“Hey, I’m so glad you called,” he says and sits before me. Hope and expectation shine in his eyes.
“Caleb, I… I don’t want you getting the wrong idea.”
His smile fades.
“I called you because you said there was more to the story, and I need to know.”
“And you couldn’t ask Haze?” he hisses.
“We’re not talking at the moment, but I’m sure you knew that.” My tone is colder than intended.
“Let me guess, you’re hoping there’s more to the story so you can convince yourself the bastard is worth forgiving and run back into his arms?”
“Caleb, please,” I sigh. “I’m so sorry about what happened between us. I ruined our friendship. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it a hundred times if you want me to, but… right now, I need you to try and put our differences aside.”
With a clenched jaw, he stares blankly at the table.
“You don’t get it, do you? I was happy that you ruined the friendship, Winter. What sucks is you weren’t.”
Regret climbs up my spine. I can’t even blame him. He has feelings for me. Seeing me show up with a boyfriend after I rejected him so harshly couldn’t have been easy. I grew up alongside him. He’s a good guy, I know he is, but he was hurt. And he acted out.
“You’re right. This isn’t fair of me to ask. I’m sorry.” I reprimand myself and rise off my chair.
His hand flies to my wrist. “Winter, wait.”
I look down at him.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to help.”
Unsure, I sit back down.
“I have to warn you. If you’re expecting to feel better, you’re in for a big disappointment.”
I wait for him to continue.
“The day I followed him… he met up with some shady guy who gave him a few names, addresses. I didn’t stay through the whole thing, but I heard them talking about…” He doesn’t complete his sentence, eyeing me cautiously as if to decide on whether or not I’m ready. “There’s no easy way to say this. Are you sure you want to hear it?”
Fear grips me.
“Tell me.”
“Haze’s idea of justice is not to put this guy behind bars. He wants to kill him. Said he’s going to pay with his life.”
My heart drops.
“No, he wouldn’t.” I shake my head. “Haze would never kill anyone.”
“I heard him say it, Winter.”
Of course.
Of course Haze would be planning to kill Marcus.
How could I be so stupid to think he’d be satisfied with putting him in jail? Fourteen-year-old Haze had to watch his baby sister die. Watched her bleed out, held her in his arms while she gasped for air, watched her eyes close. That’s why he started working out and learned to fight. He said it was to learn to defend himself and protect the people he loved.
But it was to kill Marcus.
All along.