There was something incredibly bittersweet in touching down in Vegas again. Mom had promised to check herself into rehab, and I'd spent two hours this morning helping her fill out paperwork, but something about the avoidance of eye contact told me there was no use in hoping. The second she was back out and able to get her hands on drugs, she probably would.

Jonathan had been a huge crutch the entire flight back home. He'd asked me to tell him about Erin so I wouldn't focus on my mother or Adrian Harvey stalking the halls of my old high school in search of his next victim. Jeremiah had been silent, so eerie quiet the last twelve hours I'd occasionally forget he was with us. Once Dad had parked his Range Rover in the garage, my brother and Jere hopped out, but neither made the bolt for the front door as I'd expected. They'd stopped mid-step in the middle of the front lawn, eyes trained on something in the distance. It wasn't until I climbed out of the backseat that I caught sight of Stephan's BMW parked along the curb. He was leaning into the passenger side door in a navy blue Henley and dark wash jeans, his hair a tousled mess as he raked his fingers through it. Hearing my door shut loudly behind me, he straightened, momentarily catching my brother and his best friend's eyes, then looking to me with a smile.

"I don't think we've met." Dad walked around the car as Stephan made his way up the driveway to us. "I'm Adam. You must be Briggs."

"Stephan." I corrected my father, earning something close to a snicker out of Jeremiah before he jogged across the yard and into the house.

Stephan and my dad talked for a few minutes before he left the two of us out and joined Johnny in front of the door. I waited until they were both out of view and earshot to turn to Stephan and slowly cross my arms over my chest.

"How'd it go?" he asked, reaching out to brush a strand of my hair out of my eyes. "Make any progress?"

"She said she would." I breathed quietly. "I'm not hopeful though."

He dropped his hand back to his side with a sympathetic smile. "Hey, maybe this time will be different. They say near death experiences change people."

"This is her second overdose, Stephan." I reminded. "She had the chance to change before, but she didn't."

He didn't know what to say to that. Neither did I. We stood there for a minute, my back pressed into the cold of my father's car, before I bowed my head a fraction and whispered, "I kissed Jeremiah."

I fully expected him to blow up, even if he'd never showed any indication, he had it in him too. Instead, I was met with silence. Not even a tense one. Just a deafening one that had me so hyperaware of it that I finally forced myself to meet his eyes.

He didn't look mad, his eyes held something far worse than anger.

Disappointment.

"Okay." he eventually managed, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Okay?" I repeated, confused. "That's it? That's all you have to say?"

He lifted a hand and buried it in his hair. "I don't know what else to say. Um, why? Did you enjoy it? Will it happen again? Should we end whatever this is before it evolves into more?"

I should have just left the okay alone.

"I was impulsive." I confessed. "We were arguing and he's. . . I don't want to lose him and I thought kissing him would be the only way to show him I cared. I don't know if I enjoyed it because it was very spear of the moment, and in case you forgot, intimacy isn't something I'm too comfortable with right now. No, it definitely won't happen again. I can't. . . Jere and I aren't good for each other right now. I think that's your choice to make."

He processed my ramble, then grasped on to what part was most important to him. "It won't happen again?"

"Cross my heart." I made the gesture with my finger. "It was a momentary lapse of reason. He's not in a good place right now. He's. . . I need someone that will grow with me."

Stephan extended his arm, fingertips grazing my arm, head cocked. I nodded, giving permission for him to close the distance. He wrapped me in his warm embrace and responded as he touched a hand to my back. "Then we'll see where this takes us. But if at any point you feel like there's a chance you want to kiss him again, please tell me."

"Of course." I whispered into his chest. "But it won't happen."

*

I'd just pulled my sweatshirt over my head when a gentle knock sounded on the door behind me. I spun on my heel, ready to shoo one of my brother's out of the room but found Elise in my doorway. I made a gesture for her to come in and sit, and being the intelligent woman she was, she pressed the door shut gently behind her so none of the males in this house could eavesdrop on the conversation.

"There's a few things I want to talk to you about, but I'll start with the easiest." she said in a quick breath. "What happened with you and Jeremiah? Your father isn't too happy with him."

"I kissed him." I answered, grabbing a pajama top from my closet. "It was stupid and impulsive, but I can't lose him too, Elise. He can't keep—"

She held up a hand and I trailed off, awaiting her response.

"You're right, that was very stupid and impulsive. But understandable." she patted the bed beside her once I'd put my shirt on. I crossed the room and lowered myself beside her. "He's sick, honey. So very sick. Your mother is too. And it doesn't make you a bad person to choose yourself and your happiness and health, you know that, right?"

It sure didn't feel that way.

"I love Jere like he's my own son, but my boys and you will always come first." she repeated what dad had said a few days ago. "You can still love him, honey, but I do think it'd be best to distance yourself just a bit so neither of you get hurt. He needs to get help before he can even try and be a part of your life. You've been through a lot of trauma, you don't need his to anchor you down too."

"I know." I blinked to keep tears from falling. "I already told him."

"Good."

There was silence for a while, then she whispered, "Your mother?"

"She agreed but I'm not too hopeful."

"I'll see if your father can keep tabs on her for you." Elise caressed my cheek. "You're so brave for going back there, Addison."

I searched her eyes for a moment before I let out a barely audible, "Erin was. . . assaulted."

She tensed, but waited for a few minutes to question, "Who is Erin?"

"My best friend back home." I could feel the dread starting to furl in the pit of my stomach. "She was assaulted just after I came here."

"Oh, honey." she leaned in and pulled me into her side, squeezing my shoulder.

I rested my head against her. "It was him. The boy who. . . who raped me. He raped her too."

There was a sharp intake of breath, but it was neither from me or my stepmother, but from the hallway, and after a moment of consideration, Jonathan opened the door and stared between the two of us in horror.

"Jonthan, you should—"

"It's okay." I assured her, "He can stay."

Jonathan crept into the room and shut the door, leaning into it with a pity bright in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell us, Addy? We were there! Jere and I would have—"

"Would have what?" I snapped before I could stop myself. "Hunted him down? Beat him? Gotten arrested?"

"It's better than just letting him walk around and keep doing it!"

Elise shot her son a warning look. "Jonathan."

"No, Mom, I'm serious. He raped Addy and her friend, who knows how many other girls he's done the same thing too?"

"Erin said nothing is done when you step forward and tell someone." I whispered, looking to my stepmother for any beacon of hope. "She said they make us feel worse."

I saw it the second she dropped her gaze to the carpet that my best friend was right. "She's right."

"Y. . . you were assaulted, Mom?" Jonthan pushed off the door and moved so he was on the other side of Elise. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Elise looked between us then trained her eyes straight ahead and disassociated as she spoke. "I was young. Thirteen or fourteen? My parents had friends over. One of them came outside while I was practicing for cheer or gymnastics or something like that. He touched my hip first, pretending that he was trying to steady me. Then his hands moved to the small of my back. But the wandering hands don't stop there. The whispers of reassurance aren't for you. Every time he came over after that was a little worse, another step over that line that should never be crossed."

"Shit, Mom." Jonathan touched his hand to her trembling shoulder. "I didn't know."

"I'm so sorry, Elise." I whispered, leaning into her again.

She forced a weak smile and answered, "You know, as a woman you get used to it. The cat calls, the honking, the vulgar words shouted out windows of moving cars. No, that doesn't make it right, but it's just the way it is, and I'm afraid it's the way it'll always be. That's why I tried to raise my boys to be gentlemen, to be the one that steps up and in when they see a woman uncomfortable or being harassed."

"You did a great job." I replied, squeezing her hand. "They're all great, Elise.

"I'm so proud of you, Jonathan." she turned her attention on her oldest son. "You've become such a wonderful young man and I'm so happy that you have been here for your sister when she felt she couldn't trust. If I'd had someone like you in my life when I was a young girl, I think my life would have turned out a little different."

He smiled and wrapped Elise in his arms and I pulled away just the slightest to give them a moment. I considered leaving, but she straightened and looked at me before speaking, "I'm proud of you too, Addison. You were dealt such rough cards and you managed and still continue to manage to push yourself to keep going. I know you might feel as though you haven't made progress since being here, but you have. I see you smile more. You don't flinch from your father or brother's touch anymore. You lean into it. You're incredible."

She hugged both of us against her, but my brother had to make sure he didn't get too caught in the sea of emotions in the room and stated, "That's enough of the sob fest, Mom. My street cred will be ruined if my sister sees me cry."

I laughed at the comment, and we all stood at once, Elise making sure to ruffle our hair before she cleaned herself up a bit and moved out of the room. Jonathan waited until her footsteps could be heard retreating down the stairs to throw a look my way.

"She's right, you know."

I nodded and followed him out of my room, and for the first time in months I felt like I could breathe again. That it was possible that I might just be okay.