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“So, you help by hanging around with this dick?” He glares at Malcolm with hatred in his eyes.
“Malcolm was the only one around when you were off somewhere with Vivian!” I shout back.
“I told you I didn’t want you hanging out with him!” he roars at me before turning back to Malcolm and charging towards him with alarming force. “But since that didn’t sink in, let me try telling you! Stay the fuck away from her!”
“I better go,” Malcolm announces, stepping back toward the door.
“No! You stay!” I command. “Emmett, you’re being ridiculous! Are you not hearing what we’re saying? Vivian and Lily were the last ones to see Bernadette! They can’t just slip their way out of this one. They need to be seriously interrogated.”
“I talked to them at lunch today. They don’t know anything,” he insists. “They’re just as worried as we are.”
“Did they say anything about the mall?” I ask in annoyance. “Or when they last saw her?”
“They mentioned something about the movies, but not the mall,” he replies.
“See!” I shriek, flailing my arms. “Why would they lie about that? Unless they’re not telling you everything!”
“Because they’re airheads?” he sneers. “I don’t know. They probably just forgot.”
“Fucking insane.” I shake my head, wrinkling my chin. “You’re still defending them. This is the first real lead we’ve found on anything and it points straight to them. And you’re still standing here insisting they’re innocent!”
“She’s right, man,” Malcolm backs me up. “I don’t think you should write them off so quickly.”
“You get the fuck out of here!” Emmett charges again, taking him by the shirt collar with clenched fists as he screams in his face. “I don’t want you having anything to do with this! And if you come near Ophelia again, I’ll fucking kill you!”
“Emmett! Stop!” I scream, rushing over to try and pull him off.
“I’m gonna go.” Malcolm tries for the door again. “Sorry for bothering you like this. I hope it still ends up helping somehow.”
“Fuck you!” Emmett pumps his fist. “I don’t trust anything you say or anything that comes from you.”
Malcolm ignores him and turns to me, making it worse. “Do you want a ride?”
I feel pathetic. I know how this must look to him. I should just leave with him now while Emmett is behaving this way. Threatening to kill people in a jealous rage, all because he’s too hung up on his ex to admit to himself that she obviously had something to do with this.
But I still fall back on blaming myself. I shouldn’t have brought him here. I feel like an idiot for not listening to him and realizing how badly it would go. I knew Emmett didn’t want us hanging out, I was just so desperate to turn things around for the sake of his well-being…and our relationship.
“No,” I answer finally with a heavy sigh. “I’ll walk you out.”
“The hell you will!” Emmett lurches forward and grabs my arm.
“Let go of me!” I jerk away from him. “I’ll be right there, Emmett…Jesus! What do you think I’m going to do? Hang all over him with you just a few feet away? Oh, wait…that is what you do with Vivian. So, I guess it’s not that far-fetched.”
With no defense and looking humiliated after being put in his place, he directs his rage back toward Malcolm. “Leave!” he fumes.
I ignore him and follow along outside, slamming the door shut behind me. “I’m so sorry, Malcolm. I should have listened to you. I had no idea he’d react that way.”
He shakes his head and pulls his lips to the side, looking at me with wide eyes. I know he’s judging me now more than ever. Emmett is looming in the window, tearing through the blinds to see us.
“Are you sure you don’t want a ride?” he offers again, with a pleading expression.
“No. It’s okay.” I turn around to see the impatience growing on Emmett’s face as he stares out at us. “Emmett will take me home. I’m sorry again.”
He finally accepts my decision and opens his car door. “Take care of yourself, Ophelia,” he calls out in a pitying tone as he gets in. “Call me if you need anything.”
The room door flies open again as Emmett comes hurtling out. “She doesn’t need anything from you!” he screams and kicks towards the car as it speeds away.
I grab him by the arm and pull him back inside. “What the fuck is wrong with you! I can’t believe you lost your shit like that! I’m so embarrassed. He was just trying to help!”
