Page 15 of Friend
He must have tried to wink—or something else equally as disgusting—but I couldn’t tell. But Bianca’s response was, as normal, completely on par. “What’s wrong with you? Is there something in your eye?”
His neck grew pink with embarrassment, and I started forward, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the explosion came.
“You stuck-up bitch!” He practically sputtered out the words. “I think I liked you better when you couldn’t talk.”
Bianca’s curious expression dropped, replaced with one of cautious trepidation. “I-I’m…”
He grabbed Bianca’s elbow and pulled her toward him. “Do you think you’re too good for me?”
My heart was roaring by the time I reached them, every second taking too long. But he hadn’t had time to do much, only threaten, before I grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him across the hallway.
He fell into the wall before slumping to the ground in an almost unconscious heap, and Adrian and Drew, wisely, didn’t move to protect their friend this time.
“Sorry!” Drew squeaked. “I didn’t know he’d do that!”
I half expected Adrian to come after me next—but there must have been something showing in my face. His shoulders tightened as he crossed his arms. “Not my problem.”
There was something unsettling about his expression, and I found my attention lingering on him a moment longer. But he drew back even further.
I vaguely wondered what I might look like to have them both afraid, but then I realized I didn’t care.
“Get him out of here,” I told him, already turning toward Bianca.
I barely heard muttered responses. My entire focus was on her.
She was holding her head as she leaned against the wall, features light as she swayed. She seemed to be thoroughly confused and fragile.
My thoughts roared with fury, and it was probably best that the two stooges had already scampered off with their unconscious leader dragged between them.
“Finn…”
I could barely hear her, and my mouth went dry in fear. Maybe she was in shock? Was she having a flashback?
I read about this but wasn’t entirely sure how to deal with it. But I did know that approaching her the wrong way, or too quickly, would scare her.
What should I do?
Then she looked up, reaching for me as she stumbled. At the moment, I could only do what felt right.
I rushed forward, catching her as she fell forward, and she leaned into me as I lowered us both to the ground.
She touched her face and looked past me. “Finn,” she said again, and her voice wavered. My heart twisted as my focus was stuck at the place where her jaw was already turning purple. “Finn, I think something is wrong with Cory.”
My anger wavered at her strange statement. Of course, something was wrong with him, he was—
“Maybe he’s having a hard time at home,” she added as her features pinched in concern. “This behavior isn’t normal.”
She’d been assaulted and she wasworriedabout him? I wanted to shake her.
“It’s normal.” I tried to dissuade her. I could already see where this was going, and if I didn’t stop it now, it would take forever to escape this rabbit hole. “He’s tried to hurt you plenty of times.”
She nodded in agreement. She didn’t even flinch as I held out her arm, checking to see if he’d bruised her elbow. Thankfully, there was nothing, but her focus was still far away. “But he’s never acted likethisbefore—it’s only been threats and stupid stuff. He must be going through something terrible.”
Well, changing hormones were terrible—especially for wolves. But I doubted that was what she was referring to.
“Finn—” She clutched at my shirt, and my world stopped as the warmth of her heat pressed closer to me. Obviously, she wasn’t very close at all—not according to normal standards, at least—and it was only her hand pressed against my chest while she gazed distractedly past me. But our knees werealmosttouching, and I could imagine that, if she really wanted, she was close enough to press up and kiss me.
Then she finished her statement—dreaded words in any situation when it came to her—and any happiness that had been found in this unexpected moment faded. “—We should research this.”
