Page 13 of Butterfly

“Sexual urges.”

Teddy nodded.

“You weren’t angry that he didn’t want to help with your…urges?”

Teddy snorted softly, then shook his head.

He took a slow breath, then tossed the dictionary on the bed and got to his feet.

“I knew you hadn’t hurt him,” Ollie muttered. “And…and…Gary?”

Teddy stiffened, turning his back on Ollie. His shoulder stayed up.

Ollie bit his lip, wondering whether he should continue or not, but he needed to know that Jonesy was wrong, that Teddy hadn’t killed Gary and his family because of a rejection. It must’ve been something else, and there was no way Teddy meant to do what happened.

“It was an accident, wasn’t it?”

It had to be.

He didn’t know how something like that could accidentally happen, but there was no way Teddy would do that.

Ollie leaned forward, eager for his fears to be soothed.

Teddy shook his head, turning to Ollie.

Ollie swallowed. He tasted bile at the back of his throat. “You…you wanted to hurt him?”

Teddy bit his lip.

“Kill him?”

Teddy shook his head slowly.

“He was horrible to you. He’d hurt you, deserved—”

Teddy shook his head again, closing his eyes.

“Why did you kill him then?”

Teddy didn’t answer. He lowered his gaze, making it clear he wasn’t going to.

“No,” Ollie snapped.

Teddy reopened his eyes. He no longer radiated warmth. His expression was worn down, sagging with sadness, and it spoke of his guilt.

Ollie wanted to jump to his feet and shake him until it went away.

Because there was no way Teddy could do something like that.

“I don’t believe it. What about his mum, his sister, his sister’s friend?”

Teddy took a step closer, and Ollie flinched. Teddy’s expression crumpled, but he didn’t back away. He reached for the dictionary and flicked through the pages.

Accident.

Teddy wouldn’t meet Ollie’s eye.

“They were innocent; they wereallinnocent.”

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