Chapter 124 TYLER
I had Racquel in the car, and the silence was almost suffocating. I made sure there was space between us, enough to keep the boundaries clear. My hands gripped the wheel tighter than I realized, my mind racing. I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
I’d only gotten involved because I thought I was helping. That was it. That was supposed to be all it was. I wasn’t here to play counselor, or to get wrapped up in her drama, or whatever it was. I told myself that. I repeated it over and over. But looking at her now, huddled in the passenger seat, her eyes red and swollen, her body trembling, something inside me shifted.
“You’re safe,” I said quietly, my voice tight with tension.
“Whatever is happening, I don’t know. But I got involved because I thought you needed help. If there’s something going on, you take it to the police or tell your parents when you get home. That’s how it works.”
She started crying again, a soft, pitiful sound that made my stomach knot. She turned her face toward me just slightly, and I couldn’t tell if the tremble in her lips was real or not.
“Please,” she whispered, “you don’t have to take me home. Can’t I just… stay somewhere? A hotel? A friend’s house?”
I glanced at her quickly. “I’m not in the mood for games, Racquel. You’re either honest with me, or you find your own way home from here.”
She hesitated, biting her lip, and finally exhaled shakily.
“Okay,” she said, voice trembling. “Okay, I’ll tell you.”
I kept my eyes on the road as I drove, letting her speak first.
“It’s… it’s my stepbrother,” she said, voice quiet, almost breaking. “He… he’s been taking advantage of me. He hurts me, Tyler. And no one at home… no one cares because I got suspended from school. They just—” She faltered, curling inward in her seat. “They don’t care. They only care that I’m in trouble. He… he—he… I don't know who else to turn to.”
My hands tightened on the wheel as my stomach turned over. Part of me wanted to yell at her, to shove her out and drive away, hoping it's all a lie, but another part couldn’t ignore the bruises on her face, the way her shoulders curled inward like she was trying to vanish.
I didn’t trust her. Not after everything. But I also couldn’t pretend she wasn’t hurting.
“Okay,” I said finally, trying to keep calm. “We can’t just sit here. You need help. If this is really happening, you shouldn’t deal with it alone. We need to call someone who can take it seriously.”
She shook her head violently, tears spilling down her face.
“No! No, Tyler! They won’t believe me. My parents are… they’re influential. They can make the case disappear. They’ll make it like I’m lying. They’ll—” Her voice cracked and she sucked in a sharp breath. “They’ll make it worse.”
I exhaled through my nose, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “Then we need proof. Someone to help us gather it. It won’t work if you just tell me or yell at me. We have to be smart about it.”
She flinched at the sound of my words, staring at me with wide, desperate eyes. “You… you can’t call anyone. Not Peter, not anyone! Please, Tyler! I can’t have anyone else knowing this. I’m embarrassed. I’m… I just…” Her voice trailed off, and she buried her face in her hands.
I ran a hand down my face, exhaling slowly. The bag in the passenger seat caught my eye—the things I’d bought for Harper’s proposal, the plan I’d been thinking through all day. It didn’t matter right now. Nothing else did. This was serious, and I couldn’t just ignore it. No one deserved to be treated like this. Not Racquel, not anyone. Harper mattered, always, but this… this was different. I had to deal with it first, then I could go back to what I’d been planning.
“Fine,” I said quietly. “We won’t call anyone yet. You have to promise me, though, that you’ll tell me the truth. Everything. No games.”
She nodded, sniffing hard and wiping at her cheeks. “I promise,” she whispered. “I… I’ll tell you everything.”
I kept driving, keeping a careful distance from the other cars, focusing on the road. “Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. I thought maybe… maybe I could stay with you. Just one night. Please, Tyler. I can’t go home yet.”
I didn’t answer immediately, keeping my gaze forward.
“You need boundaries,” I said finally. “I’m helping you. That’s all. We’re not… you understand? We’re not doing anything else. I’m not your friend. I’m not your boyfriend. I’m someone who’s going to make sure you’re safe tonight.”
She swallowed, nodding quickly, and I felt a mixture of relief and wariness. We couldn’t take this lightly.
I pulled into a mid-range hotel a few minutes later, parking carefully. I left enough space between us, staying alert as I got out. I walked around and opened her door. She hesitated, glancing at me with something close to desperation in her eyes.
“Just for tonight,” I said firmly. “I’m going to check you in, and then I’m leaving. I’ll come back tomorrow after school, and we’ll figure out how to help you. You need to stay calm until then. Can you do that?”
She nodded quickly, swallowing hard. “I… I’ll try.”
I led her inside, keeping her close enough that I could guide her but far enough that the boundaries were clear. At the front desk, I booked her a room, giving a fake name just to keep things clean. I handed her the key and watched as she stepped toward the elevator.
“Tyler,” she called softly, almost catching me off guard.
I turned slightly. “Yeah?”
“You’re… lucky,” she said quietly. “Harper is lucky to have someone like you.”
I paused, taking a deep breath, then I shook my head slightly. “No. I’m the lucky one. I don’t deserve her. That’s why I’m doing this. I have to be better… for her.”
Her lips trembled slightly, and for a moment, I thought she might cry again. But she nodded quickly instead, clutching the keycard like a lifeline.
I turned and stepped back toward the lobby, giving her a small, reassuring nod before heading out. The air hit me, and I exhaled slowly, trying to process everything that had just happened.
Once I was back in my car, I grabbed my phone and dialed Peter. I ran a hand over my face, exhaling slowly before speaking.
“Peter… we’ve got a situation,” I muttered.