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When he’s gone, Diego takes my arm, that warm hand spreading heat I desperately need through me.
“What the fuck, Nadia? That was stupid.”
“At least I’m not going around town asking about you.”
He frowns, and I want to touch the scrape on his cheekbone. “Asking . . . what do you mean?”
I shrug and pull free so I can think. He short circuits good sense when he touches me, and I think I need all I can get, because I’m starting to shake. I sink on the arm of the sofa. “At the school? You were there. My friend, Josie, said—”
“Wasn’t me, Longstocking. I didn’t need to go searching. I knew where you were.”
“She said a big guy. Had to be you.” I frown.
He looks less than pleased. “Not me. You need to be fuckin’ careful, Nadia. And after tonight . . .”
I stand up. “I’m not going to be intimidated in my own hometown.”
“Nadia, those were—”
“I don’t care. I’m going and getting a tequila, and then I’m taking care of your face. And we’ll talk.”
He sighs, irritation lighting up his features. “I’ll have a strong one and send Jay in. I think we need to talk.”
I nod and go to the kitchen. Jay’s sitting at the table, slumped with his head in his hands. “Jay?”
He rolls his eyes up to me. “Are you gonna send me to juvie?”
“I don’t even know how to do that.” I sigh and cross my arms. “My friend wants to talk to you.”
“What?” His eyes bug. “He’s huge, and he wasn’t even scared of those guys. And I didn’t do anything.”
“Maybe not tonight, but you want to end up like them? Living like that? Doesn’t look like a good life to me.”
“No. But . . .” Then he straightens his shoulders and puts his tough guy face on. “You’re not the boss of me.”
“Go. Now.”
He gets up, the chair scraping the floor, and I lean over the counter, crossing my arms, laying my head there as I breathe long, slow, and deep. The tears prickle behind my eyelids, and my throat burns.
Instead of crying, I open the tequila, pour some in a glass and toss it back, trying not to shudder at the burn that hits the back of my throat making me want to cough.
It’s better than whatever that guy tried to slip me. Thank goodness the sip I took was so tiny it did nothing.
What if Diego hadn’t been there, or I’d downed it? What if—
I make myself stop. I don’t have space for a game of what if. It leads nowhere good. Instead, I set about making the drinks. I’m about to head to the living room when Jay appears.
“I’m really sorry, Nadia. I know I hurt you.” That was definitely Diego making him do it, but he did it, and I’ll take the win. Then his eyes fall on the drinks. “Can I—”
“You’re sixteen, no you can’t.” I take a breath. “You’re staying here, tonight, right?”
He has the grace to turn brick red. “Can I move back in?”
“Yes. But my rules, okay?” He nods. “Go to bed.”
He takes off. I know it feels like everything magically sorted itself out, but I know it’s just the aftermath of the evening, and there’s a bumpy road ahead.
“Hey.” I hand Diego his drink and take a sip of mine. “I need to find the first aid kit.”
