“Rocket?”
He sighed heavily, shaking his head.
“Sorry, babe. I fucked up.”
Huh. I sat beside him on the grubby looking step, and rested a hand on his shoulder. He looked defeated, and what the hell could have happened in the last few minutes to cause that?
“Did you have a little schoolboy mishap?”
He tensed, turning to frown at me.
“What the fuck? Of course I fucking haven’t!”
I’d hoped it’d make him smile, but something was clearly hurting him and the only person I’d seen him with since I was beside him was Micro.
“What did he do?”
Rocket’s eyes squeezed closed as he turned away from me again.
“Not him.Me.”
I dug my nails into his shoulder, getting frustrated with this drip-feeding of fucking information. This was supposed to be the night I’d get to ride that big biker dick of his.
“Rocket, just fucking tell me.”
He groaned, clenching one fist around the other, a sharp cracking sound highlighting his agitation. Ugh, it was an awfulsound, but clearly there was more going on here than what happened in the lounge.
“I think I just fucked up his life, and I didn’t mean to. I don’t know how to stop it now. I’m… I need to call Reacher.”
Who the hell… oh wait. He was the other President, right?
“Do it, I’ll sit here with you. I mean, if that’s okay?”
He nodded, digging his phone out and staring at it fearfully, taking a few deep breaths. I grabbed his hand and rested it on my thigh, his fingers immediately digging in as he dialled, and lifted the phone to his ear. He rethought it, and lowered it again. Was he chickening out?
He tapped the screen and a gruff voice sounded out loud.Oh.
“Brother, you calling me is never a good thing.” Ouch. How was that a nice thing to say to him?
“Yeah,” Rocket said hoarsely, clearing his throat, “last time was bad, but Has got his revenge. This time… this time I’ve fucked up, big time. I don’t know how to fix it.” Oh, it was about Has-Been last time. That’s what he meant, but did that make it any better?
“Tell me.”
Rocket fisted his hair with the hand I’d been hanging onto, lunging up from the step to pace as he spoke.
“I didn’t mean to. I was pissed at him, and I lashed out.”
“Stop beating around the bush, son. Who? Who needs rescuing from whatever the fuck happened?” Oh god.
Rocket groaned, his gaze flicking in my direction, and guilt all over his fucking face.
“Micro. Look… it’s been eating at me, ever since what happened back home. Ever since… you know how you all kept thinking it was me. It… it came out.”
Reacher cursed under his breath, waiting a moment to see if Rocket would elaborate.
“Tell. Me. Dammit.”
“I threw it all at him, and… I thought he’d get pissed. I mean, I’d deserve that. I shoulda taken a punch or two, but it kinda broke him instead.”
