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Excuse me, what?
“And you knew all of this information because…”
“I ran background checks on all of you. Don’t be insulted or flattered, I do background checks on everyone I surround myself with. I ran one on Dr. Franks, and I’m running checks on the Coolsons as we speak.”
Unbelievable. I have never in my life met such an arrogant, pompous asshole.
“So you just… sifted through all of our personal information and made decisions based on our records, not once considering asking us about any of it?”
“Well, yes. It wasn’t as detailed or as casual as that. I have to make sure the people I spend time around are safe-”
“You don’t think that’s kind of paranoid?” I interrupt.
“I have my reasons.” His cryptic answers are grating on my nerves.
I raise my eyebrows and look at the other guys. They’re not exactly backing me here, but they do seem wary of the situation.
Bennet sighs heavily.. “You all know who my father is. The vast majority of people who come into my life do so because of him. They either want to get close to him, because of his business connections or his money, or they want to get close to me on his behalf.” He sighs again at our blank faces, pausing to contemplate how much he wants to tell us.
“You know, for someone who goes out of his way to supposedly make sure everyone else is trustworthy, you aren’t giving us much to go on here,” I reason. “Especially considering it is you that is leading the pack on a growing list of illegal activity at the moment.”
“You’re right.” His admission surprises me.
“My father has hired people to get close to me, to watch me and report back on my personal life. As long as I keep my every move on the straight and narrow and don’t let anyone close to me, I seem to be able to stay off his radar for the most part.”
Damn.
“Well, for the record, that public nudity charge was bullshit. All I did was pee on a bush, but I didn’t realize said bush was in a public park, or that I had unknowingly mooned a whole Tai Chi class.”
Bennet stops texting and looks up at me with confusion, his forehead creasing and mouth turning down. His mouth opens like he wants to say something but closes it, pursing his lips together. The other two guys burst out laughing at his facial expression.
I drain the rest of my now cold coffee and wink at him as we head back to check on Mia. Micah slaps Bennet on the shoulder as they walk by, still laughing as we head back to the room to see how things are going.
Luis
After Lukas made an ass of himself, I feel the need to prove myself and gain her trust. He doesn’t speak for all of us, I certainly don’t feel obligated to be here. But more than anything, I want her to have reassurance and comfort right now. Which is one reason I asked to stay. Mostly I just didn’t want to leave her.
Holding her hand through the rape exam was tough. At first, I felt awkward and worried my presence could be inappropriate or uncomfortable for her. But the moment she angled her head towards me, and I saw even one single tear escape, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be – where she needed me to be.
Hoping I wasn’t invading her personal space too much, I got closer and whispered whatever comfort I could think of. I told her that she was doing so good, that it would be over soon, that she was so strong.
I whispered that I would kill every single motherfucker that had ever hurt her. And I meant it.
When I heard a metallic sort of snapping sound and saw her flinch, I couldn’t help myself. My lips pressed against the exposed part of her forehead between her eyes and tried to lend her all the strength and comfort I possessed.
My focus was on her, but part of me was also thinking about my mother and the last memory I have of her before I got sent to foster care.
I was in my room, reading a comic book I had gotten at the school library. My mother was in the living room, which is where she slept. It was getting late, and I was hungry. I got up and tiptoed past my mother, who was laying on the couch, zoned out.
My mother took no notice of me, which was pretty normal, and I made my way to the little corner kitchenette. The fridge was empty, but I found some peanut butter sandwich crackers and filled a cup of water.
I was still in the kitchen when I heard people outside, talking and laughing loudly. I can’t remember every detail, but one of them was shouting, “WHERE IS THE PARTY?!?!”
It was pretty common for there to be loud commotion in the hallways or to hear partying or fighting through the thin walls, so I didn’t think much of it. Not much phased me, and I could sleep through just about anything.
But then they started beating on the door. “IZZY! Yo, Izzy! It’s ya boy from the corner store! I brought party favors, girl, let us in!”
They continued to beat on the door, but my mother didn’t move. She briefly moved her gaze from the television and looked up at me, still expressionless.
