Page 235 of Good Boys Don’t Bite

He stopped.

“Don’t fucking come near me.”

Pain crossed Elliot’s face. Ronan saw it. Hated that he saw it. Hated that part of him still wanted to respond to it.

“You were there,” Ronan repeated.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Elliot said nothing. Ronan laughed bitterly.

“Why were you wearing a mask in Saint Augustine’s Park at two in the morning?”

“I followed him.”

“Mason.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“He hurt people.”

Ronan stared.

“What?”

“Mason.”

“I know who the fuck you mean.”

Elliot swallowed.

“He recorded people. Humiliated them. Threatened them. You know that.”

Ronan’s skin went cold. The freshman. The videos. The conversations.

“You killed him because he was an asshole?”

Elliot didn’t answer. Ronan’s chest tightened.

“Did you kill Mason?”

Silence. No. Not silence again. Ronan stepped closer.

“Answer me.”

Elliot looked into his eyes.

“Yes.”

The word was almost gentle. Ronan hit him. He didn’t decide to. His fist connected with Elliot’s jaw before thought arrived. Elliot stumbled sideways and struck the edge of the island. A glass fell. Shattered. Neither moved. Ronan stared at his own hand. Then Elliot. A red mark had already appeared along Elliot’s cheek. He touched it once. Looked at the blood on his lip. Then back at Ronan. No anger. That was worse.

“Fuck.”

Ronan stepped backward.