“Jameson,” he hisses out.
I flinch at the name. “How…?”
“Addison, you should have fucking told me,” Lex says. “I would have helped you. I would have done anything for you.”
“I know.” I look down again.
“Fuck,” he grits out. “Sorry.” Lex stares at me, and it’s as if he’s trying to see deep into my soul. “What can I do?”
“There’s nothing you can do, Lex. It’s just something that happened to me that I’m learning to live with. I’m moving on,” I tell him.
“Have you talked to anyone?”
“I have a therapist. I’m pretty sure your mom sent her,” I explain. “And paid for my sessions.”
“Good,” he says, pausing as if just now reminded of something. “Why were you running today? What happened today?”
“I was supposed to be in my first lecture. I went. I sat down, and then when someone sat next to me, I freaked out and ran. I don’t really like being near people anymore,” I tell him.
“You’re near me right now,” he says.
“You don’t scare me, though. You make me feel safe, Lex.”
“What if I come to your lectures with you tomorrow? Or we just sayfuck collegeand take some online courses?” he suggests.
“You are not changing your life for me, Lex. I’m not going to ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking,” he says.
“I’m going to try again tomorrow. It will be fine. I can do this. I can’t hide away forever.”
“Actually, if you need to, you can. I can help you hide from the world, Addi,” he tells me.
“I don’t want you to try to fix me, Lex. This is my problem, not yours. I never wanted it to be yours. That’s why I left.”
“Best friends always help each other, Addi. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t help you? I should have come and found you. I should have chased you down and not just let you walk away like you did. I’m a fucking idiot.”
“I didn’t want you to follow me, Lex. I wanted you to finish school, to make it to college. I didn’t want to fuck your life up.”
“Youfuckmylife up? I do a pretty good job of that myself, Addi. You only make my life better.” He pauses. “I’m glad my parents were there for you, though.”
“Your mom has been great,” I tell him. “I don’t know what I would have done without her help, to be honest.”
Chapter Eleven
Ileft Addison in her room with a promise to come back in the morning. I didn’t want to leave her. If she’d let me, I’d stay glued to her side twenty-four fucking seven so nothing could ever hurt her again.
But right now, I have a fucking asshole to drain of blood. Jameson. I happen to know exactly where he is too. That fucker is on the football team. Although he’s not going to be breathing much longer.
First, I’m going to need supplies and the closest place to get what I need is my sister’s house.
I pull up to Mabilia’s, hoping she’d be out. But of course, I don’t have that kind of luck on my side. I don’t bother going into the house. I know she’ll come and find me. Instead, I help myself to her garage and then punch in the code for the walk-in safe. My sister is a nutjob, but times like this, her insane mind comes in handy because she has a fully stocked mini armory.
I’m filling a bag with ammo when I eye a flamethrower and pick that up. I plan to cause as much fucking destruction as I can tonight.
“Lex, what are you doing?” Mabilia stops in the doorway.
“I need to borrow a few things,” I tell her.
