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“You know what the fuck I’m talking about.” This has to be the angriest I’ve seen him. But I don’t actually know what’s got him so riled. But Ava scampering off like that makes me assume it’s about Lenny. And if it is, this isn’t the place to have the conversation.
“Let’s grab a drink. You really look like you could use one.” When I move closer to him, he darts back, almost flinching, and fear covers his face.
I hold my hands up and slowly take a step towards him. “What’s going on, Toph?”
He just stares at me, a look of horror in his eyes as he says, “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
What the fuck is going on with him? “I just wanted to talk.”
“Yeah. Like youtalkedto Lenny?”
I try to keep the shock off my face, but I know I don’t succeed when validation morphs over his face as he says, “I knew it.”
“Knew what?” I holler, following behind him.
Racing down the stairs, he runs out the back door, searching for something, and I quickly find out it’s someoneas he runs straight to Ava. Grabbing her arm, he pulls her aside. A few curious partygoers watch them but most are too drunk or self-involved to pay much attention to the commotion. Thankfully.
Topher shouts, “I told you they did something.” Ava is panicking, her hands wave in front of Topher’s face as she shushes him. “I won’t let them hurt you too,” he tells her as I approach.
“Will you shut the fuck up?” Ava yells finally, getting Topher’s attention. She pulls him from beneath the patio cover and out into the rain alongside the pool. Thankfully most of the people at the party are huddled under the cover from the rain. And I quickly realize that Ava is leading him away from the crowd, so I help her.
Moving forward, I open the nearby door to the pool house and pull Topher inside. He glares at me, but keeps his mouth shut as he glances between Ava and me. A second later, the door swings open and Savannah and Neil step inside, shutting the door behind them. Right after it snaps shut, it quickly swings open again to reveal Ryder with Morgan behind him.
“A you-know-what club meeting and I wasn’t invited?” Morgan hums.
Although there’s a drink in her hand, I doubt it’s liquid courage that has her mouth running at the moment.
Topher, still in shock, looks to Ava and breathes, “You helped them.”
“No. You don’t understand…” Ava’s voice cracks as she starts crying.
“Figures. Let the waterworks start to get some sympathy.” Morgan drops onto the sofa, crossing her legs as she takes a sip of her drink. Her eyes are pinned on me. Fuck. She’s way too amused by a secret that could end her too.
“Topher, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong.” I try my best to keep a steady, nonthreatening tone. It doesn’t help.
He surges forward, hands gripping my T-shirt. “Stop lying to me.” He shoves me back, his hands going into his hair, pulling at the strands. “Will everyone just stop fucking lying to me? I need someone to tell me what the fuck is going on so I’m not fucking blindsided.”
For some reason, I don’t think this is the only thing he’s talking about. from the little I know about his dad’s situation; I’m guessing all that is coming to a head and it’s all getting to him.
Everyone remains silent, but Topher zones in on me again. “I know you killed him.”
“No—”
Before I can finish, Neil speaks up. “He didn’t do it. I did. Lenny was going to kill Morgan.” The room is soundless. Neil points to Ava, who has her hands over her mouth. “And her. He would’ve killed Ava, too, because she was there to see what he did.” Neil looks to Ava. “Tell him what the two of you did. Tell him what Lenny planned to do.”
“That’s enough,” I say, not liking the desperation I’m seeing in Neil. I don’t want him to spiral in the same way I saw him do that night. The night he shot a living, breathing person in the head. My fear isn’t that he’ll hurt someone again, it’s that his mind will go to that place, and he’ll lose it like I figured he would’ve that night when reality of what he did sets in.
“Is that true?” Topher asks. Ava only gives a quick nod in response.
“You can’t tell anyone,” Savannah pleads. “Please, Topher.”
“How do I know this was self-defense or whatever and that he didn’t just kill him for going after his girl?” Topher points to me, and the insinuation pisses me off, but I can’t claim I didn’t want to kill Lenny at the thought of him touching Morgan.
“It’s true, Toph,” Morgan chimes in, standing to move in front of the dude. “Do you really think I’d let Ava live if she did all this to me?” Morgan motions her finger over her face. “Lenny did this. Threatened to rape and kill me. And your precious little wench would’ve been next on his kill list.”
Topher remains quiet for a few seconds, no doubt processing everything until he asks Morgan, “How the fuck can I believe anything you say? All you do is lie.”
“You have a valid point.” I meet Morgan’s steely look with an amused one. “But this once, she’s actually telling the truth.”
