Nero(82)

Lucca flipped his lighter shut with a hard snap. “She’s fine.”

Nero looked at Amo, unable to hide the way he felt about pushing Chloe too far. He wondered if he should let her stop and just be satisfied with everything she had given him already.

No. “Tell me.” This time, he spoke a little harsher.

Lucca started back with the flicker of light. He moved it through his hands, starting and stopping the flame with a different finger from each trick he did.

Chloe moved the picture to uncover the one beneath it again. She returned to her numbness. “Cassandra started talking to me right when school started. She was popular, and I just wanted to fit in. She started saying mean things to people, and I would just sit there and listen to her. I felt bad and wanted to say something, but I didn’t because I was afraid she would start picking on me.”

Chloe took a deep breath. “One day, we were in the locker room and she gave me a pair of scissors. She said something to Elle about her father, and for the first time, I heard someone talk back to her. Elle started to walk away when Cassandra, Stacy, and Stephanie pinned her to the ground, hitting her head. When Cassandra asked me to hand her the scissors, I didn’t want to, but Cassandra asked me if I wanted to end up like her, so I gave them to her. She was jealous of Elle’s hair, so she cut it all off. That was the first time Elle and I ever met.”

Nero took a breath. He was disappointed in Chloe, but he understood the pressure of high school. He had known there was a reason why Elle had short hair after so many years of not cutting it, but that didn’t explain the picture of Elle clearly beaten to a pulp.

“What happened to her, Chloe?”

“C-Cassandra, Stacy, and Stephanie wanted to smoke behind the school with Sebastian during lunch. W-we met Elle on our way, and Cassandra told him she had talked back to her in the locker room. Sebastian dragged her outside and they all started kicking her and beating her.” Chloe started digging her nails in her hands.

Nero started to get sick. He noticed Amo and Vincent were having a hard time, as well. He knew that wasn’t all of it, though. There was something she didn’t want to tell.

“Finish the story.”

Chloe dug in a little more. “I-I was scared and just stood there. When they were done, they started to walk away, but Sebastian noticed I hadn’t joined in. He t-t-told me…He told me I better kick her.” Chloe removed her eyes from the flame and looked at the photo. “They had taken a picture of her and gave it to her later as a reminder. When I walked up to her and saw her like that, I couldn’t do it. Elle saw that I wasn’t going to, so she mouthed for me to kick her, and I heard her say it didn’t hurt anymore.” Chloe looked up at Nero. “I kicked her hard enough to make Sebastian happy so they would leave. When I looked at her eyes, she begged me to go with them, so I did. I don’t know why she cared about what they would do to me if I didn’t because I didn’t care about her enough to stand up for her.”

Nero took a long, deep breath, unable to look at Chloe any longer. He hated what she had done to Elle, but he knew Chloe had already clearly suffered. He figured her suffering was what had brought them together, yet that was a story Chloe wouldn’t be able to tell.

Nero watched Lucca pick the book up and flip through the pages himself.

Lucca looked up at Chloe. “How come you were never hurt?”

“W-what?” Chloe looked back at him.

Lucca slammed the book closed. “Why did they only ever hurt Elle?”

Chloe bit her lip. “She wouldn’t ever let them touch me. If-if they tried, Elle would do something to make them hit her instead.”

“That’s enough. You can go.” Nero stood and turned his back to her, walking to the rail of the gazebo to hold him up. She works so she can go to school and get the shit beat out of her just so Chloe doesn’t get hurt.

While Chloe solemnly stood and left the gazebo, Nero was on the verge of losing his mind. He’d found out everything he had wanted to know. Sebastian had done the most gruesome things to her over the years. He’s going to fucking die. Cassandra and everyone else who had witnessed or done something to her were all going to get what they deserved, as well, but right now, Sebastian was his main priority. It’s taking everything in me not to fucking go out and get even right now.

When Chloe had gone through the back door to leave, Nero turned around and saw the same battle in Amo and Vincent’s eyes.

Vincent stood. “How in the fuck is she still sane or alive? Please tell me we start tonight.”

Nero’s hands wanted retribution, but his mind hesitated. “Go home. I’ll call you if I decide to do anything.”