"I'm so sorry. I was mad at you because in the back of my mind I was afraid you guys were right about Brad." We all stayed quiet so she could tell us at her own pace. After wiping her eyes she continued. "Brad told me that y’all were jealous and that I didn't need you guys. I thought he was just being a protective boyfriend." She pulled at a strand of grass and started wrapping it around her finger. "At first he was so sweet. He would send me text messages all the time. Saying stuff like how sexy I am and how lucky he is to have me." She started hitting her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Stupid, I was so stupid. Why didn't I just listen to you?" Her question was to the three of us but she wasn't expecting an answer. "He started doing things here and there that made me uncomfortable. Like he would try to let his hand roam sometimes when we were kissing. But he would stop when I said no. He would just smile and say how he loved a challenge." She gave a humorless laugh. "About a week or so ago we went to the mall.
