Page 32 of False Idols

Beau Du Pont.

“Nevaeh.” Beau’s sharp voice cuts through the thumping bass and suddenly I can see past the space Dean and I are in. It’s like someone put the air back in my lungs and I realize there's enough space around me to get away from Dean, so I do.

“Beau?” I ask stupidly, even though I can see him plain as day. He’s there with a sneer on his handsome face. His eyes are dark in the red filtered light of the room. There’s no trace of the blue that I know his eyes to be. They look black and as scared of him as I am, I can’t bring myself to look away from him.

“In the flesh. What are you doing here alone?” he asks, sauntering up to Dean and I. The lines of his body are relaxed but I can hear the anger in his voice. It has to be from seeing me. There’s no way the sight of me doesn’t make him sick.

Dean steps between Beau and I. “She’s not here alone. She’s here with me.”

I don’t miss the dismissive look Beau shoots Dean’s way. “That why you’ve got your hands all over her?” he asks.

Dean freezes. “What did you say?”

Beau flicks a finger at Dean. “You think I didn’t see how you’ve got her cornered over here, just because you know she’s too scared to tell you no.”

Dean turns to look at me. “What? I would never do that to you. You know that. Right, Nev?”

“Nev? What the fuck is that? Her name is Nevaeh.”

Dean lifts his chin and meets Beau’s glare. “Maybe to you, but not to her friends.” Beau’s eyes are scary. He’s going to do something. I can feel it. Oh god. Oh fuck. I didn’t want to drag anyone else into my mess with Beau and here Dean is, putting himself right in the line of fire. I have to stop him before Beau hurts him. Dean is a big guy, but he’s not like Beau. Beau was athletic before he went to prison, but now? Now there’s a cruelness and sharpness to his body that none of the boys at college can compare with.

Beau looks like a killer.

“Dean, please don’t,” I blurt out. Even though we’re standing next to each other, I don’t even know if he can hear me over the music that someone just turned up, so I put my hand on his arm. Both men look at me the second I touch him. Dean looks triumphant, Beau looks murderous. I jerk my hand back but Dean is too quick. He’s got a hand on top of mine and keeps my hand where it is on his arm.

“It’s going to be all right. I promise, Nev.”

I shake my head. “No, I mean, yes, but no.” I jerk my hand out from under his and step past him so that I’m closer to Beau now. I take a deep breath and the next time I reach out, it’s for Beau. “I’m fine, Dean. I promise.”

He looks confused. Even in the red light and flashing rainbow that moves over the room, I can see it plain as day. He doesn’t understand. “What are you doing?”

“I want to go with him, Dean.”

“But, Nev-”

“I’ll text you later,” I tell him, but then Beau grabs my hand.

“The fuck you will. Let’s go.” He turns and I hate having to follow him like this, but it’s the only way to keep Dean safe.

“Goodnight, Dean!” I call over my shoulder and force my way into the crowd after Beau.

“Nev!” Dean yells after us but I ignore it and keep walking.

I pass Sunny on her way back with two beers and her mouth drops open when she sees Beau walking in front of me. She inclines her head to him and I know what she means, so I nod. Her face breaks out into a wide smile and she raises the cups over her head in a victory cheer. She’s happy I’m with Beau. I try to tell myself that it was just last night that I wanted to tell her it was him that I was texting.

Dean appears at Sunny’s side and when he tries to come my way, she steps in front of him and offers him one of the cups she’s holding. Thank god she’s there to run interference when I know Dean would come right after us.

I take a deep breath and hurry away from them, but that’s when I run right into the last person I thought I would see that night.

“Nevaeh?”

“Minnie?”

My old best friend stares at me. Her dark hair is messy and falls forward in a tangle. There’s a sheen of sweat on her face and her eyes are glassy. I don’t miss the red solo cup in her hand. She’s been drinking and partying for sure. Minnie was always more adventurous than me. She drank and smoked pot even though I was too scared to do it. She had boyfriends when I was too scared or hung up on Beau to see anyone else. I never told Minnie about the night Carrie died. I never told her about how I wasn’t sure Beau had done it. That I hadn’t actually seen him do it. Maybe I should have, because now she’s acting like all the rest. She hates me and blames me for what happened to Beau. But there is the fact that she texted me, wanting to check if I was okay. Maybe there’s hope. Maybe I can have my best friend back with a little more time. Maybe now is the start of it?

I smile at her and take a step closer to her. “Minnie, how are you?”

Her eyes dart to the side and she looks around us like she’s scanning the room for someone. “Don’t fucking talk to me, freak.” It’s then I realize it’s not someone, it’s everyone. Minnie is worried people will see her talking to me.

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