Chapter 3
Chapter 3: The Pictures
Steven’s arm tightened around Kayla’s shoulders.
“That’s ridiculous,” he said. “She falls at cheer practice. Tell them, Kayla.”
Kayla stared at the sink.
She said nothing.
Reese walked to the counter and picked up my phone. Her small fingers shook as she opened the photo roll.
There were pictures.
Kayla’s arm with finger-shaped bruises.
Her shoulder.
Her ribs.
Timestamps from nights I thought she was studying, mornings I thought she was just tired, afternoons when she wore hoodies in warm weather and told me she was cold.
My stomach dropped.
“Kayla,” I whispered. “Is this true?”
Steven’s polite smile disappeared.
“This is insane,” he said. “I spent hundreds on tonight. The limo, the tickets, everything.”
That was when I knew.
He was not scared for her.
He was angry about what he had paid for.
May you like
Reese lifted the pink recorder.
“I have more,” she said.
