Page 93 of Novice Girlfriend

“You going to rat me out?”

I slowly gave him the look he deserved. “We made a promise. I’m here alone and went against your freaking out aunt, who I adore, because I wouldn’t overstep. Don’t be a dick to me.” I flinched. “Unless you blame me for Eunice too.”

“No.”

But he hesitated.

“I see.”

He sighed. “I don’t. No more than I blame all of us. I blame myself way more, and I hate myself for not pushing sooner no matter what people said.”

I nodded that I understood what he meant. “He was the victim, so I’m not blaming him, but he made the call. He could have told you and trusted me at least. That’s not your fault.”

He finally looked and his eyes were full of something I’d never seen from Link before… That I was a blonde bimbo. “Sure, that’s how it works.”

Then he took a long drink of the booze.

“At least eat too. Do you need anything for Loki?” I smiled when the familiar came over and gave me love. I pulled out the toy for him. “I know it’s not a normal horse toy, but I just thought it would be fun real quick.”

“I’m fine. Worried about Link. I’ve never seen him this bad,” Loki snitched. “His parents are making it all worse. Some people shouldn’t be parents.”

Truer words had never been spoken.

I managed to get Link to eat and moved the bottle away. He looked resigned to it but also like he was debating shoving me in the lake.

“You stink,” I told him honestly.

“You are the worst comfort ever,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, because when you comfort me, we hug it out,” I threw right back. “You help and lay it out for me. I’m doing the same. We’re real with each other. People are worried and you stink. I get why you’re out here, but—Taylor just smacked me upside the head that we’re all drowning and we can’t let people worry over shit they don’t need to.”

“They don’t need to,” he whispered, and sounded hurt.

I turned and shoved his shoulder. “I’m worried. I worried for you that day. I’m here worried. I meant not even reading your aunt’s texts and letting people know you’re alive. Going wherever this is. You didn’t want to be fussed over. Fair. But you’re a target now too.”

“Why are you mad at me?” he asked, studying me.

I opened my mouth to tell him that I wasn’t, but I realized that I was.

Except I wasn’t.

“I’m not mad at you, just mad because I think I’m about to make a mistake,” I admitted. “There’s no right answer here and I can’t…” I gestured to him, disheveled, in desperate need of a shower, hair hanging in his face, and shirt hanging open in December.

In a place that it shouldn’t be open in December.

I was mad because I knew what I was going to do and I was pretty sure it was going to blow up in my face.

“I don’t know how to help you besides give you something that is a gift and a curse,” I admitted as I knelt next to him, sitting on my feet. I took the bottle away and stared into his eyes. “Be real with me for one second, okay?” I waited until he nodded. “How bad?”

I swallowed loudly when I saw everything Link was feeling fill his eyes all at once, swarm around us even like a storm.

Then it was gone and he was looking back out at the water, closed down again.

“Enough with the riddles. Tell Aunt Marilyn I’m fine. I’ve always known my parents didn’t really want a kid,” he mumbled. “I know I’m out of a job. Whatever. My best friend is dead. I’ll grieve and move on. I’ll figure it out. Leave me alone.”

“I can’t any more than you could me if you found me like this, Link,” I told him honestly. “But I think the only person who can help you can’t currently hear.”

He frowned but then snorted. “Yeah, Loki. Funny. Are you going to tell me that you can…” He blinked out at the lake and slowly looked at me. “No.”