Page 25 of Ricochet
She slowly walked toward me, the floor creaking beneath her feet. Judging by the expression on her face, I had a feeling I wouldn’t like whatever she came here for.
“Do you have time to talk?” Her eyes looked everywhere else but at me, and I could feel my heart picking up speed, because well, I didn’t know one person that liked hearing “can we talk” sentences.
“Of course.” I sat on the bed, patting the spot next to me, and waited for her to finally come to me. This was the first time in our life that I’d seen her nervous about talking to me. She was always so open to me, always willing to share everything with me, and in these last couple of months, I could see that there was something bothering her, I just never pushed enough to find out what it was.
Or, well, I was a shitty friend too consumed with everything going on in my life to stop and take some time to talk to her like I used to.
She chewed at her bottom lip, but still kept standing a few feet away from me, worrying me.
“Ava?” I didn’t like the sight of her like this. I didn’t like it at all. “What happened?”
Her nervous energy was clogging the air in the room, and I fucking needed to know. Did she kill somebody?
If she did, I was going to get rid of the body. The universe knew I was an expert at getting rid of people, regardless of their living status.
“I-I,” she stuttered. “I did something.”
Okay, alright. Progress.
“What did you do?”
Let’s be honest, whatever she did couldn’t be worse than what I did for a living.
She finally looked at me, and the unshed tears in her eyes pulled at my soul. What in the ever-loving fuck happened?
“Ava? What did you do?” I got up and stood in front of her. I didn’t notice how skinny she’d become, but I could see her collarbones sticking below the shirt. She seemed frail, weak, and a thousand different scenarios ran through my head.
Motherfucker, I was going to kill my brother.
“Is it Theo?” A sob tore from her, and the first tear rolled down her cheek. “It is, isn’t it?”
Her body shook, and tears kept cascading down her face.
“I am going to fucking kill him.” I went to move past her, but she took a hold of my arm, stopping me immediately.
“It wasn’t Theo.” Her voice shook with every word spoken. “It was me, and I am scared you will never want to talk to me once you hear what I did, and what I want to do.”
There was something so vulnerable in her eyes, her whole posture screamed “weak”, and the urge I always had around her was there.
Protect her.
Save her.
Take her away from the darkness.
“Hey, hey.” I turned and pulled her into a hug. “Whatever it is, we will figure it out together.”
Her body shook in my hands, and she tied her hands around my waist, gripping, holding onto me.
“I’m scared, Phee.”
“Shhh,” I murmured. “It’ll be okay. I am here for you, and no matter what, I will always be here for you.”
I started pulling her toward the bed, her pale face streaked with tears—a sight I never wanted to see again.
“Talk to me,” I urged her. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”
Hey gaze was flickering from me, to around the room, and coming back to me.
