Page 36 of The Freshman

Marie’s eyes widened, and her lipwobbled. “I’ve never seen that much blood.”

Henry nodded. “Yeah, poor guy. We weresearching the floor for his teeth all afternoon.”

Alfie breathed deep and exhaled slowlythrough his lips.

Henry’s eyebrows snapped up. “But youdon’t have to worry about that. He was on day shift. Nate can’ttouch you locked behind his cell.”

“Unless he gets out,” Glenmuttered.

The twin Alfie thought was Dan huffed.“Not likely, the doors haven’t failed since I’ve been there. He’llonly get out if one of us lets him out.”

“What if he fakes it,doesn’t answer the roll call,” Ben said.

Henry wagged his finger. “Even if hebuzzes the alarm on that cell and doesn’t answer verbally, we ain’topening it. Leave it to day shift to sort him out.”

Alfie frowned. “But what if he needshelp?”

Henry sighed and shook his head indisappointment. “Every time I think you’ve made progress you openyour naïve mouth. Us and them remember. If Nate Mathews gets indifficulties in the night it’s not exactly a tragedy, and it’s farmore likely he’ll pretend so he can get to you. Trust me,Fish.”

Alfie turned away and stared out theoffice window at the H-wing. He wanted to apologize, but he didn’tknow the reception it would get.

When roll-call came, Glen offered todo Nate’s row of cells. Alfie declined, and Glen immediately saggedand wiped the bead of sweat off his brow.

Each cell Alfie ticked off felt like astep closer to doom, and his heart thumped so hard and fast ithitched his breathing. His feet felt heavier each step, and when hegot to Queenie’s door his knock was so soft Queenie didn’treply.

“Queenie?” he croaked,then rubbed at his tight throat.

“Yep, it’s the glamourousQueenie, as always.”

Alfie took the final two steps toNate’s door and glanced behind himself. He stood in the farthestcorner of the prison, and he heard the gate open and close as Glenand Marie went back into the lobby.

Alfie breathed deep and lay his handflat on the cell door. “Nate?”

He winced and stiffened his body,expecting a battering of the door, but it didn’t come.

“Yeah, I’mhere.”

Alfie gawped, then sunk his teeth intohis lip. Nate’s voice hadn’t been close. It didn’t have its usualalluring tone that seeped through Alfie’s flesh. He soundedredundant, unbothered.

Alfie pushed his lips to the crack ofthe door and whispered as quietly as he could, “I’msorry.”

“Don’t mentionit.”

There was no sound of Nate gettingcloser. His voice was just as mumbled and far away. Alfie leanedback and stared at the door. He’d rather Nate shout and hiss thansay nothing. No flirty whispers, no asking for him to open thehatch.

Alfie shifted from foot to foot. Thenhe dropped to his knees, and without thinking on it, he slotted hiskey into the hatch and opened it as quietly as he could.

The lights from outside the prisonshone on the bed, and Alfie could see Nate lying on his back. Heheld something in his hand above his head, a piece of paper that heturned over in his fingers repeatedly. Nate didn’t look to the openhatch. He didn’t appear to have noticed Alfie watchinghim.

Alfie licked his lips, swallowed, thenwhispered, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking earlier.”

“Why are you apologizing?Are you scared I’ll get you back?”

Alfie frowned and shook his head. “No,I just—”

“You should be, Freshman.People say I’ve killed for far less.”

“I lost it. I hit you whenI shouldn’t have.”

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