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“Where is she now?” I asked.
“She stayed with us in my apartment last night,” Justin said. “She had a migraine this morning, so the headmistress told her to take today and tomorrow off since she’d have gym tomorrow. She didn’t want her having to deal with the bitches in the locker room until she was ready.”
I nodded, my eyes wandering back and forth between them. “Can I go see her?”
They both looked at one another and shrugged. “That’s up to her,” Luna said.
“If she agrees, I don’t mind you going to my apartment,” Justin said.
I nodded. “Thank you both. I’m so sorry this happened. You have no idea.”
Justin sighed. “I’m going to level with you, and you’re going to listen. Understand?”
Even if I wanted to, I had no right to argue, so I didn’t even try. “Absolutely.”
“I believe what Luna said is right. Deep down, even if you don’t want to admit it, I believe a part of you likes that girl.”
I shook my head and sighed, deciding now was as good a time as any. “No… I don’t mind admitting it. I’m in love with her.”
Justin’s nostrils flared with irritation, but he nodded. “I understand—more than you realize. But let me just say this. If you truly care about her—like her, love her,whatever—then you need to protect her at all costs. Even if that means protecting herfrom yourself.”
My shoulders sagged, and my eyes fell to the table. “That’s what I was trying to do. Ever since the three of us saved her outside the bar, I’ve been trying to push her away. I realized then what she was doing to me, and I knew I could never have her. I thought if I was mean enough, she’d want nothing to do with me and would stay away. Then she invited us to go with her on Friday, and then we spent the most perfect weekend ever with her. When we came back, as much as it hurt, I thought being a dick to her to push her away was the right thing. I had no idea it would get her hurt.”
“Sometimes we hurt the ones we love the most,” Luna said, her voice surprisingly gentle. She reached out and touched my hand that was still balled into a fist. “You need to pick which side you want to be on. Youcanlove her and still choose to be her friend, knowing you can’t have anything else.”
Something crossed Justin’s face, something that looked incredibly familiar to me.Pain. “Is that what you do? Love her, but shove it down so you can be her friend?”
He sighed and looked down at the table before nodding. “Yes. I do. My reasons aren’t the same as yours, but yes. That’s exactly what I do. It’s why I know Luna is right and you can choose to do that, too.Or… you can be her enemy. But youcannotcontinue to walk the line down the middle. You’re tearing her apart and putting her in danger by doing so.”
So, Blackwell was in love with her, too. Damian was right.
“Thank you. Both of you,” I said before standing. I looked at Justin. “I’ll think about what you said. I appreciate your honesty.”
He nodded. “I appreciate you listening to it. Good luck.”
I looked around the cafeteria for my next target, and I didn’t see her. I wondered if the fucking coward was in her dorm. My musclesburned, but I didn’t fucking care. I needed to talk to Harper.
Once I was outside, I ran as hard as I could manage to the McArthur dorm. I knew Temperance’s apartment was in that building, too, but I had no idea which one. Harper’s had been the same since freshman year, and we’d partied there enough for me to know.
I banged on her door, and it took several minutes, but she finally answered—through the closed door.
“Go away, Asher. I can’t talk right now.” Her voice sounded broken, but I knew that wasn’t right. She hadnoreason to be upset right now. She got off without a scratch in that whole fucking scenario because Temperance—once again—sacrificed herself for someone else. I just didn’t understand why.
Maybe Damian’s obsession isn’t too far off… Maybe thereismore to the story.
“Open up right now, or I’m kicking it in. You fucking know I will.”
Several long seconds passed before the door finally opened. “What?” she said.
Black streaks ran down her face, and her hair was a mess. I’d seen her in the halls earlier, so I didn’t know how she could be such a mess so quickly. When she opened the door further, I took note of her wrinkled pajamas and the tissues in her hand.
“Are you just going to fucking stare?What,Asher?” she whined.
I pushed past her and slammed the door. “What the fuck were you thinking? You could havekilledher!”
“I know!” she sobbed. “Don’t you think I know that?”
“Uh, well… no. No, I do not. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have done it.”
