My heart is beating fast, but I can’t just keep watching him from a distance, even if I’m scared.
He needs someone. I want to be there for him.
I crawl up from the edge of the bed and walk over to him. I put my hand on his shoulder and sink down to the floor, too.
“He’s the only one I have. The only one. There’s no one else. And now he’s gone, too.”
I shush him and pat him on the back, trying to get him to stop fuming.
Suddenly, he turns around and pulls me toward him. My eyes widen as he buries his face in the nape of my neck, sniffing.
My thighs squeeze together in anticipation, because I can’t handle him touching me. It heats me up so much, I feel it in my core. And I feel terrible that I’m feeling this way right now.
“The day I got the phone call I was so mad I smashed it to pieces,” he mutters.
So that’s what was going on the day he kicked the wall … Now I get it.
I’m overwhelmed with the feeling that I need to care for him. “It’s okay,” I say. “I’m here for you if you need me.”
I didn’t know it was this bad. If I had, I would never have asked about it. I don’t want him to be reminded of something this horrible.
I can’t imagine what it’s like to have your last family member behind bars. What would I do if I had nobody else?
I’d turn into a nervous wreck and pray to God someone saved me and my family.
Maybe he’s doing the same. Maybe he’s fighting his way through his misery, trying to make sense of it all. I don’t know what the reason behind all of it is. All I know is that he’s put up this barrier to protect himself, and that he’s breaking right here, right now.
“Look at me,” he says, sighing. “Spilling all my beans to some girl on campus.” He lifts his head to look at me with his adorable gray eyes.
“I’m not some girl,” I say, winking. “I’m the Leafy.”
He chuckles, and I’m glad his mood has improved. “Sounds better coming from your mouth.”
He takes a deep breath and stretches, his muscles straining to the limit, making me gulp. “God, if any one of the guys finds out about this, I’m dead meat.”
“Why?”
He laughs as we get up from the floor. “The guys I hang out with aren’t as innocent and sweet as you are, Leafy,” he says jokily.
“What do you do with them anyway?”
“Nothing good,” he says.
Suddenly the door opens.
Immediately Hunter and I let each other go and stare at the person standing in the doorway.
“Crap, sorry,” the guy says.
The moment he catches my eye, my heart stops beating for a second. It’s that guy with the flowerpot hairdo, the guy who hangs around Hunter a lot. The guy Brody talked with.
So this is the guy who they both know.
“No, it’s no problem, dude,” Hunter says, clearing his throat.
We both get up and Hunter signals to me. “That’s my roommate.”
“Jaret Paxon.”
“Autumn Blakewood,” I stammer.
We shake hands, but soon he diverts his attention back to Hunter.
“Sorry, dude, but I don’t have much time for small talk. I’ve got another delivery for you to make, and something else.”
A darkness looms over Hunters face, and it sends a cold shiver down my spine.
“Now?”
“Yes, the boss wants it done today.”
The boss? What the hell?
Hunter sighs as Jaret walks out again. “Fine. Let’s go.”
“Huh? Where are you guys going? What’s going on?” I say, terrified of the answer. Is this the part where they beat up some dude? And what do they mean by ‘delivery’?
When Hunter said he had a roommate, I didn’t expect him to be part of this.
I don’t like this Jaret guy. Not one bit.
Before I have a chance to make them answer, they’re already running down the stairs.
Well, Hunter’s wrong if he thinks I’m going to let him leave me like that. Not with all those questions. Not that quick. No matter if I know about his brother, it doesn’t mean he can just go around beating people up for God knows what reason.
So I grab my things and bolt after them.
Chapter 15
Out with the Old, in with the New
I make my way down the stairs, trying not to produce any sound. Hiding behind a wall, I check if the coast is clear. I don’t want them to see me. They have to feel secure enough to go about their business, so I can finally find out what they’re really doing. What Hunter is really up to all those times he’s with them.
What kind of shit he’s gotten himself into.
Lurking behind a pillar, I watch them walk into an alley behind the building. I run after them, making sure I don’t get seen. There’s a guy in the alley, and they’re shaking hands.