I nod in silent thanks and when he leans in, I find myself wanting to wrap my arms around him. Both of us have been hurting since that night and together, we’re able to let go of the pain.
His arms curls around my back, holding me tight for a brief second.
He releases me and digs his hand into his pocket before offering me a slip of paper. “Here’s my number. Please, if you ever need anything. If you’re in trouble or just need someone to listen while you talk, you can always call me.”
I smile and as I go to take the paper from his hand, it’s torn out of my grasp and Rivers is shoved up against the door while Tully, Shay and I gasp in surprise. “Who the fuck do you think you are giving my girl your number?”
Rivers raises a brow and his lack of response has Slade curling his hand into a fist.
Shit.
“Stop,” I say, stepping into Slade’s line of view. “It’s not like that. This is Samuel Rivers, Anton’s son. He came to talk. What the hell are you doing here?”
“You never showed at school. I came to check on you,” Slade grunts, keeping his eyes on Rivers, knowing exactly who this man is and what role he played in my mother’s death. “Talk?” he questions.
I nod. “Talk.”
“All good?” Slade asks, still refusing to release Rivers.
“All good.”
Slade nods and just when I think he’s about to release him, his fist goes flying through the air and nails Rivers hard across the jaw, but he doesn’t move. He stands there and takes it like a man and it’s almost as though he welcomed it like some form of penance for his crimes.
“That was for Rochelle,” Slade tells him before hitting him once again, this time making me question if he broke the guy’s jaw. “And that was for my mother who lost her best friend.”
Rivers nods, ready for more while no one moves a muscle, not even Tully who stands back, letting the boys handle things the way that they do.
A third punch goes barreling up into Rivers’ ribs and he doubles over. “And that,” Slade says with purpose. “Is for the hell you put my girl through, the nightmares, and her fucking birthdays, prom, and wedding she’ll never get to share with her mom.”
With that, Slade steps back from Rivers and into my side, pumping his pained fist discreetly by his side. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” I smile watching as Rivers straightens out and rubs a hand over his jaw. He turns back, presses his lips onto a tight line and nods before letting Tully lead him away, taking her baby and my troubles with her. “I’ve never been better.”
Chapter 15
I sit back in my seat, trying to focus on Mr. Raymond as he lectures the class on the appropriate behavior during an exam. It was supposed to be like any other history exam. Damian was shoved to the front of the classroom to sit facing Mr. Raymond’s desk since he can’t be trusted not to cheat. The tables were evenly spaced and the exams lay face down on them as we arrived.
We all took our seats just as we would any other day, until everything went south. So, here we are listening to this bullshit because Damian just had to start a farting competition. Is it that hard to hold it in for at least an hour? I mean, this shit was loud and proud and fuck, it stank. He chuckled with the rest of the guys in the room while the girl behind him turned green. Then came a pathetic squeak from someone’s ass across the room and it was on. Every fucking male ass in the room was suddenly on fire.
What is it with the male population and their need to out-do the other? I woke up today thinking it was going to be the best day of my life as the arrest warrant for Lucien Valentine went out. I’m supposed to be celebrating and waiting on the news that he’s been taken in, yet I’ve spent an hour listening to a chorus of flatulence.
I’ve never felt the need to dive out of a second-story window before but today was the day. The smell…fuck, the smell of fifteen boys all repeatedly forcing themselves to fart is honestly the worst thing I’ve ever endured. I swear some of these guys must have shit their pants because it’s not possible to smell that way. Focusing on this stupid exam after that was near impossible.
Nessa tried to make a run for it which was our first sign that this exam was going to be the death of us. She was instantly reprimanded and sent back to her seat and then Mr. Raymond explained that the next person to try and leave mid-exam would receive a fail.