I saw James gulp bitterly, looking down. It felt like looking at a caged lion, and I didn’t like the look of duress at all.
“I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”
“Do that, James,” suggested William, extending his hand to help him up.
“How about we go home?” suggested Jackson, who was visibly agitated.
James held himself up on the sink, nodding.
“Now? Austin is waiting for me upstairs,” announced Will, walking to the door.
“Don’t you see what kind of state he’s in? Please, Will.” Jackson begged him quietly, pointing at James’s wrecked figure.
“No. I’m finishing this, and then we’re leaving,” William continued, shaking his head stubbornly.
“He threatened to kill him, Will,” My voice cracked, so much so William turned to me.
Only then did he seem convinced to listen to us.
“Then we’ll go home,” he spat, slamming the door.
“Will!” Jackson followed him, glancing furtively at me before leaving.
“Move it, let’s go. I’m not staying in here for even a minute longer.”
James reached in his pocket and pulled out a vape pen.
“James, um, we should—”
“I didn’t want you to see all this.”
His head was slightly bowed as he looked down at the floor.
“It’s part of you. Isn’t it?” But he didn’t answer. “What is it, James?”
When he slowly lifted his head up, he looked at me weirdly.
“Tell me, what is it,” I whispered, inching closer to him.
“Look, if you care about Will, you should be there for him. In the good times and the hard times. And I think soon—”
“Yeah.” I answered without hesitation.
But then a feeling of guilt pummeled me in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t deny it.
“I feel guilty about the other night,” I admitted, my gaze lowered.
“For what?”
“There aren’t many things I should feel guilty about, James.” I felt my cheeks sting. The memory was too vivid, and his gaze was too intense.
“You mean . . . ?” he provoked. I was frozen in front of him.
“We gotta go.”
I pulled back, but James grabbed me by the wrist.
“What’s your deal? Are you scared?”
