The Twenty Year Triangle

Chapter Forty-One

"Touch him I'll kill you." Hunter steps in front of me and edges closer to Wade, who hesitates a bit when he sees Hunter coming closer.

"Kinz, back up," Billy is now pushing me further back so he can stand next to Hunter when I hear a loud gasp from behind me.

"Stephie, go wait in my room. I got to deal with this for my sister," Billy says as he turns back, and then his eyes widen as he takes her in.

I look over at her and see her face is stark white, and she is gaping at Wade. Billy is saying her name, and she looks at him with terror when she speaks.

"It's him. That's him, Billy," Stephanie whimpers.

"Wha-? Are you sure?" Billy asks, and she nods.

"You mother fucker!" Billy screams and then lunges for Wade.

Brandi, Stephanie, and I scream as Billy lands on top of Wade. Billy starts to land a few punches, but Hunter pulls him off while he fights hard. Hunter is stronger, though, and he gets Billy off Wade.

Billy struggles with Hunter as Wade slowly gets to his feet, his left eye red and swollen and his hair all messed up. Hunter is holding Billy back, but he's working hard to try and get away. Meanwhile, Olly has his arm around Brandi, who has started shaking and looks to be crying, but her face is buried against Olly's arm, so I can't tell for sure.

"Stop!" Stephanie screams at the top of her lungs. "Billy, please, stop."

Billy stops cold, his eyes pained but still angry as his gaze meets hers.

"I got to kill him, Stephie, for what he did. I have to."

"No," she pleads.

"For you, Baby. He has to pay," Billy begs.

"He will, but not like that. Not this way."

Stephanie takes a step forward, stands next to me, and shakily grabs my hand. I take it, and she squeezes it so tight it hurts, but I only stand closer to her and remain silent.

"You are going to pay for what you did," Stephanie looks past us to Wade, who darts his eyes away from hers. "All this time... I had no idea who, and now I do. You didn't go to our school, so I didn't know your name."

"What did you do?" Brandi asks suddenly, and I look over to see she's pulled away from Olly and is looking from Wade to Stephanie and then back again.

"But I never forgot your face," Stephanie continues. "I never will. It haunts me every night of my life."

"What did you do, Wade?" Brandi's voice is higher this time. Olly reaches for her, but she pulls away, stepping closer to Wade.

"I didn't do anything!" Wade thunders back. "She's crazy! She's confusing me with someone else."

"She hasn't even said anything yet!" Brandi snaps back, and now she's right in front of his face. I'm getting nervous, but at least Hunter and Billy are watching closely. "Enough with your lies!"

"I didn't do anything, Babygirl," Wade says feebly. 

"Liar," Stephanie hisses. 

"What did you do, Wade!?" Brandi screams the question this time. 

"He raped me," Stephanie's words silence the entire room, and we all go still for what feels like hours but it's not even seconds, and Stephanie continues. "He drugged me and -"

"Why would I?" Wade cuts her off. "I got tons of girls all over me every night. Screw that."

"I'll never forget waking up to your face," Stephanie says, her glare set firmly on Wade, holding him still as he grows paler.