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Chapter Twenty Four

The moment that Trevor pulled up to the house, the door flew open. Mom and Kay ran down the stairs. Trevor got out and quickly opened my door.

Mom reached the car in no time flat.

"Brooke, are you okay?"

I had held back the tears on the ride home, but seeing mom broke me down. I started to bawl. Her arms went around me.

"Let's get you inside. We can talk in there. Shhhh. Shhh," mom comforted.

Even though she was blurry, I saw the horror on Kay's face. "Oh my god Brooke. Your dress."

"Kay," I blubbered. I couldn't speak; I couldn't tell her how stupid I was for not listening to her.

"It's okay," mom said. "Breathe honey." She twisted around and pointed at Trevor.

"I'd like you to come in too."

I stumbled my way inside. Tears and snot ran down my face.

Where was the damn paparazzi now?

"Where's dad?" I managed to ask. I hiccuped as I sat down on the couch.

"Your dad and Noah went out to find you," mom said.

Peyton swung out of the kitchen and stopped in her tracks.
"What happened?" she asked.

"Pey, go entertain Landon," mom said. She knelt down beside me.

"I called your dad as soon as I realized you were gone," Kay added. She hovered near me nervously. "I should have stopped you."

I shook my head.

"I should have listened to you," I said as I choked on a sob. "I'm so sorry for what I --"

"I gave you every reason to say what you said," Kay interrupted She sat beside me and hugged me tightly. "But for the record, I'd never do that to you. BFFs come before any boy."

I leaned into her. No one had a better best friend than I did. When all of my first round tears had faded, I glanced towards the door. Trevor was still hovering uncertaintly.

"You saved me," I said quietly. He shook his head. His nose was still bleeding badly. Mom noticed it.

"Kay, go get ---" mom hesitated. She had no idea who he was. The blood was making him look unrecognizable.

"Trevor," I said. Mom looked at me in surprise. Then she looked up at Kay.

"Go get Trevor an ice pack. Trevor, why don't you sit down?"

Trevor came over and sat down in dad's chair.

Mom picked at the torn fabric around my knee.

"Oh honey, you've got gravel in your knee," mom said. "I'm going to go get the first aid kit and call your dad. He's frantic." She stood up and headed towards the bathroom.

Kay came back with an ice pack. "Here you go," she said.

"Thank you," Trevor said. He pressed it against his face and winced.

"What happened to Donnie?" I asked with a sniffle.

"I hit him in the stomach when he wouldn't tell me where Garrett took you," Kay said. She sat back down beside me.

"Did he rape you?" she asked quietly. I shook my head no. Her arms went back around me.

"Your dad and Noah are on their way home," mom said as she came back into the room. She knelt down on the floor and opened the first aid kit. She worked quietly with the tweezers, pulling the stones out. I sucked air through my clenched teeth.

Dad burst into just as I started to scream. Mom had aimed the can of disinfectant right into my knee.

"BROOKE!"

Noah was right on dad's heels. They both skidded to a stop in the living room.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Time seemed to fly in reverse. I was lying on a wretched mattress practically drowning in my own sweat. Dad's face hovered above mine and all I could do was whisper...

"Daddy." The second wave of crying hit.

It was around this time that Nick saw Trevor.

"What the hell did you do to my daughter?" he snapped. I held out my hand.

"No."

It took me a good five minutes before I could talk, but I didn't want dad to go balistic on Trevor. He didn't deserve it. Garrett did.

"Trevor rescued me."

Trevor looked embarassed...or maybe it was just all the blood.

"Rescued you?" Dad said. He looked around. "Where's Garrett?"

"He locked me in his car and...he...he...tried to rape me," I said weakly. "I knee'd him, but he caught up with me when I took off..."

The third round of tears took over.

"He had her pinned down in a park on the other side of town," Trevor continued. "I tackled him and then rammed my head into his forehead. I split it open pretty well, but I got my nose in the process."

"We better call your parents," mom said. Kay was hugging me tightly and mom was squeezing my hand. Trevor shook his head.

"No, don't worry about it. I should g--"

"Where is he?" Noah asked. "Where's Garrett?" His tone of voice made me shiver. It was too calm and low.

"I don't know. He took off and I got Brooke and brought her home," Trevor said.

"Well, I'm going to track that motherfucker down. So help me god I will take up hunting. His head will be up on the goddamn wall by the time--"

"Nick, he's a teen."

"I know where he lives," Noah offered. They looked at each other.

"I should be going," Trevor said. I started to shake my head no, but in the commotion that dad and Noah began to raise, he managed to sneak out.

Mom tried to stop dad, but it was no use. Noah and dad left and all of a sudden it was just mom, Kay, and me.

"Brooke, let's get you out of all this. You should take a bath."

Kay helped me up and we all went up the stairs to mom and dad's master bath. Mom knelt down and started the water. Kay helped me with Trevor's hoodie. When she saw my top she gasped.

"Jesus Christ," she said. Mom turned and gasped.

I looked down. My chest was bruised badly.

I didn't have any more tears left.

"I shouldn't say it but I hope your dad does find him," mom said. Her voice was shaking. She was trying, but failing, to control the emotions that were bubbling forth. "Because if he doesn't, I will."

Kay helped me step into the water. Mom took my clothes and headed down the hall. Kay turned to leave, but I grabbed her wrist.

"I love you, Kay."

She smiled.

"I love you too, Brooke." She paused and knelt back down.

"I've had the same thing happen to me," she whispered. My eyes widened in surprise. "I'm just glad you had someone to save you."

Before I could ask her anything else, she stood up and left.

I sank into the water and closed my eyes. I kept replaying Kay's words -

Someone to save you. Someone to save you...

I couldn't begin to sort out the emotions involved with that.

I was too busy worrying. I worried about Trevor's nose. I worried that we were going to have to bail dad and Noah out of jail.

And I worried about having to show my face again at school.

Because, after all, what would happen when it came down to my word against Garrett's? And how many kids would be able to separate the real me from the sex-crazed girl the media had created?

The answer, I feared, was no one.