The Step Brother

24. Results.

Willow

The next morning, she awakes first. Her eyes feel puffy and her nose is raw. Jace barely notices her getting up. He rolls onto his side, his back to her, into a deeper sleep. She gets to her feet and checks herself in the mirror. At least she doesn't look as bad as she feels.

She goes for her phone. If it was up to her, she'd probably have a Lock Screen of Jace. Instead, it's a picture she snapped of a sunset back home. Only she knows that Jace was at her side, his hand on her thigh, when she took it. She taps her password in and sees a voicemail from the doctor. Sorry we missed your call, please call back at, you can also log in through the client portal, blah blah blah. She also received a text message with a direct link and her login, thank god. A dangerous amount of Xanax was found in her system. It must've been the beer. The rape kit came back negative, which is a huge relief. They also wrote a prescription for some strong over the counter ibuprofen for her ankle.

She sinks down onto the bed, thinking it may have disappeared beneath her, dropping the phone into the comforter. Tears fill her eyes once more but this time they're happy tears. She's relieved. The worst could have happened and she's okay. She got so incredibly lucky and fortunate.

With a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, she falls back into bed, lifting the blankets as she curls her body into the man she loves. Her arms wrap around him and he makes a soft, comforting noise. In his sleep, as the little spoon, his hand moves to his chest where her hand is, he gives it a gentle squeeze before letting it go. Only seconds later is it followed by a light snore.

After some time, she goes to get them some breakfast while he continues sleeping. She heads towards the library where there's a Blue Java cafe. She's halfway there when she runs into Brooke.

"Willow!"

"Brooke." Willow stops in her tracks to talk to her friend.

"Listen, I'm so sorry about the other night. I shouldn't have lied to you. I hope you know I had the best of intentions." Brooke flashes that smile of hers that doesn't seem as trustworthy as it used to. "Where'd you run off to that night anyways? You were there and then you weren't."

"Oh yeah," Will blinks. "I pretty much blacked out. I don't remember anything and I woke up in some guy's bed. I went to the ER and did all the tests but thank—"

"Wait, what?" Brooke's amused. "No. Willow. Dude."

She starts laughing, which is one of the last things Will expects her to do. She barely manages to say in between chuckles, "It was just Xanax. I assumed you of all people would have already tried it. And if you haven't, I'd definitely recommend it."

Not only has one of her only friends here just admitted to lacing her drink, basically causing her the worst day of her life, but she's also insulting her by saying she should probably be on Xanax. And sure, it's true. Will would benefit from a chill pill. But there's a time and a place to say these things.

"Yesterday I woke up in a strangers bed with a sprained ankle and no memory of the night before. Do you understand how traumatic something like that is?" Will scoffs. "And it's not even just that. I wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place had you not lied about the get together at the library."

Brooke stops laughing, assessing the disappointed look on Will's face. She rolls her eyes. "Of course you wouldn't have been there if I hadn't lied. It would've been another night of you locking yourself up in your dorm. So relax, okay?"

Will shakes her head. There's a lot of things that she wants to say. But more than anything, she wants to get back to Jace. If he weren't waiting back at her dorm, she'd be happy to argue with Brooke in the middle of campus. She knows she's not in the wrong on this. "Whatever. I'm not going to be friends with a Brock Turner apologist. See you later, Brooke."