Page 100 of Call the Shots
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her tilt her head. “We’re at two hundred takedowns. It’s slow with the international websites but?—”
“How?” I looked at her incredulously. “None of those websites replied to anything I sent them.”
“They didn’t respond to us either.” She shrugged, pleased. “I figured out the solution. Revenge porn laws are so small, to them, it’s not worth the hassle. Now, child pornography, that’s a way bigger issue. It could jeopardize their domain registration. The lawyers email them about the takedown, and I email after, saying you’re fifteen. Trust me, they’re alotquicker with the responses.”
“I’m clearly not a kid in those videos.”
“So? If it gets the videos down, it gets them down.”
June kept talking, and I was stunned into silence.Fuck.With every word, I felt worse and worse. I treated her like shit and… I didn’t know what to say. Everything I thought to say sounded wrong and not grateful enough.
“You don’t have to go to court if you don’t want to. I know that’s asking a lot,” she said softly. “The lawyers said a cease-and-desist is enough to scare?—”
“June, I broke into your laptop.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Xavier told me the password and I’m—I’m so sorry. He wanted these receipts—I didn’t give him anything, I swear—but that’s how I knew to get your furniture from his office…I’m really sorry.”
June leaned against the wall too until we were both quiet, a bubble away from everyone else.
“I’m sorry,” I repeated, my voice low. “You can yell at me—you should yell at me. I deserve it.”
“I don’t want to yell at you.”
That made me feel worse than if she started screaming. I stared at my sneakers. The moment I saw her name on those receipts…I knew.
“Bear?” June said, still looking away from me. “I’m…angry.”
Silent, I nodded.
“But I’m not going to pretend like I don’t know why you did it. I did things I didn’t like for Xavier because I loved him.” She swallowed. “I said things I didn’t mean and…” Her eyes met mine. “Don’t get it twisted, I’m not happy about this. Don’t touch my laptop again.”
I nodded.
“I still want to help,” she said quietly. “I don’t want this hovering over you anymore.”
Seconds passed and I fought to keep my breathing steady. “If Xavier so much as looks at you, I meant everything I said?—”
“This isn’t an exchange. I didn’t get the lawyers together for a hitman against my ex.”
“I feel very…” I tried to think of how I wanted to say it. “I feel very protective of you. And it’s not because you were on crutches. It’s not because you’re tiny. It’s not because of Xavier. It’s like I—I feel—” I didn’t know how to explain the weird tug in my gut that kept me awake at night when she stayed up to study and I couldn’t sleep until I knew she was asleep too.
“We can start over, Bear. None of the other stuff matters, okay? Clean slate.”
I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, a kind of nervous tapping I didn’t recognize. This was…different. I was used to looking after myself. Working two jobs in North Dakota to afford stuff during hockey season, setting my draft status in motion. Even when I stayed at Wade’s parents’ house, I kept out of sight, out of mind, only sleeping on their couch when I had to.
Letting someone else do something for me was…I didn’t know how to treat it. I followed June, silent, and held the door open for her. Why would she do this? What did June want?
My eyes wandered to the glass windows that showed the main walkway on the third floor.
King.
June didn’t see him. If she did, I knew what would’ve happened. The moment she spotted him, she’d race over. Wrap her arms around his neck in a big hug. She would’ve been so excited, especially with how absent he’d been.
June’s boyfriend. King.
The douchebag with the flame tattoos and scars. I knew his mom was sick, I knew he had stuff going on, but that didn’t change how little I liked him. June made so many excuses for him—she didn’t realize he was another shitty guy on her roster. Didn’t she know she could do better? Didn’t she know she deserved better?
