Page 66 of Bad Wolf

My eyes bug out at that. “You didn’t go straight to college?” I honestly can’t believe it.

She shakes her head meekly and looks to the side.

“Things have been a little rough,” she admits.

I have no idea what to say to that, but I feel the first fissure crack through the foundations of the walls I erected a long time ago. She hurt me so much, but on those few occasions I did let myself think about her, I knew she’d be okay somewhere. Seems I may have been wrong.

She must read something on my face because she bolts upright and walks over to the fridge herself, returning a minute later with a Miller Lite.

She takes a long pull and I do the same.

Before I’ve even moved the bottleneck away from my lips she begins to talk.

“The day started out the same as any other that summer. My dad was nowhere to be seen and we had plans to meet for breakfast anyway, so I just jumped in the shower and got ready. You honked, and as I was slipping on my kicks, Dad came rushing through the side door.”

She tugs on her lip with her top teeth.

“I barely glanced at him, but just before I closed the door, I heard him cursing up a storm and slamming around in the kitchen. At the time, I thought he was being overly dramatic about us maybe running out of coffee, but I didn’t bother asking because you were waiting for me. I just shut the door and made my way over to your dad’s truck.”

I nod. She was wearing a shirt that had no straps at all, and with her shoulders bare, I could hardly concentrate on the road as we drove to the diner we always used to hang out in. It was all I could do to keep my hands or lips from the expanse of skin that I knew tasted like heaven and felt like silk.

“Remember that pact we made to try every breakfast item on the menu and because we were running out of time to sample everything, we just ordered the lot? Then after we stuffed our faces, you drove me home. You had a skate scheduled and I needed to finish packing. We were heading out the next day and I just wanted to make sure I didn’t forget anything.”

It was going to take us a couple of days, but we were both practically vibrating with excitement. The plan was to fill my dad’s truck up with everything we’d need, and then he and my mom were going to fly out the following weekend to make sure we settled in okay and take the car back.

“So, when I got in, Dad was still in the kitchen. He was shaking his head and muttering to himself. I rushed over to him to see what was wrong. Eventually, he broke down and told me why we’d been so flush recently.”

The fingers on my free hand dig into my thigh as I tip the bottle to my lips and drain the fucker. She continues as if I’m not about to rip the couch we’re sitting on apart. I always had a feeling her dad was into some shady shit, but being the dumbass kid I was, I could never put my finger on it.

“So he’s all,‘I’m sorry birdy. I’m sorry for what I’ve done,’and I’m saying it can’t be that bad. Talk to me and we’ll try and figure it out together.”

She shakes her head slowly and frantically wipes at her eyes but it’s no use, the tears spill over and start to fall down her cheeks. I don’t want to watch her cry, but I really need to hear the rest.

“Over the course of the next hour, he told me how he’d gotten embroiled in a network of online gamblers and some pretty nasty bookies. Knox,” she sobs, “they were betting on NCAA hockey. As soon as he admitted that to me, I knew it was all over. I knew I had to put as much distance between us as I could. Knew what this could do to you. I was never going to be able to go to MSU with you. My world was drawing in on itself.”

She buries the blanket into her eyes and her body shakes. I’m numb, so numb I can’t even think straight.

Her voice is muffled as she carries on, “I threw my entire breakfast up and then some. I cried for hours. Just sat in my room trying to figure out what the hell to do. I never ever wanted to be without you and couldn’t believe that our dreams were just… gone. We’d made it so far, getting into the same school, and then,” she shrugs her shoulders.

“By the time you were knocking on my door again, I still had no clue what to do. But as soon as I walked into that party and saw that Allan was there, I knew what it was going to take.”

That’s it. That’s all I need to hear. I explode from the couch and begin pacing. Back and forth back and forth, my head pounding and my body coiling tight until the rage is uncontainable.

“So you fucked that fuck at a partyItook you to. That was the only viable answer? Are you shitting me? We told each other everything. You! You never fuckin’ shut up. And what? You just couldn’t find the words to have a conversation with me? Are you outta your fuckin’ mind? Jesus, Wren.”

With that, she stands up too and pushes my chest with all her might. She catches me off guard and I stumble back slightly.

“No, Knox, are you out ofyourfucking mind? You honestly thought I could walk up to Allan Gale and kiss him, let alone sleep with him? Will you listen to yourself? Think about what you’re saying for one fucking second. I. COULD. NEVER. DO. THAT. TO. YOU!”

I shake my head as flashes of the night in question whiz around my brain. Up until I saw it with my own eyes, I never believed for a second that she would ever hurt me. But I know what I walked in on. She was straddling him. All her clothes were in a pile on the floor, and he was…

“But you were…and him, he was—”

She cuts me off before I can finish. Even almost saying the words has made my mouth taste sour.

“That’s just how I set it up, Knox. It took most of the evening, but I concocted my plan and made out like we were in a fight. He had done a few shots and I pretended to be into him. He asked if I wanted to go upstairs, and I let him take the lead. He didn’t even close the door properly, he was so up for it. I pushed him onto the bed and he went willingly. He stripped in about five seconds flat, whereas I only took my t-shirt off, but my skirt had ridden up. When I heard your voice and the door pushed open, I was straddling him. It was pretty dark. You saw what I wanted you to see and…You didn’t question it.”

Her voice comes out defeated, the last sentence a mere whisper. Tired from crying and shouting andlying.

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