𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 (j.foley)

𝚃𝚊𝚙𝚎 𝟼, 𝚂𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝙱

She goes to answer but she gets interrupted by a policeman knocking their door and handing Clay his subpoena. Things were starting to get more real.

"Here we are. Tape 12. If you listened this far and haven't heard your name, well, I bet you know exactly what's coming now. Or maybe you don't have any idea. Could that be true? Could a person be that sick? Let's find out. But first we have to start at the beginning of the worse day of my life."

***

Jessica inhales sharply when she notices Justin sitting on her desk chair in her room, she was just entering from being downstairs. Justin knows that he needed to talk to her about what happened last night, but also everything that's happened with him and Grace. She deserves to know the truth. Finally after months of confusion.

"Jesus," She curses, practically jumping out of her skin. "What the hell, Justin?"

"I'm sorry. I needed to see you." Justin says in response, his whole body shaking with nerves, not knowing how she's going to react.

"I'm gonna scream." She warns.

"I texted and I called."

"I'm gonna call the police."

"Jess, please," Justin stands up from his seat quickly when Jess steps the leave the room. "I was trying to protect you." He adds loudly.

"Protect me? Seriously?" Jess scoffs, closing the door harshly and stepping closer to him.

"I thought that if you didn't know, if no one found out—"

"What? I'd be fine? I'd go about my life? You and I would get married and live happily ever after?" Jessica snaps emotionally, interrupting his words and Justin looks down at the ground in guilt. "You let him. You let him."

"No, I'm was drunk. And I was scared." Justin states with a sigh, trying to make it easier for them but they both know that no matter what he says, there was no excuse for what he did.

"So was I!"

"It's just that... every time I was thrown out, when my mom was fucked up, one of her boyfriends was fucking with me... he was there for me." He tries to explain to the girl, who stares at him blankly. "When I had no money, when I was starving, his folks bought me shit for school. Okay, when my mom was busted for possession, he got his dad to bail her out."

"They do that shit so they can own you." Jess says with a scoff.

"No." Justin states, almost angrily and paces around the room. "Okay? Last year, I couldn't afford new shoes for basketball. I went through like four pairs that season. When we got to playoffs, they just had, like, holes. Bryce didn't offer to buy me new shoes. He pretended like he had an extra pair."

"Justin." She stops him, staring at him with a disbelief expression. "Are you seriously trying to make excuses for what you did?"

Justin is silent for a little while before answering sadly, "No. I just want you to understand—"

"And I want you to understand what it's like to be raped." Jess retaliates, stepping forward angrily. "But I truly hope you never will. Is that all?"

"No." He once again looks away in guilt, knowing that this part has also been coming for a while. He doesn't know whether to just spit it out or say it lightly. "Something else happened. Something between me and—"