While surveying the scene, hewastelling me something. And I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t catch a single thing. I totally blanked him out.
I go to apologize but he mutters a curse before saying, “I want you to pay attention now, all right —”
“Okay. Sorry.”
“I’ve gotsomeone,” he begins sharply, letting me know that my interruption wasn’t appreciatedat all, “babysitting him right now. Which means he’s sober like he was before. But this time, he’s also alone. And he’s going to stay that way. I’ll make sure of that. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
I nod.
Because I do understand. He’s saying that he not only paid someone — again — to look after Lucas, he’s also going to make sure that no girls arrive at the scene.
Isn’t he?
“No one’s going to bother you this time,” he continues, proving me right, his features rippling with residual anger on my behalf, from the other night. “You’re going to talk and he’s going to have to listen. Even if I have to fucking tie him to a tree to make that happen.” Then, muttering to himself, “Actually, maybe I should anyway. Things would’ve been a fuck of a lot easier if I had.”
“How did you become friends, Lucas and you?”
Given that he’s all business right now and he hated that I was distracted before, this wasn’t a wise question to ask.
But as I’ve already said, there’s so much to discover about him.
So much to learn, and I just can’t contain myself now.
I have to know.
Everything.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that he’ll tell me.
But then he does. “On the school playground.”
My eyes go wide at this morsel of information that he’s thrown me.
“He was new and so some kids were picking on him,” he finishes.
“And?”
“And so I picked on them back. As in, literally picked them up and threw them.”
“Holy shit.”
“I was a big kid.” He shrugs. “It also kinda helped that they were already scared of me.”
I don’t think it’s possible for my eyes to go any wider, but they do.
They totally do, because.
Because.
“You saved him,” I whisper over the loud drumming of my heart.
His features scrunch up in something like disgust. “Fuck no. I was a bully too. Only my targets were other bullies who picked on someone smaller than them. But same difference.”
I shake my head. “I think you totally saved him.”
He sighs sharply. “Yeah, and my reward was a week-long suspension.”
“Saved him.”