. “It seems like whatever is going on there has more to do with just Rebecca and the other girls. What she said was horrible—”

“And I’m still salty I didn’t find her little punk ass while I was there,” Serenity grumbles.

Serena rolls her eyes. “We just want to know what you haven’t told us. You know we’re here for you.”

“Always,” Sienna vows.

Serenity dips her head once in confirmation, making the tears I’d managed to keep at bay reappear.

I stare down at my sister’s hand before glancing the other two waiting for me to reply. “I did something stupid…” I start with.

They sit.

They listen.

They stare.

And by the time I’m finished talking, I’m not the only one crying.

The oldest Allen sibling leans forward and takes my other hand. “Skylar, you need to make a formal report with the police.”

My eyes widen in fear.

“And we need to tell Mom and Dad,” Serena sniffles, wiping at her cheeks with the back of her hand.

I quickly start shaking my head, but Serenity doesn’t let me speak. “I need you to listen to me, Sky. If you were drinking as much as you said you were, there was no way for you to properly consent to sex. Do you understand me?”

Hot tears pour down my cheeks. “I wasn’t—” My jaw quivers. “That’s not what happened to me, Serenity.”

Sienna puts her hand over the one Serena has on me. “Sky Sister, Serenity is right. You may not remember telling him no, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t. If you were that drunk, he shouldn’t have done anything with you at all.”

The lawyer in our family sighs lightly. “I know you don’t want to hear this,” she reasons. “But I’ve had to study a lot of cases like this, especially cases from college campuses. Sienna is right. You couldn’t consent to anything. You were too inebriated to make a choice like that. What he did was wrong, and I do not want you to put that blame on yourself anymore.”

“But I was the one drinking. I followed him upstairs—”

Serenity grips my shoulders, pinning my blurry glazed eyes with hers. “You. Were. Drunk. And from what little you do remember tells me he was sober enough to con you into doing things you shouldn’t have agreed to. If you really agreed. Guys like that are pieces of shit because they do it for the power. They want to control every aspect of a situation by handing women drinks and encouraging them to do whatever they want. You have to talk to the campus police.”

“I don’t know who it was.”

“Are you sure about that?” she asks, one of her plucked brows raised. “Because it seems to me like deep down you do. I understand why you freaked out the day you showed Daniel the room. Anybody in your position would have because it’s a lot to take in. But he may be onto something with this Ricky guy. You don’t know.”