“What happened, Serenity?” I ask, my voice harsher than intended. I study her face, taking in her red eyes and the pure despair in her gaze. “Who did this to you?” She shakes her head, and it fucking guts me to see my best friend’s little sister like that. I wordlessly pull her into my arms, holding her tightly, and she begins to cry in earnest. I push my fingers through her hair in response, cradling her head as she presses her forehead to my chest, hiding herself away as her small body rocks from the force of her sobs. “Please,” I whisper, my heart aching. “Tell me why you’re crying,
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