AllFreeNovel
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2
Three weeks earlier
“So you’re really going to do this? You’re going to join Camden’s crew?” Eastern asks me as we leave Mr Carmichael’s office and head out of the main building’s front entrance.
“Are you kidding me? Of course I’m going to do this. When have I ever backed out of a promise?”
“I know…shit, Asia. This is fucked up.” Eastern stops on the top step, his shoulders slumping as we wait for Chief Inspector Crown to finish talking with Mr Carmichael. It’s well into dinnertime, and the rest of the students are eating. I can hear the usual cacophony of sound coming from the dining hall. When I look at him he’s wearing a pained expression on his face, one that I immediately want to soothe.
“I can handle Camden.”
“Maybe so, but can you handle gang life, Asia? Can you handle the expectations? It isn’t just Camden you need to deal with, it’s the rest of the crew too.”
“You’re not wrong there,” I confirm with a wry grin. My hands go automatically to the spot on my chin that’s still coloured with the now yellowing bruise. The second I press my fingers against my skin, I regret it. Eastern frowns as his gaze narrows in on that point.
“What the fuck happened?” he grunts, grabbing my hand and pulling it away. He brushes the pad of his thumb against the still sore spot. I wince.
“I dealt with it…”
His eyes become slits. “Camden?”
“No, a kid called Monk. The arsehole’s in hospital still. He won’t mess with me again.”
“Motherfucker!” Eastern shouts, looking at me with regret, anger, guilt. I reach for him, squeezing his arm.
“No, don’t do that. It isn’t your fault.”
“But you joining Camden’s crew, thatismy fault. I’m not sure I can live with it, Asia. We should go back in, tell them the deal’s off the fucking table…” Eastern moves to return inside, but I grab his arm, shaking my head.
“Hush,” I say, stepping forward and glancing around me before leaning in to whisper in his ear. “I’m okay with this, and you’ll have to be too. It’s the only way we can protect everyone, ourselves included.”
“That makes no sense, Asia. You’re not protecting yourself by joining Camden’s crew.”
“I can deal with a little short-term pain for long-term gain, Eastern. Icando this.”
“Here you are protecting me again,” he continues. “You kept your mouth shut about the fact I was with you at Mr Patel’s shop and now you’re going to join Hackney’s Hackers for me. I can’t let you do it… Mum and Bray will be okay now that I’ve talked. You could’ve said no to the rest of it. Fuck that, I should’ve made you say no.”
I squeeze his arm, lowering my voice. “I’m not backing out, Eastern. This is the end of the conversation. We can’t discuss this here. Camden can’t know about the deal we made. No one can.Not ever.”
Eastern sighs heavily, pressing his cheek against mine. “I’m sorry for all of this bullshit, Asia. If I could turn back time I would change what I did in a heartbeat.”
I pull back, clutching his face in my palms. “And leave your mum to support Braydon on her own? No, you did what you thought was right, there’s nothing wrong with that. Even if I might not have agreed with your choice, I understood it.”
Eastern places his palm over my hand and presses his eyes shut. A familiar gesture that tells me he's barely holding on to the emotions he’s feeling. “It was still a stupid thing to do,” he admits. “Now look where we are.”
“Maybe so, but we don’t have the luxury of going about things the legal way. You were desperate. Igetit.”
Eastern sits down on the top step and pulls out a packet of cigarettes, lighting one up. He draws in a deep lungful before expelling the air on one long breath. I take a seat next to him.
“You’re not allowed to smoke on the premises,” I say evenly, knowing full well I do the same, just not so obviously. I hang out of my bedroom window like a badass. “Do you want to get in trouble before you’ve even started?”
He nudges me with his shoulder. “Seriously, Asia. I don’t think one cig is going to get me expelled and sent back to juvie, especially not after all the information I’ve just given Crown.”
“Good point.” Shuffling a little closer, I lean my head on his shoulder and rest my hand on his thigh. He kind of stiffens, then relaxes. He’s not really used to me being so touchy-feely. Honestly, I’m not used to it either, but it doesn’t make me move away. I’ve missed him way too much to be self-conscious now. Besides, we’d shared a pretty hot kiss not more than a few minutes ago and he’s my best friend, and I hate that he’s leaving me again so soon. All of that counts towards me not giving a shit about what anyone thinks if they happen across us right now.
“I’ve missed you,” I murmur, my fingers tightening around his thigh.
“I’ve missed you too, so fucking much.”
