Page 20 of Chaos & Corruption

Is she seriously mad at me right now?

Setting the bottle on the counter between us, I narrow my eyes.

“What shouldn’t I have done exactly? Defend you?”

“You didn’t defend me, you humiliated me!”

I didn’t stalk over to Alex and give him a piece of my mind hoping I’d get a thank you from Mila, I did it because she looked distressed. I did it because she has been living in silence and needs to know she’s not alone. I’ve got her now. I don’t know how she can find that humiliating.

“And you brought attention to my situation,” she adds. “For crying out loud, Victoria, you called him a monster and that remark about him and his friends…” Her voice trails and she shakes her head. “That wasn’t cool, Vic. I told you I wasn’t sure if Alex was one of them or not. For all I know, he has no idea about Webber, but now thanks to you, he and the rest of the school have their radar up.”

I told you all about how I’ve managed to avoid Alex and attempt to push him out of my head over the last few days, but I didn’t tell you that I’ve been tip-toeing around Mila too. I don’t know how to help her when everything I say and do is apparently wrong. If I tell her it’s okay for her to fall apart, to cry and let it all out, she yells at me and tells me she doesn’t want to break. That she’s worked so hard to build these walls around her, she’s not about to let them collapse.

I honestly didn’t think I was hurting her in any way by intervening, but maybe I did get carried away and say too much. I got lost in the moment and when Alex delivered that cheap shot about my grandfather, I felt like I wasn’t only about protecting my best friend, but also defending my late grandfather’s honor.

“I’m sorry—”

She cuts me off.

“I shouldn’t have told you.”

Turning around, she stalks out of the kitchen.

“Mila, wait,” I call, but she doesn’t give me another look. Feeling defeated, my eyes dart around the empty kitchen. I almost wish she didn’t tell me too because now that I know, I can’t push it out of my head and instead of helping her, I’m ruining our friendship.

Sighing, I grab the bottle of wine and head toward my bedroom. I close the door and kick off my shoes, taking another swig of wine. I set the bottle down on the nightstand next to my bed and throw myself on top of the comforter. Staring up at the ceiling, I feel tears sting my eyes.

I take it back.

I don’t wish she wouldn’t have told me her secret. I just wish I knew what to do with it. Rolling onto my side, my eyes land on the framed photograph of my grandfather. Everything I told Alex earlier, I believe to be true. If my grandfather were alive today, he would know what to do. Guys like Webber and whoever attacked Mila, wouldn’t stand a chance.

A tear escapes the corner of my eye as I reach for the frame.

“What would you do?” I whisper softly, tracing a finger over his face.

My cell phone vibrates in my back pocket and I set the frame back in its rightful place on the nightstand. Reaching around me, I slide the phone out of my jeans and see it’s my dad. I stare at the picture that pops up on my screen of me and him, then look back at the photo of my grandpa.

He would’ve called my father.

That realization causes a lump to form in my throat. I’m not one to believe in signs, but right now, it’s kind of hard not to think that my grandpa is giving me one. Accepting the call, I lift the phone to my ear.

“Hi Dad,” I say softly, trying my hardest to mask the emotion in my tone.

I swear I hear him breathe a sigh of relief and that makes me smile. When I first broke the news that I was transferring to Stonewall, my dad took it the worst. They say a girl’s best friend is her mother, and I guess that’s true, but me and my dad are different. I’ve always felt more comfortable confiding in him, which is really crazy considering he’s scary as fuck and stricter than my mom.

“Not used to going three days without speaking to my girl, Victoria,” he says gruffly and again I feel tears fill my eyes. “And your mother tells me worry isn’t a good look on me. You okay?”

I bite my lip to stop myself from crying and shake my head even though he can’t see me. I’m really not okay and I can’t even tell him because then I would be betraying Mila’s confidence.

Releasing my lip, I clear my throat and force my words out.

“I’m good, Dad. Just trying to adjust to being on my own and learning the campus. I got lost on my first day and ended up on the roof of the science building.”

Not a lie.

He chuckles slightly and oddly I find comfort in the sound.

“The roof, huh?”

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