Topher had always been bigger talk than action. I could tell Wick’s threats had gotten him to back down when he hissed, “I swear to God, Webster. If I find out she was in there after all, I’ll make you pay.”
I heard footsteps stomp away, and my shoulders slumped with relief. It had worked. Whatever Wick had done out there, it had worked, and Topher was leaving. Thank God. I was suddenly buzzing with so much gratefulness from the reprieve that I barely missed Wick’s parting words to Topher who’d already left.
“You already made me pay,” he quietly told the empty hallway. “Since the moment you fucked me over freshman year, I’ve been paying.”
I glanced toward Izzy, realizing Wick had called her his sister. Furrowing my brow, I asked, “What’d he mean by that?”
Her eyes were wide as she bit her lip and shook her head slowly back and forth. “I don’t think we were supposed to hear that part.”
Yeah, but we had heard it, so now I wanted my curiosity appeased.
I opened my mouth to ask if she at least knew what he’d meant, but Wick strode back into the room and shut the door behind him, his jaw tight and eyes narrowed with distaste.
When he glanced my way, his shoulders flinched before he slowly started to relax. He blinked the anger from his eyes until he looked almost regretful, as if he’d somehow let me down.
“I don’t know if he’ll stay away, but he’s gone for now.”
I gulped and wiped the wetness off my cheeks. My knees felt weak and wobbly but I pushed upright, anyway, so I could cross the room to the boy who’d just helped me. All differences we might have aside, he’d gotten me out of a difficult situation. I wouldn’t forget this.
Opening my arms, I hugged him, letting him know just how grateful I was for what he’d done. “Thank you,” I said into a hard, pleasant-smelling chest.
Then I burst into tears again, sobbing all over him.
* * *