Page 66 of Lucky Shot
“I don’t know what this has to do with Gabe. But since you brought him up—"
“Me?! Youbrought him up when you asked if I was sexting with him!”
I chuckled. “All I’m saying is that he’s a good guy. Don’t mess with him, okay?”
“It’s too late for that. We’ve been messing around, Lix. What do you think we’ve been doing?”
“Not what I mean. Don’t play naïve.”
Roux turns quiet. After a minute, he drops his head back. “He told you he likes me, yeah?”
“He mentioned it in a hinting way.”
“I told him not to,” he says defensively.
“I’m not sure that’s how this works, baby brother.”
He huffs. “I wanted a fling,” he whines. “Why can’t you sports people just be okay with that?!”
I study him as best I can while not hitting another car or a pedestrian. “I’m not sure who else you’re including in ‘you sports people,’ but have you made that clear to him?”
“I did. As soon as he approached me on the Kala islands,” he says. “What’s that place called? You know what? Never mind. Not the point. I told him I just wanted a fling. A distraction. Something easy and mindless with no expectations. I’m pretty sure I even used all those words! He has no right to like me!!”
“Easy,” I tell him, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. “I wasn’t really asking about Gabe, but I think maybe we need to talk about that too.”
“Then what were you asking about?”
At the stoplight, I give him an amused smile. “Roux, what happened with your ex?”
He doesn’t like the question at all. His expression closes off completely. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he says and turns back to the window. Turning his whole body and dismissing the question entirely.
“I’m going to let it go for now, but you know what Gabe told me?” His shoulders stiffen but he doesn’t answer. “That he thinks something ugly went down and you’re still suffering because of it. He offered to help me dispose of the body.”
Roux looks at me with narrowed eyes.
“I’m not going to force you to talk about it if you don’t want to, Roux. But please know that I’m here if you do. And consider that even if you don’t want to talk about it, it might help to do so anyway. I’m not going to judge you and I will keep everything you tell me completely confidential. You can trust me.”
He doesn’t answer. Doesn’t speak at all for the remainder of the ride. I don’t expect him to say anything, so I’m surprised when he grabs my wrist after we’ve both tied up our skates at the arena.
“Maybe I’ll talk about it,” he says quietly. “Someday. I just…” He closes his eyes and for a brief moment, I can see the grief overtake his expression. It’s just a glimpse, but it’s there, and then it’s not. “I just need to escape it all for a while. Being here, with you, even if you’re in the other room doing your own thing, helps. Because I know you’re here. I know you’ll listen, and I know you’ll do anything to protect me. That’s all I need right now.”
I nod and pull him to his feet. He’s slightly wobbly on skates, but he manages to catch his balance soon enough. I watch him skate over to the others and for a brief minute, the look of grief on his face flashes through my eyes again. I’ve never wanted to hurt someone so fucking bad in my entire life as I do right now. I wish I could destroy the person who caused him this much pain.
TWENTY
NOAH
I’m dreading going out.Not just because it means I won’t be talking to Demi for a while, but because I’ll be in a crowdwithoutElixon here to rescue me this time. It’s not such a big crowd, thankfully. But it’s a crowd all the same.
At the last minute, as I’m standing in the parking lot looking at all the people milling about, I decide I can’t do this alone. So I send an S.O.S. text.
Me
Please tell me you’re close by.
Thankfully, I only have to wait thirty seconds for a reply.
Loren Van Doren
