AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I trusted you! I gave you my time, my brotherhood!” Simon continues. “I put myself out there for you, and this is how you...” I lose some of the words, but I get the gist.This is how you repay me.
Tristan sobs, and I step forward, putting my hand on Simon’s forearm. “Simon.” When he doesn’t let go, I sharpen my tone. “Simon! Let go. He’s a boy. A scared and angry boy. He needs love, not violence.”
I can see it. Tristan is big—a young man in truth—but he’s also a boy. A boy who’s never known love, kindness, or acceptance. A boy who’s raging against the hand he was dealt and feels like Simon was given the winning lottery ticket out of hell at a time when he’s getting shoved out the door of the only home he’s known and into an even worse existence of post-orphanage life. It doesn’t excuse what Triston’s done, not in the slightest. And there will need to be consequences, but not this. Not a beating at the hand of the one person who’s shown him kindness. I’m afraid that would only reaffirm Tristan’s trust issues.
Simon’s eyes cut to me, and for a moment I’m worried, but Simon lets go, shoving Tristan back. “Go! Get out of here!”
Tristan stumbles backward, his eyes shooting fiery, pain-filled hate. He smooths the wrinkles of his shirt harshly with his palms and then spits out something in French that I think roughly means ‘fake’ before turning and storming off.
Simon grabs my hand, pulling me down the hallway the opposite way from where Tristan went. He tries a door, growling when he finds it’s locked.
“Simon?” I ask, not sure what’s going on.
He was so angry. I really thought he might hit Tristan. Not that Tristan didn’t deserve it, but still...
On the third try, Simon finds an unlocked door and pushes me inside, slamming the door shut behind us. He’s panting hard, and when he flicks on the light, I can see that his eyes are bright and wild, and we’re in some sort of small linen closet.
“Simon?”
