This was my chance. My chance to show him the trust I’d denied him. The trust he’d deserved that I’d felt he hadn’t. How could I say no and expect us to ever have a fighting chance?

I didn’t want to, I didn’t like it, but it was necessary. “Okay,” I agreed.

That grin I hadn’t seen on his face in so long I thought had disappeared for good appeared. “I’ll be right out,” he said. “Could you send Holly in? She’s waiting in the hallway and I think she’s going to want to see this.”

Trust. Trust. Trust. “Okay. I’ll wait outside,” I said. “Don’t keep me waiting too long.” Heading for the door, I smoothed my dress back into place, trying to do the same with my hair.

Propped against the wall, Holly had obviously been placed there to make sure no one tried to interrupt Jude and the ass beating he dealt Sawyer.

Her eyes ran down me, her face shadowing. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” I answered, coming up to her. “Jude’s asking for you in there.”

She nodded, shoving off the wall. Turning to me, her hands found mine. “Are you all right?” she asked again as a silent exchange took place between us. On a very base level, I got it, I got her, and she got me too. We were like the sisterhood of girls Sawyer preyed on and, although it wasn’t a common denominator to be proud of, it was a bond to be proud of.

“Yes,” I answered, looking her in the eye.

Giving my hands a squeeze, she headed for the bedroom. “You are one tough cookie, Lucy Larson,” she said, looking down at me from the doorway. “I get what Jude sees in you.”

Going against every urge to run back into that room, I didn’t. I hadn’t trusted Jude, I hadn’t given him the benefit of the doubt before. I would now.

I earned a few sideways looks from a couple of girls sitting at the top of the stairs, but the second floor was mostly empty. Either the party was winding down or Holly knew how to redirect traffic.

Fiddling with the conundrum that was the dress I had on to pass time, I gave up. No amount of tugging and smoothing would magically create more fabric to cover the parts of my body I preferred to keep covered, and it looked like I owed Taylor a new dress because, thanks to Sawyer, it had a slit up front to match the one on the back.

Another minute went by and I assured myself everything was fine because no blood-curdling screams or gunshots had gone off in the room down the hall, but I was still anxious as all hell. So I grounded some of that nervous energy by pacing the hallway like a caged lioness.

On my fifth turn at the stairs, Jude and Holly marched out of Sawyer’s room, Jude’s expression unreadable, but Holly smiled to herself.

“Is everything all right?” I asked, rushing down the hall to meet them.

Jude glanced over at Holly. “It is now,” he said, opening his arms for me. I curled into him, feeling like parts of me were melting into him. Six months of not feeling right went up in smoke.

“What happened?” I asked against his chest.

“Vindication,” Holly answered, patting her oversized tote. “I’m out of here. I’ve done what I came to do and mom’s going to be pissed if I stay out all night.”

“We are too,” Jude said, tucking me under his arm and steering us towards the stairs. “I need to get Luce home.”

“Wait,” I stopped. “I drove with Taylor. I’m her DD tonight.”

Jude groaned. “Hey, Holl, you mind hunting down Taylor Donovan and giving her a ride home?”

Her face twisted. “If you’re referring to the woman who called me every name in the female book of cattiness, then yes, I do mind,” Holly called back at us, winding down the stairs. “But since you’re the one asking, I’ll put on my big girl, very not bitter panties and drive the bitch home. I’m not walking her to the front door though.”

“You’re a saint,” Jude said, guiding me down the stairs, shoving a guy who almost spilled his beer on me to the side.

“Has anyone seen a raving bitch with nice hair?” Holly shouted at the bottom of the stairs.

Everyone who heard her pointed a different direction.

“Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me,” she said, diving into the crowd. “See you guys later.”

“Hey, Hol!” Jude shouted after her.

She peeked back, almost out of view.

“My compliments on your handiwork up there.”

She flashed us a rock on sign and disappeared into the crowd.

“Come on,” Jude said, keeping me close, “let’s get you out of here.”

Walking out the front door, I realized I’d never been to such a one wrong thing after another party, but as Jude led me down the stairs, I also knew I was glad I came. Slut-tastic dress, awkwardly enlightening conversation with Holly, and Sawyer trying to take advantage of me aside, I had Jude beside me, holding my hand like he was never going to let it go again.

I’d endure a lot worse to hold this hand.

“So what handiwork were you referring to back there?” I asked, pulling Taylor’s keys from my purse.

He didn’t answer.

“Oh, God. How bad is it?” I wouldn’t even let my imagination go.

“Nothing less than he deserved,” Jude said, opening the passenger door for me and taking the keys. “She just put a warning label on him.” He shut the door and took his sweet time coming around the front of the car.