[Content Warning: Chapter contains brief mentions of sexual assault]
The software starts pulling data almost immediately, and I lean in to watch over Eva's shoulder. Luna presses close to my side, her cotton candy scent mixing with Eva's subtle floral perfume. I'd find this situation really pleasant if we weren't about to dive into what I'm certain will be a cesspool of human garbage.
The first messages that pop up are... actually pretty normal? Jack's texting someone named Tyler about football practice, complaining about their running drills. In another message thread, Jack's talking about math homework.
"Huh," I mutter. "This is surprisingly mundane."
Eva's fingers don't stop moving across the keyboard.
More messages load. Jack and his friends are discussing which restaurant to hit up after football practice. Someone is sharing a video of a failed skateboard trick. There's a debate about whether the new superhero movie was actually good or just had good marketing.
It's so... normal. Like, disturbingly normal. For a moment, I almost forget that Jack is a terrible human being. This is just regular teenage guy stuff. Boring, everyday conversations that could belong to literally anyone.
Then the software loads another group chat called "The Boys 💪" with ten members in it. And oh boy, here we go.
Tyler:yo did u see sarah in that dress today
Marcus:dude YES. her tits were practically falling out
Fred:id hit that so hard
Jack:you couldnt hit anything your a fucking virgin lmao
Fred:fuck you man
Jack:sarahs hot but shes got nothing on the holloway sisters. biancas ass is insane
Tyler:bro selene though. id do things to her that would get me arrested
Marcus:youd do anything to anyone
I feel my jaw clench and my anger building as they continue to talk about my sisters.
Beside me, Luna shifts uncomfortably, and I can feel her getting tense. I glance at her and see she's biting her lip, her violet eyes troubled.
I know that it's only going to get worse from here, and Luna doesn't need to see all of it.
"Hey," I say quietly, trying to keep my voice gentle. "You really don't have to watch this. I mean it. Jack's... he's a monster."
She's quiet for a long moment, staring at the screen. Then she looks up at me with those big eyes, and there's something determined behind the fear. "I think... I'll be okay... if you're... if you stay next to me."
Something warm and protective flares in my chest, pushing past the anger. "Yeah. Okay. I'm not going anywhere."
Eva continues working in silence, opening more conversations, scrolling through message threads with clinical efficiency. The progress bar at the bottom ticks up slowly: 7%... 8%...
The next group chat that loads is even worse.
It doesn't have a clever name, it's just called "pics."
The first image that appears is of Elize, taken from behind as she's walking down the hallway. The photo is zoomed in on her ass, the angle deliberately chosen to be as objectifying as possible. Underneath, there's a string of comments that make my skin crawl.
Jack:god DAMN
Tyler:id eat her ass
Marcus:youre disgusting
More pictures load. Selene in her cheerleading uniform, the photo clearly taken without her knowledge or consent. Bianca bending over to pick something up, her jeans straining. Other girls from school I vaguely recognize. Each one accompanied by increasingly vile comments about what these guys would "like to do" with them.
My hands curl into fists so tight my knuckles go white. I want to reach through the screen and strangle every single person in this chat.
Luna makes a small sound beside me, something between a gasp and a whimper. This is the first time I've seen her angry, her brows are furrowed, her jaw set, and her small hands clenched into tight fists that are shaking slightly.
"I hate them..." she whispers, and there's actual venom in her usually soft voice. It's jarring, like hearing a kitten growl. "How could they... talk about people... like that?"
"Because they're animals," I say flatly, trying to keep my emotions in check.
But even as I say it, I remember something. Those vague conversations I overheard last week. The ones about "candy" and "pictures" and Elara.
Oh no.
Eva opens another set of messages, and the timestamp shows last Saturday.
The messages that load make my blood run cold.
Jack:hey come over
Elara:no
Elara: i dont wanna
Elara:i told u to stop messaging me i dont want anything to do with you anymore
Jack:what the fuck?
Jack:did i ask? i dont care what u want, i told you to come over
Jack:u remember dont u bitch? i still got those pics. want everyone to see?
Elara:u promised to delete those
Jack:yeah whatever just one more time. come over one more time and ill delete them
…
Elara:im coming
I really, really regret my kick to his balls.
I can't believe how lightly I kicked.
I'm going to rip his fucking head off. I'm going to tear it off his shoulders and punt it like a football.
The rage that floods through me is white-hot, all-consuming. My entire body tenses like a coiled spring.
Next to me, Luna has gone very still. When I manage to tear my eyes away from the screen to look at her, I see an expression I didn't even know Luna was capable of making. Disgust. Pure, unfiltered disgust mixed with anger and horror.
Eva remains completely composed, her face an expressionless mask as she opens Jack's photo gallery with mechanical efficiency. Her fingers move across the trackpad, scrolling to Saturday's date with clinical precision.
The latest picture from that day loads on screen.
The girl, Elara, I presume, is lying on her back on what looks like Jack's bed. She's naked. Unconscious. And covered with what can only be semen.
My stomach lurches violently. I have to look away before I actually throw up. The image is seared into my retinas anyway, and I feel an urge to claw my eyes out.
When I glance at Luna, she's already turned her head away, refusing to look at the screen any longer. Her face is pale and carries this complicated mix of emotions that I can't even begin to untangle. Anger at what's been done to this girl. Worry for her safety and mental wellbeing. And fear. Fear of Jack and the type of people that he and his friends are.
"That's enough," I say quietly, but there's steel in my voice. "Luna doesn't need to see any more of this."
Eva glances at me, and she gives a single nod.
"You're right. I'll handle the rest, you two should take a break."
"Come on," I say to Luna, my voice softening.
Luna takes my offered hand without hesitation, her fingers trembling as they close around mine. I lead her away from the dining table, away from the laptop and its catalog of horrors. We make our way to the massive beige sofas in the living room area.
Luna sits down first, curling into herself slightly. I lower myself carefully beside her, trying not to wince too obviously.
We sit there in silence for a while.
I don't really know what to say. What do you say after seeing something like that? Nothing feels adequate.
So I just hold her hand. It's small in mine, her fingers cold and still trembling slightly. I give it a gentle squeeze, just to let her know I'm here. That I'm not going anywhere.
Luna shifts closer and lays her head on my shoulder. She fits there perfectly, and I can smell her shampoo, that subtle cotton candy scent that's become comforting and familiar.
From across the room, I can hear Eva still typing away at the laptop. The soft clicks of keys, the occasional mouse click, the faint whir of the hard drive as it processes data. She's methodical, thorough, professional. Doing what needs to be done while Luna and I sit here trying to process the absolute horror show we just witnessed.
Time passes in a strange, stretched-out way. I just sit there, holding Luna's hand, feeling her breathe against my shoulder, her small body warm against my side.
My mind keeps circling back to those messages. To that picture. To the casual cruelty of it all. Jack didn't just assault Elara, he documented it. Took a trophy photo like she was a hunting prize instead of a person. And he's been using those pictures to blackmail her, to force her to come back for more abuse.
How many others are there? How many girls has he done this to? How many victims are out there right now, carrying this weight alone, too scared or ashamed to tell anyone?
Luna shifts slightly against me, and I realize she's stopped crying at some point. I didn't even notice when she started, but my shoulder is damp where her face was pressed, and her breathing has that slightly hitched quality that comes after crying.
The silence stretches on. I keep rubbing small circles on the back of her hand with my thumb, just to give her something to focus on besides the nightmare we just witnessed.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, she speaks.
"Thank you... for being here..." Her voice is barely above a whisper, fragile and soft.
I look down at her. Those big violet eyes are red-rimmed and watery, her pale face streaked with tears. She looks so small right now. Fragile. Like she needs someone to stand between her and the world's ugliness.
I give her the gentlest smile I can manage. "Always."
It comes out as a promise. And I mean it with every fiber of my being.
"Could you... stay for the night...?" Luna whispers, and her voice wavers. "I... don't want to... be alone... tonight..."
And of course, I agree. How could I say no to that?
"Of course, Luna."