Torn from the original Dean's List.
Charlie's page. Her origin. Her mom. Everything.
Jude’s gaze falls back on Axel. "Axel..."
He shakes his head.
"Keep it safe, wanted to keep her…keep her."
Charlie finally moves. One shaky step. Then another. She drops to her knees beside him. "You stupid—" Her voice cracks. “Man.” She sobs. “Why! Why would you save me!”
Axel smiles at her.
It isn't the smile he gave Jude.
Or me.
It's softer. Like he finally understands what a real smile means. “I know.”
She hits his shoulder. "I never asked you to do that."
"No, you didn’t." His eyes close for a second. "But you deserved one person who would fight for you, and the minute you said yes, I volunteered."
The entire parking lot disappears.
The police.
My father.
Jude’s father.
The Dean's List.
The lies.
None of it matters.
Charlie breaks down falling across Axel as his blood pools. Jude’s cousin is dying. I have no idea who shot him. And our world will never be the same.
He glances at Jude. Then at me. His voice is barely there. "Take care of each other, world’s ugly, list is uglier."
His hand slips from Jude’s.
Paramedics push us back.
People shout.
Someone is arrested.
Someone is reading rights.
I don't know who.
I don't give a fuck.
Because Charlie is kneeling in the middle of the parking lot, covered in Axel's blood.
And for the first time since I've known her...
