Page 50 of Top Shelf

But in none of those scenarios is the outcome any different.

I hit him because he deserved it.

I hit him because he put his hands on her.Again.

And the truth is, I’d do it again.

I bend forward to kiss the top of her head gently. I wrap my arm around her tighter and then drift off to sleep.

I wake up in the morning to three missed calls from Lo, one from Demi, and one from my dad. Sadie’s still snoozing next to me, so I sneak out of the bed and walk downstairs. I put food in Odie’s bowl as I decide to call Lo first.

I notice as I dial that I don’t have a single call or text from Levi.

Fuck.

“Where have you been?” she answers, her voice frantic.

“Uh, sleeping?” I say, glancing over at the clock. It’s almost ten, but it’s the weekend.

“Levi’s been up all night dealing with the other board members,” she says. “MaryAnn spread the word a little bit. He’s trying to put out the fire before it grows.”

“Listen, Lo, I’m—”

“I know. I know what happened,” she says.

“You do? How?”

“Demi. She walked back into the hallway and saw the whole thing,” Lo says. “She’s been fuming all night. Says she wants to find out where Hayden is staying and, quote, ‘punch him in the dick.’”

I laugh and put a hand to my face.

“Jesus,” I say. “I’m sorry, Lo. I just don’t know what else I could have done. He put his hands on her. If you heard how he was talking to her before I got there…” My fist clenches at my side.

“I know, Ty,” she says, her voice soft. “We know. We both know.”

“How’s Levi?”

“Stressed,” she says. “But he gets it. And you know he has your back. He’s just not sure what’s happening with the league right now. But there’s something else,” she says.

“What’s that?”

“There have been some whispers that Hayden is talking about, uh…” she says, her voice trailing off.

“Talking about what?”

There’s a pause.

“Pressing charges,” she says. I swallow. That fuckingbastard.

I close my eyes and try to keep myself calm.

But my eyes jolt open when I hear a loud knock on my door.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I whisper, just as Sadie appears at the bottom of the steps. “Lo, I gotta go.”

“What’s happening? What’s wrong?” she asks.

“The police are here,” I say, and then I hang up.

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