I may not have pushed Maddie, but according to this report, someone did.
Wiping my tears away, I get to my feet and unlock the door. Just as I pull it open, Neo gets up from where he was sitting on the other side. His hand extends to me, giving me a small black coin purse. “Found this. Stalker must’ve dropped it on his way out. Looks like the sleeping pill you should have taken, and Crew’s stolen key. This must be how he got in.” He stalks into the bathroom and snatches the crumpled paper off the floor. Snarling, he steps past me and leaves the room.
I hurry to the doorway, pressing my palms to each side. “Neo,” I holler, and he stops but doesn’t turn around, “I didn't do it. But someone did and I’d like to help you find out who that person is, if you’ll let me.”
He keeps walking, pulling his bedroom door open, then he slams it shut.
ChapterTwenty-Two
SCAR
“Hey,”Jagger says, sliding under the blanket with me. My eyes are wide open and haven’t shut all night. “I heard about what happened. I can’t believe no one called us.”
“Neo wanted to, but I didn’t want you guys to worry. Besides, Neo ran him off.”
“Doesn’t matter. He swapped your sleeping pill and you could have been seriously hurt.”
Jagger curls his fingers, running them down my cheek, and I catch a glimpse of dried blood. I take his hand in mine and hold it in front of my face. “Oh my gosh, Jagger. What happened?”
I sit up, bringing his injured hand with me, and that's when I see his swollen left eye.
“You got in a fight!”
“I’m fine. But you should see the other guy.”
“This isn’t funny. Who were you fighting?” I run my fingers over his knuckles, smearing some of the fresh blood, and that’s when I realize this wasn’t last night, it had to have been this morning. “It was Neo, wasn’t it?”
“Is it any worse than you taking a chunk out of his arm?”
I cringe at the thought. I did that. I smack my tongue around in my mouth, searching for his taste. Fortunately, it’s gone. “In my defense, I was under the influence last night. I’m surprised I didn’t strangle him after he choked me…”
My words trail off, knowing I spoke too soon.
Jagger shoots up, getting onto his feet. “After he what?”
“No. It’s okay. I’m fine. Really. He didn’t hurt me.”
Grabbing my chin, he turns my head left, then right, searching for any sign of Neo’s fingerprints. His lip curls up and he drops his hand before walking thunderously to my open door.
“Jagger. Wait!” I holler, throwing the blanket off myself and getting to my feet. I don’t make it far before my head begins pounding. It feels like my brain is caught in a tornado, and it’s slamming against my skull. I grip both sides of my head then sit back down. “Jagger!” I try again to no avail.
Crew’s walking past my door when he gives me a double take. “Whoa, babe.” He hurries to my side. “You okay?”
“Just got up too fast. I’m fine. Will you go after Jagger before he kills Neo? Please.”
“Neo’s not here. He left.”
I lift my head and drop my hands in my lap. “Where’d he go? School doesn’t start for another hour.”
“Not sure. He just walked out the door, got on his sled, and took off.”
“Is he pissed because of his fight with Jagger?”
“Because of his fight with both of us. He deserved it, Scar. He’s run his mouth enough. He needed to be put in his place.”
I grab Crew’s hand, searching for signs of injury, but I see none.
“I didn’t fight him with my fists. I fought him with my words.”