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“I’ve got you, Eli,” he ot you”

I wished Jace would stop talking, but he continued “Eli, he drugged you”

It tookseconds to process what Jace had said I turned my head on Mav’s chest so I could see the other man “What?”

“There was a serator in it, do you remember?” Jace asked

I nodded “That’s where he got the beers from”

“The security ca in one of the bottles after he opened it and before he handed it to you He did it to the second beer too”

I straightened and wiped at my face “I saw the video…he tried to stop me from…”

Jace shook his head “My guess is the video he showed you was one he edited toDid the video you saw have sound?”

“No”

Jace pointed to the flash drive in Mav’s hand “The real video has sound And you are clearly saying no from the moment he first touches you”

Logically, I understood what Jace was tellingwith this new reality came a worse one I’d made so many decisions based on that one video…on those few seconds of seeing myself seduce my mother’s husband and the friend of the one man I admired above all others

This time when the bile crawled upit and I ran to the bathrooain until my stomach was empty My throat ached as tears streamed down my face A washcloth was passed over my face and then a plastic cup of water was handed to me I rinsed and spit the water out in the toilet, but I couldn’t find the strength to stand Mav was kneeling in front of me, his eyes heavy with concern

“He rapedain in disbelief and then I just let go

Couished sobs that tore from my throat as I absorbed the truth about what had really happened that night and the path of destruction through my life that had followed Every time I’d let Jack touch me after that had been because I’d believed his lies…