“You don’t need to ask me. You knew what I would do. That’s exactly why you didn’t tell me when it happened.”
I did know. But I also didn’t know that Jameson went to NYU. I didn’t even think to look. I’ve done everything I could to forget he existed.
“I shouldn’t have told you.” I sigh. “What’s going to happen now? Did anyone see you? Shit, do we need a lawyer? What are you even doing here, Lex?” My mind whirls with every possible scenario that could happen. None of them involve Lex living the rest of his life free, and all of them show him behind metal bars. I stand and pace the small length of my dorm room. “I can say you were here with me. I can be your alibi.”
“You’re not lying for me, Addi. Good to know you would, though.” He smirks.
“This isn’t funny, Lex,” I growl at him. “This is bad.”
“Besides, the entire football house saw me.” He shrugs. “But no onesawanything. They’re not stupid enough to testify against a Petrov, Addison. Nothing is going to happen.” Lex stands. “You look nice. I forgot to tell you that when you opened the door.”
“What?” I turn and glance in the mirror. “I don’t look nice.”
“I think you do.”
“I don’t want to look nice, Lex. I try everything I can to not look nice, so please tell me the truth. I look frumpy, like someone you wouldn’t glance at twice. Right?” I stare at my reflection. My eyes are puffy with black circles, my skin pale from the lack of sun and probably nutrients. My hair is two days past needing a good wash.
“Fine, you look like shit,” he says. “Better?”
“Yes. Thank you.” I sigh.
“Why don’t you want to look nice, Addi?” Lex asks.
“Because I don’t want to gain attention. If I look like shit, guys aren’t going to want to… you know…” I let my words trail off.
An expression I can’t decipher crosses Lex’s face. “Eat your breakfast. Then I’ll walk you to your first lecture,” he says.
“Thank you.” I sit back down at the desk chair and pick up the muffin. “Tell me something good. What’s happening in the life of Lex Valentino-Petrov?”
“Let’s see. The best thing that’s happened to me in the past year and a half is… I just got my best friend back,” he says.
“Why do you still want to be friends with me?”
“You’re the best human I know, Addi. Why wouldn’t I want to be friends with you?”
“Because I’m broken,” I whisper.
Chapter Thirteen
Hearing Addison call herself broken fucking sucks. I want to go back and beat the shit out of that fucking prick again.
“You ready to go to class?” I ask her, instead of trying to convince her that she’s not broken, because I know she’s not going to hear what I have to say.
“Um, sure.” Addison stands. “But seriously, Lex, do you really think you should be here?”
“Where else would I be?”
“Somewhere the cops won’t ever find you would be a good place,” she says.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“Thank you,” she whispers. “I didn’t want you to act on my behalf, Lex, but thank you for doing it anyway.”
“He’s never going to be able to hurt another person, Addison. People like that don’t deserve to keep breathing.”
When we exit her building, the last thing I expect to see is my father. He’s standing by the stairs, waiting.
“Papa?”
