Chapter 4

The people standing closest read it straight out.

"Melissa Pruitt and Jasper Simmons together forever."

"So the letter really was written for Jasper, not Maxwell. Maxwell accused her for nothing."

"Then why did Jasper deny it just now? Why did he say he'd never seen this letter?"

Everyone's suspicious eyes swung to Jasper. Under the weight of them his gaze went shaky. His mouth opened and closed. "You wrote me so many letters. How was I supposed to remember this one too? I got it mixed up."

"But even if you didn't write this one for Maxwell, that still doesn't prove there was nothing between you two."

Maxwell yanked me toward him. "Fine, so I was wrong about the letter. I've still got proof."

His eyes crawled over my body.

"She's got a dark mole on her lower back. That's my favorite spot when we're fooling around. One touch and she blushes."

"Nobody believes me, go on, ask her. Ask if there's a dark mole on her lower back or not."

The crowd sucked in a breath.

"Something that private, and he's saying it like he's dead sure. Could it be true?"

"If Melissa really does have a dark mole on her lower back, then it's real, isn't it? You can't lie your way out of that. Somewhere that private, who'd know except the person she shares a bed with?"

"What is going on? She's writing love poems to Jasper and messing around with Maxwell at the same time?"

I stared at Jasper in disbelief, my eyes burning red. "You're really this shameless? You told him about the mole on my back?"

Jasper's answer was a slap across my face. "You're the one who can't keep your legs shut, and now you're dragging this out to frame me. Since when did I know anything about a mole on your back?"

Maxwell ripped my shirt up, baring the mole on my waist. "Everyone see it? That's the mole right there."

"You tell me, if there was nothing between us, how would I know something this hidden?"

Furious, I shoved him off and slapped him, clutching my clothes tight against me.

"Maxwell, you're disgusting!"

He sneered and fisted a hand in my hair. "Slut, quit the act. Upstairs just now you were letting me kiss that mole. Playing innocent now?"

"You're mine already anyway. Come on, back upstairs, we've got business to finish."

He started dragging me toward the stairs.

I looked to Jasper, pleading. "Jasper, help me."

Jasper spat at me. "Playing the chaste widow now? Weren't you two already carrying on long ago?"

I turned my eyes to Timothy. "Timothy, help me. It isn't what it looks like."

He'd just started to speak when someone beside him held him back. "A woman like that isn't worth helping. Don't go sticking your nose in and drag the filth onto yourself."

I clung to the railing and wouldn't let go. He slapped me across the face, again and again. "Slut, let go now, or I'll strip you right here."

I sobbed no, but he reached out and started tearing at my clothes.

"Stop. What do you think you're doing?"