Hate Me Like You Love Me (Serena and Caleb) novel Chapter 49

Serena’s POV

We pull Rachel inside quickly, guiding her through the hallway and into the living room like she might shatter if we move too fast.

She’s shaken—pale and trembling, her auburn hair disheveled, those green eyes darting toward the windows as if expecting Lucas to materialize from the shadows at any moment.

Caleb shifts into caretaker mode with an ease that makes my chest ache.

“Hey, you’re safe now.” His voice drops to something soft, gentle, stripped of the sharp edges I’ve grown so accustomed to hearing. “Just breathe. Can you tell me what happened?”

He touches her arm, steadies her when she sways, and I watch from the doorway with an uncomfortable knot forming beneath my ribs.

This is how he used to touch her. This is who he used to be for her.

Jealousy is an ugly thing to feel when someone you care about is comforting someone they used to love.

I recognize the feeling immediately—hot and bitter and completely inappropriate given the circumstances. I swallow it down, force myself to focus on what matters.

“Are you hurt?” Caleb guides Rachel to the couch, crouching in front of her so she doesn’t have to look up. “Did he touch you?”

Rachel nods, the movement small and jerky. “My shoulder. He grabbed me hard enough to leave bruises. And he…”

Her voice cracks, and she presses her palm against her mouth to steady herself.

“He threatened me, Caleb. Told me if I didn’t stay away from Serena, he’d make sure I couldn’t talk to anyone ever again.”

“When did this happen?”

“Two days ago.”

She pulls her knees up to her chest, making herself smaller against the cushions.

“He showed up at my apartment without warning. I tried to close the door, but he forced his way inside. He was so calm about it—that’s what scared me most. Like threatening people is just another item on his daily to-do list.”

I move closer, lowering myself onto the armchair across from them. “Why didn’t you answer Caleb’s calls? We’ve been worried sick.”

“I panicked.” Rachel’s gaze flicks to me, then away just as quickly. “After he left, I couldn’t stop shaking. I couldn’t think straight. I needed time to process, to feel safe again before I faced any of this.”

“Where did you go?”

“A friend’s place. Someone Lucas doesn’t know about, someone who wasn’t connected to any of this mess.”

She swipes at her eyes with the back of her hand.

“I stayed there until I felt ready to come here. I’m sorry I disappeared without saying anything, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

Caleb’s expression darkens with every word she speaks, his jaw tightening into a hard line I’ve seen before—usually right before he does something reckless.

“What exactly did he say to you?”

“He said…”

Rachel draws a shuddering breath.

“He said that if I kept poking my nose where it didn’t belong, he’d make sure I had no mouth to talk. That no one believed me before and no one would believe me now. And that next time, he wouldn’t be so merciful.”

The words hang in the air between us, heavy with implication.

There are no more excuses left for Lucas. No rationalizations I can cling to, no benefit of the doubt I can extend.

The man I’ve been defending, the man I’ve been pretending might actually be the person everyone else sees—he doesn’t exist. Maybe he never did.

‘You knew. You’ve known for months, and you kept making excuses because the truth was too terrifying to face.’

“We need to go to the police.” I hear myself speak, surprised by the steadiness in my own voice. “This is assault and threatening behavior. They have to take it seriously.”

“The police didn’t believe me three years ago.”

Rachel’s laugh comes out hollow and broken.

“Lucas’s family has lawyers who make problems disappear. Without concrete evidence, my word against his means nothing.”

‘Stop it. This isn’t about you.’

‘Is that who he really is? Is this what he’s like when he’s not constantly fighting?’

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