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"You watched…" I gestured towards the monitors.
"Yeah. I erased it all until the last second where he lunged. It's self-defense. They'll take that and leave it," he said.
I moved to his side and sat down. I couldn’t feel a thing, maybe wariness, maybe some shock, I had no idea. Exhaustion, that was what I was feeling.
Bryce grinned with a haunted look in his eye. I looked away, but sighed on the inside as he brushed a thumb across my cheek to tuck back a loose tendril. I felt the trace of blood that was left instead of his loving touch, but I didn't care. I turned and gazed at Corrigan.
"He's so pale," I murmured.
"He'll pull through. He woke up a little while ago."
"He did?"
"He's fighting." Bryce bent and kissed my forehead. "That's what we do."
EPILOGUE
Miss Connors exclaimed, "So!"
I cringed against the harsh sound and sunlight that filtered through her office windows. I curled into a ball on her chair and rolled my eyes in annoyed resignation.
"Sheldon!"
"What?" I cried out. "I graduated yesterday. I'm hung over. Sue me."
"You're annoying, you know that?"
"You're supposed to be my counselor. What happened to all the sympathy and condolences?"
"The 'sympathy and condolences' went out the window when you used a certain expletive with me that pertain to intercourse." Miss Connors smiled tightly. She twirled her finger in the air and exclaimed, "So you can 'screw off' when you ask for that."
I grinned. "That wasn't what I said."
Miss Connors sighed, folded her arms, and asked, "So how's it going with your parents?"
"What parents?"
"You know—the dad that's still out of the country? The mom that's suddenly trying to be a mother with all this media attention? Those parents."
Oh. I shrugged. "They're fine."
"They're a disappointment," Stephanie said for me because I couldn't. Two months of therapy and my counselor realized that I couldn't ever say those words, but I liked hearing them. Hell, I needed to hear them.
I shrugged again.
And she sighed. She shifted and sat on her hands, prim and proper. "You know, Sheldon, you have a right to feel anger at your parents."
"What for?" I asked.
She nodded. "What do you mean?"
"Mom's a fraud. My dad's gone. What am I supposed to feel angry about? I can't do anything about it and I'm just wasting energy."
"You still call them Mom and Dad and, yet, you talk about them like they're not your parents."
"Stop it."
"Stop what? Being your counselor?"
"You're annoying." I glanced out the window.
"I care," Miss Connors said softly and watched me intently. "And that's why you put up with me—because I care and I'm here and I'm listening. And I want to listen to more."
"Gag me."
"Maybe later."
I grinned. I couldn't help it and Miss Connors didn't hold it against me.
"So!" Miss Connors said abruptly with a bright smile as she slapped her hands on her lap. "Are you going to ask me the question why you came in for a session that wasn't mandatory today? We've been seeing each other for six months, ever since it all went down, and there's one question that I know you haven't asked and I know you want to ask…so just ask it, Sheldon."
I took a breath and asked the million-dollar question, "Why the handcuffs?"
Stephanie rolled her eyes and chuckled. She leaned back, crossed a leg over her other and sighed, "Because I wanted to annoy you as much as you annoy everyone else."
"Seriously?" I muttered.
"Seriously." She laughed. "No, there's a real reason for them, but you guys cheated when you got them off so I'm not telling."
I remarked, "You should get laid."
"I did. Last night. Twice," she clipped out and leaned forward. "It's scary isn't it? Letting people in, not controlling everything. It's downright terrifying and you don't want me to press the point, but I can't resist."
"God! You piss me off!" I snapped out.
Miss Connors smiled in victory.
What counselor would enjoy making their client squirm in fury? Mine.
"I know," Stephanie proclaimed. "That’s how I have to communicate with you."
I glared, but she was right.
"Okay, I know the hour's up. Give my best to Bryce and Corrigan. Send a postcard from Europe. I never would've thought that I'd actually miss all you guys, but Europe won't know what's hit them. Tell Bryce good luck with Barcelona."
I nodded and clamped a hand to hers. I squeezed it and then left as quick as I could. I didn't want to look back. As I walked down the hallway, Corrigan was teasing Logan with whispered promises of—I'm sure—sexual positions. Logan blushed like she always did. I was nice to her because she held Corrigan's hand in the hospital when Bryce and I weren't there.
That earned some spine of steel points in my book.
And Grace—that was the shocker heard throughout the school's social hierarchy. Grace Barton, former loser and social defect, was now friends with me. Bryce and Corrigan didn't understand it, but I saw it with my own eyes. She was sickeningly sweet at times, but she had strength that amazed me. I didn't understand her and somehow we came to be best friends.
Bryce and Corrigan hadn't changed. They were just wanted even more by every female in the school. Bryce was hailed as an up-and-coming star in the professional leagues. Girls were starting to arrive in our town, but I had more than enough venom to send them packing.
Corrigan lifted his head as I approached.
Bryce grinned and raked a hand through his Mohawk as he leaned beside my locker.
"How's Miss Connors?" Bryce asked.
"Still pisses me off."
Corrigan barked a laugh. "You're just saying that because you like her."
I glared.
Logan kissed him and I rolled my eyes.
Grace dodged a group of laughing seniors and drew abreast our group. Her smile tightened at the sight of Corrigan and Logan's locked lips, but she said, "Everything's set. Next year will pale in comparison, but as the senior class President—I can conquer uncharted seas and bring unity to our school once again."
My lips thinned and Bryce waited for my response.
Corrigan grinned, waiting, as he lifted his head from Logan's lips.
I remarked, "I'm about to vomit."
Grace was undisturbed and raised a hand in the air. "Vomit all you want, One with Negative Sarcasm, but you're gone and I'm still here next year. This school will rebound after Sheldon Jeneve." Her smile was so sweet, I really did feel nauseous. She ended it with, "Do you want to go to church right now?"
"Do you want to suck Bryce's dick right now?"
Logan blushed, but Grace’s smile stayed in place. "That's your job, not mine."
"And yours would be…?"
"Keeping your conscience intact."
It was a weird friendship.
