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My eyes drifted over the beginning of a black eye and a split lip, and it was like taking a punch to the gut.
“Fuck, Josie,” I breathed out.
My entire body was trembling with anger, but I was scared to pull her into a hug, to hurt her.
47. Josie
“It’s fine, it’s okay. I’m okay,” I tried to reassure him as I pulled him into a hug, but his body was trembling. I put my hands on his scruffy cheeks to try and force him to look in my eyes, to center him. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m okay,” I said slowly.
I knew the email that went out to all the parents from the admin team was a little overkill. I tried to argue that it wasn’t needed, but they insisted.
Tyler finally hugged me back, holding the back of my head gently. “No, it’s not,” he ground out. He held my face and inspected the black eye with so much care that my heart wobbled in my chest. “Is the kid who did this expelled? Please tell me he’s gone,” he spat out angrily.
I paused. “Well, no–”
His jaw popped. His nose flared with an angry breath. He tore from my grip and paced the apartment like a caged lion as he scrolled on his phone.
“What are you–”
“I’m calling the school.”
I sighed. “No, Tyler, stop.”
“No?” He looked at me with wide eyes. “Josie, the kid pummeled you. Your eye is practically swollen shut. Your lip…” He swallowed hard and shook his head. “I’m going down to the school right now. I need to talk to them. That kid needs to be expelled.”
I stood my ground in front of the door. “Tyler, you know more than anyone that guys get tunnel vision when they fight. I talked with him, and-”
His face cracked and he looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “What? You talked to him?”
I blinked back at him. Why was he shouting? Why was he acting so irrationally? “Tyler, calm down,” I tried in a placating tone. “He’s a kid. Yes, I talked to him. It broke him that he hit me. It was a total accident. I shouldn’t have tried to break up the fight the way I did. But he feels so bad about it that I don’t think he’ll ever fight again.”
“Did you yell at him? I think I need to-”
“No, Tyler.” I shook my head at him, hoping he’d understand. I touched his chest, trying to calm him. “I gave him a hug.”
He blinked at me a few times. And then his shoulders fell. His eyebrows drew together and he tried to form words, but nothing came out. He backed away a few steps, then his face cracked, and his eyes glassed over.
I immediately pulled him into a hug and held him as he shook. Something was going on in that head of his that I didn’t quite understand, but I knew he needed the comfort.
“I guess I’m a sucker for people who have the world on their shoulders and just need a hug,” I mumbled into him, hoping he knew I included him in that category at the moment.
When he finally wiped his eyes, he looked down at me again. “I hate seeing you like this, babe.”
“It’s okay.” I patted his chest.
We stayed standing there, just holding each other for a minute, his scruffy chin resting on my head.
“Ya know, I’m kinda surprised…” I drawled, breaking the silence.
“About what?”
“You’re not running to barf at the sight of my split lip,” I said, my shoulders shaking with a light chuckle.
I thought he’d laugh, but his face remained stoic. “You can’t be joking right now, Josie. I’m still so pissed about this.”
“I’m sorry, it’s okay though, really, I’m okay,” I reassured him.
“No, it’s not. Your mine to protect. You and Stevie.”
