“No. We’ll build a new one. With tools we know are stable, and we’ll cross it together.”
I closed my eyes and let the heat of his words permeate throughout my cold chest. I opened my eyes to see him watching me. His eyes were kind and compassionate and full of something I couldn’t peg, but I knew it was powerful, because I no longer felt cold.
“What can I do for you?” I asked him.
His eyes blew wide for a moment. “What?”
“What do you need?”
“Don’t worry about me,” he said, trying to turn away.
“No,” I said, clutching his jacket, forcing him to face me again. “Tell me something I can do for you. Helping others is therapeutic. I want to be a better friend to you.”
He looked a little shocked. His eyes searched my face, as if he could find what he wanted to say written there. He looked torn, like he was fighting with himself, as if he wanted to say something but was forcing himself to keep quiet.
“I-I can’t think of anything,” he lied.
I tried to read his face but he’d checked his expression and whatever he was torn about was no longer there to be read.
“I’ll think of something,” I whispered.
Pillows of warm breath billowed out of his mouth. “You let me know when you do then,” he whispered back.
He had closed the remaining foot between us while we’d talked, landing inches from me yet again and forcing me to bend at the neck to see him. Heat pooled in my stomach.
“Tell me something,” he said.
“Hmm?”
“What did you and Peter Aurek discuss during your match?”
I felt my face flame and it made Salinger smile.
“H-he told me I was pretty.”
“Really?” he asked, a small tic in his jaw.
“He asked if I was trying to join their club,” I said, emphasizing the word “club.”
“Is that so?” he asked for his own benefit, another tic in his jaw.
“Then he told me he thought I was a novelty and that he took back that he thought I was pretty. That he found me beautiful but with that, he said I was like lichen on a rock. I was beautiful to look at but didn’t really belong.”
Salinger seemed to disappear altogether. He looked to the side, his jaw completely clenched.
“I didn’t want to engage him, but I couldn’t help myself. I took the bait. I asked him where he thought I belonged.”
Salinger looked at me once more, fury in his eyes. “What did he say?”
“Maybe I shouldn’t tell you,” I whispered.
“Too late. I have to know.”
“He said tha-that maybe I belonged in his bed.”
Salinger closed his eyes. He was furious; I could see it in his choked jaw. He breathed heavily, as if he tried to control himself.
He looked at me. “I wish you’d told me what he’d said that day.”
He’d turned once more, avoiding eye contact, so I took in his skin, the tension in his jaw.
“I would have if I’d known you wanted to know.”
He met my gaze again. “Always tell me that kind of stuff.” His voice was kind.
He swallowed nothing and I followed the movement. Something was building between us and not even I could explain it away. Oh my God. I want him so much.
Just then the cooler door opened and Danny came in. I thought Salinger would have pulled away from me, embarrassed at being caught that close to me, but he didn’t. Instead, he slowly lifted his head, looking over my own but not meeting Danny’s gaze.
“What’s up, Danny?” he asked coolly.
“Just wanted to let Lily know that Trace is hanging around outside asking for her.”
Salinger whipped his head Danny’s direction; both of his hands met the bit of wall behind me, encircling me.
“What?”
“Trace is outside for Lily,” Danny repeated.
Salinger looked at me. “What does he want from you?”
“I don’t know,” I told him.
Salinger’s arms dropped and he headed straight for the cooler door, passing Danny and tossing his jacket near its hook. I chased after him, tossing my jacket as well, and yelled for him. Danny followed us out.
“Salinger, what are you gonna do?” I asked him.
“I’m just going to have a little talk with him, that’s all.”
I raced past him to see Trace pacing the sidewalk outside the doors.
“Trace, leave!” I demanded, checking to see how close Salinger was.
He was right behind me.
“What the hell are you doing here, Trace?” Salinger asked him.
“Lily, the cops came by my house today,” Trace said, looking pissed. He was hopping around, full of energy. I thought he was on something. “You tell them about what I did to your tires?”
Salinger looked at me. “What did he do to your tires?”
My hands went to the top of my head. “He slashed my tires.”
Salinger’s eyes blew wide. “What!”
I turned toward Trace. “Why are you doing all this stuff, Trace? Huh? What’s wrong with you?”
Trace started acting crazier. “You wanna know why? Because you’re ruining my life!” he shouted.
Danny and a couple of the guys had come outside to see what was happening. Danny pushed forward and put a hand on Trace’s chest. “Dude, calm the hell down.”
Trace pushed against his hand, like he was going to come for me, but Danny and one of the crew guys stopped him. Salinger put his arms around me and tucked me against him.
“That bitch!” Trace pointed at me. “She fucking snitched on me and now the cops are hanging around my house. Can’t have them doing that shit!” he rambled. He’s definitely on something. “I’m going to catch you alone, bitch,” he promised, his eyes full of insanity, “and I am going to take you the fuck out!”
“Whoa! Whoa! Trace, what the fuck! What the hell are you on?” Danny yelled at him, pushing him farther from us.
Trace turned to Danny. “She’s a fucking bitch!”
Salinger held me tighter.
“Shut up!” Danny said.
“Everyone knows Lily is a whore.” I flinched. “She would have done that shit sober; everyone knows that.”
“Shut up, Trace!” Salinger yelled, bringing me even closer to him.
Trace pointed at me again. “Now the cops are crawling all over me and I can’t fucking shake them.” His tone had gone unhinged. “You better get them off me,” he spoke directly to me. “Get them off me or so help me God, Lily!”
“Or so help you God, what, Trace?” Salinger asked him, inching forward.
He loosened his grip on me, and I knew he was getting ready to jump on him.
“Salinger, no!” I said, trying to hold him back.
Mark and Demetrius stepped forward and helped me hold him.
“I’m going to put you somewhere no one will be able to find you again.” Trace stared at me, scared me. “They won’t be able to find you!” Danny and the other night crew guys pushed Trace farther into the parking lot as Trace raged out.
Just then a squad car pulled up, as someone must have called the cops. Salinger found me again and wrapped his arms around me as we watched Trace break free from Danny’s grip, racing straight for me. My breath hitched but before I could react, Salinger had already spun me around in his embrace and bent over me, his back to Trace in order to protect me. We braced for Trace to hit us, but it never came. I turned to see what was going on. One of the officers had Trace already on the ground, his knee in his back, and started cuffing him.
Salinger turned as well but kept me close to him.
“He threatened to kill her,” Salinger told the cop, who leaned over Trace.
“How many people heard that?” he asked Salinger.
Salinger gestured around us. “All of us.”
The cop nodded. “Everyone stay where you are and we’ll take statements from each of you.”
Adrenaline started to leave my body as I shook. Salinger wrapped me from behind in his arms. “Just relax,” he soothed.
“You were right,” I whispered. “I should have turned him in.”