I wrapped my green parka around myself tighter as Nico and I exited the school gates. He walked a few steps ahead, posture tense and stiff as he led the way. Following him, I sighed and kept my head down as I walked, wishing JJ hadn't forced him to take me if he didn't want to.
Not noticing that Nico had abruptly halted, I bumped into his back and stumbled on my feet, but he held out a hand to reach my wrist from behind and keep me steady. "What—"
Nico pushed me until I was completely covered by his stature, and I let out a surprised gasp. "Get yourself off my car."
I peered around Nico's shoulders to see who he was talking to. A man a couple of inches taller than Nico leaned against the gray Honda Civic with his arms crossed. Atop his head was a black ball cap, and on his face was a ghost of a smile. "Nice to see you too, Romero."
"I'd say the same, but we both know I'd be lying," Nico answered stiffly, his back tensing as he kept his protective stance over me. "You're in Northvale territory. Leave."
The man straightened up and slung the ball cap backwards on his head. His eyes flashed towards me.
And then I saw it—the jagged scar that ran from the bottom of his left eye down to his chin.
"Carter's girl, is it?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. "This your new owner, Romero?"
"I suggest you shut up now before I haul your ass out of Northvale," Nico snarled, his free hand curling into a fist. The one holding my wrist tightened its grip. "We let you down easy during our last game, Sullivan. We'll see you and your team by the bleachers during the state champs."
Sullivan merely smirked. "Don't get too cocky. I was just wondering who the reason was for the fuss with my boys. I think you'd be happy to know they received their punishment well. Thea, right?"
"Don't talk to her," Nico said, voice dropping lower. More dangerous. "Teach your boys to start being men. Then maybe Faust and I will consider talking to you."
Before Sullivan could say another word, Nico shoved him backwards and threw open the passenger door, barking at me to get in. Shaking, I slipped in quickly, and the green-eyed boy slammed it closed, making me flinch. The look in Nico's eyes sent chills down my spine as he stared at Sullivan and rounded the car. He slammed the door again, revved the engine and drove off. Sullivan watched us leave.
I gripped the edge of my seat as Nico increased his speed. My heart hammered against my chest. "Nico, slow down. Slow down! You're going to kill us!"
He swerved the car across lanes. Vehicles behind us honked their horns. "Don't be so dramatic, princess," he bit out with a humorless laughing. He slowed down a little. "Better?"
Not really. I clutched the front of my shirt as I tried to regain my breathing. "I get that you're pissed because of that Sullivan guy...whatever he did and said, but—"
"Shut up before I throw you out of the car myself," Nico snapped and I recoiled, biting my lip. "You don't get anything, you don't say anything, and you won't ask Faust questions about this. Understood?"
I clenched my jaw. "Stop ordering me around."
"Stop being so difficult. I don't even get why Faust puts up with your stubborn ass. You've brought him and us nothing but trouble."
"Me?" I asked incredulously, drawing my eyebrows together as I stared at Nico's side profile. He kept his eyes on the road and gritted his teeth. "I never asked you or JJ or Paula to do anything about this. I told my brother to leave it alone. If anything, Faust was the reason why those comments about me started anyway!"
"You shouldn't have involved yourself with Faust," he growled, suddenly making a right turn. "You shouldn't have agreed to go to dinner with him or on a date with him in the first place! Maybe you wouldn't be caught up in this situation—"
"What situation?" I asked quietly. "You keep blaming me for something I didn't even know had consequences. What was so wrong about liking Faust that you're so angry right now?"
Nico slammed his hand on the steering wheel. I winced. "Forget it," he said, exhaling harshly. "Shit. Forget it."
"Why do you hate me, Nico?"
Silence. The car slowed down to a natural pace.
His knuckles were white against the wheel when he finally answered, "You're taking my best friend away. That's reason enough."
His words rang against my ears like loud echoes for the rest of the drive. I stared ahead, eyes growing glassy as I mulled his words over. Was I really nothing but a nuisance to Faust? Had I been that inconsiderate to Faust's friends? To Nico?
I was brought back to reality when the car stopped. Nico had pulled up by the sidewalk of a small neighborhood deemed unsafe by the rest of the Northvale citizens. The apartments looked like sandwiches—squished together, barely enough room for space. By the garbage disposal, teenagers leaned against the wall with cigarette sticks in between their lips.
I continued to look past the window with a frown etched in my expression until Nico shut the engine and sliced his gaze towards mine. "Remember what I said."
I resisted the urge to flip him the middle finger as he got out of the car. I settled for fixing him with a glare instead as I followed suit.
"Stay close and don't look at anyone. Keep your head down," Nico ordered quietly, surprising me as he secured his arm around my waist as we walked past the group of men who suddenly spoke louder, laughed louder. As if trying to gain our attention.
I didn't know if I imagined it, but Nico's fingers tightened against my side.
Nico and I continued walking until we reached a narrow alleyway that led directly to a small two-story beige-painted house that looked like it had seen better days. Nico dropped his arm and walked up the tiny three-step stairs before lightly pressing the doorbell. I lifted my finger and traced the cracks on the wall, jumping and pulling my hand down when the door opened.
Craning my neck upwards, my eyes were met with the sight of a tall man with muscles that could probably lift the house up if he wanted to. The strong edges on his face and the sharp line of his jaw definitely told me this was Faust's brother—and his piercing, electric blue eyes confirmed that as they glanced from Nico to me. "Nico," he greeted, nodding once. His voice had the same rumble as Faust's. "Just in time."
I raised an eyebrow at that as I turned to the green-eyed boy, but he didn't meet my gaze and shook Beau's hand. "There was fair warning. Good to see you again."
"Likewise." Beau shifted his stare towards me, cocking his head to the side. His lips pulled into a small smile. "You must be Thea. I've heard a lot about you."
"All good things, I hope," I answered lightly with a grin, shaking their weird conversation out of my mind as I extended my hand. "It's nice to meet you."
With ease, he leaned forward and shook it firmly, retracting it quickly as his mouth curved wider. "Pleasure's all mine. I'm Beau, but you already knew that, I suppose. Come in."
Faust's older brother stepped aside, a hint of a grimace passing his features as Nico and I entered the threshold. My eyes darted around, starting with the once crisp golden wallpaper that was torn now on the walls, the clashing colors of the outdated furniture, the creaking wooden floor, the tea-stained counters with an odd assortment of cups on top of them, and the wobbly three-legged table sitting on the space dividing the living room and the kitchen. I blinked at the small television with false paneling around the sides and chords dangling to the floor, where unsurprisingly, a basketball game was playing.
I turned around to face Beau. He watched me carefully with his thumbs hitched inside the pockets of his jeans. "You have a lovely place."
"Thank you," he said flatly in return, as if he was used to the comment in compensation for the truth. I was struck once again by how much he looked like Faust—or how much Faust looked like him. "Parents are still at work for the next couple of hours. Make yourself at home."
"We won't be long," Nico interjected, quickly glancing at me.
Beau raised his fingers to his eyebrow in a mock salute as he jumped on the sofa, returning his attention back to the small television screen. The couch made a loud creaking noise under his weight. "Let me know if you need anything else."
Nico merely nodded in response before wrapping his fingers around my wrist and leading the way. The narrow passage leading to the stairs made me feel cramped as I squeezed myself through the steps with my free hand on the railway. A hanging bulb swung back and forth at the hallway, and Nico had to duck in order to move past it. There were only two doors, both painted in a faded chipped blue.
We entered the one on the right, where two single beds were pushed on either opposite side of the wall. Faust was lying on one of them with the covers pulled up to half his body.
He immediately smiled once my eyes met his. "Hey."
"Hi," I answered as I slowly stepped inside the room and took a better look at him. "You don't seem so surprised."
"I am," he argued quickly with an awkward chuckle, rubbing the nape of his neck as he sat up. He looked almost pale—but not from sickness. Beads of sweat rolled down the side of his face. In his eyes was an unmistakable look of anxiety. "Thank you for coming to visit."
I took another moment to stare at him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he answered, offering me a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."
My teeth pulled my bottom lip in as I sat on the edge of the mattress. "How are you really feeling? Honestly."
I reached my hand out to press my palm against his forehead, and the back of my hand against his neck. His blue eyes watched me closely. "Fever's been gone since this morning so I think I'll make it to school tomorrow. Good to know you've missed me, Thea."
The fever had been gone since this morning? From what I remembered, when I'd called Faust earlier today before school, he'd said it had gotten worse.
I didn't want to dwell on the fact that he'd been lying, so I said instead, "I wanted to check on you. I met your brother."
Faust's smile faltered a bit, but he quickly recovered and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. "And?"
"And he was really nice."
"Did you expect him to be the opposite from Theo's story?" Faust asked, cocking his head to the side.
"No," I answered, shaking my head. "From what my brother told me, Beau was really brave and considerate. I'm sorry he was accused."
He sighed. "No need to apologize for things you had no knowledge nor control of. It's me who needs to do the apologizing. Especially about last Friday."
The topic made me exhale heavily and knead my forehead with two fingers. "Faust, I—"
"Thea," he cut in, reaching out to take my hand in his, "I'm really sorry. I know I shouldn't have given my consent. I was too worried about what people would think of me that it hadn't crossed my mind what they would think of you. The comments were all my fault. You didn't deserve that."
Our gazes met. He sounded sincere. "Thank you," I mumbled. "You're forgiven. The talk has died down a bit. Nico and the others were...helpful."
"Helpful," Nico repeated with a snort from behind me as he leaned against the doorway. "Right."
I ignored him. "Let's just move on from that. They got what they deserved, anyway."
Faust nodded, though he still looked uneasy. "About...um, Anya."
"Oh. D'you want to talk about that now?"
"You can just let me know whatever Theo told you," he offered with a shrug. "I want to know if he's telling the truth. I'll cut in bits from my side."
So I launched into the story slowly. Faust confirmed that yes, he was threatened by Theo, was wary of him stealing the captaincy and didn't trust that it was never Theo's intention in the first place. He also believed that it was my brother's aim to use Faust to get to Anya so that she could cheat on him, as well as Theo being the reason for her suffering and for Beau's accusation. He still held on to those beliefs now.
The rest of the tale was told in truth by my brother. Now that I knew both sides of the story, it was easier to understand their perspectives and their feelings towards each other.
"It was a friendship gone to waste, honestly." Faust laughed, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have wasted my time."
"You don't mean that."
He sighed. "What happened to Anya may be Theo's fault, but I had a part in it as well. That will never change."
I had nothing to offer in comfort, so I squeezed his hand instead. Faust smiled gratefully.
"What about what you said?" I questioned, biting my lip. "About taking away someone from Theo and him not being able to do anything until you destroyed them."
Faust stared at me, eyes piercing. "Do you believe it?"
I took a deep breath. "I don't know. It doesn't seem like it."
"Then no, it isn't true," he assured me softly, rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand. "Let that be the one part of the story you forget."
"Okay," I whispered. "Okay. Thank you for being honest."
Faust leaned forward to kiss my forehead.
"What do you think about some soup?" I asked. "I could make you some." Looking over my shoulder, the green-eyed boy had taken a seat on the lone chair in front of the desk, gaze finding mine in a silent question. "Nico could help me."
"Actually," he said, standing up, "I have to talk to my captain about some things regarding the team. You go ahead. Beau can help you."
I frowned. "Oh. Okay."
Faust grinned. "It's alright, Thea. You don't have to."
"I want to. I'll ask Beau."
He nodded, letting go of my hand. "If you're sure. Thank you."
I gave him one last smile before standing up and leaving the room, ignoring the way Nico's eyes burned through the side of my head.
Downstairs, the basketball game was still playing on the television and Beau was in the kitchen, looking in the refrigerator. Once he heard me approaching, he stood to his full height and smiled, closing the refrigerator door with a small juice carton in hand. "Oh, hey. Leaving so soon?"
"Nah, my ride's still up there." I jerked a thumb towards the stairs. "They need to apparently talk about basketball stuff."
"Basketball stuff," Faust's brother repeated with a chuckle, shaking his head. "Right. What's up?"
I hovered by the doorway. "Uh, I was wondering if I could make some soup for Faust."
Beau blinked. "Oh, yeah, go ahead. You don't need to ask."
"It is your kitchen," I reasoned with a grin, stepping closer. "What have you guys got in your cupboards?"
"I'll heat up the water for you," he said, placing the juice on the counter and grabbing the kettle. "Chicken and mushroom, I think. Faust likes chicken more."
We moved in silence as we worked quickly around the kitchen until we only had to wait for the water to boil. Beau sat on one of the wooden chairs and looked at me with genuine curiosity. "Do you know?"
I didn't have to ask what he meant. "Yeah."
"And who do you believe?"
"It's not a matter of whose side I believe—the story is the same," I answered quietly, taking a seat next to him.
"Smart girl," he mused with a curve of his lips.
"What I don't believe is that my brother would willingly accuse or frame you for something like that. I'm sorry you had to go through it nonetheless."
Beau sighed and took a sip from his drink. "Past is in the past, Thea. Hopefully it doesn't take a toll on Faust's life. No need to apologize."
I nodded. Silence hung in the air.
It was when the kettle whistled a few moments later that Beau spoke again, just as I poured the hot water onto a bowl to mix the soup. "You should stay over for dinner."
Taken aback by his invitation, I stuttered, "I—uh, I don't think Faust would want me to meet your parents."
Beau raised an eyebrow when I turned back to look at him. "Why not?"
I shrugged, attempting at a smile. "I just don't think it's a good idea. Besides, my parents don't exactly know I'm here so I have to be home before seven."
Faust's brother jumped down from the chair and grinned. "Well then, you'd have to come back soon."
My lips widened to a genuine grin as I placed the bowl of hot soup in my hands. "It was nice meeting you, really."
"You too," he answered, sending a wink my way before I took two steps at a time at the staircase and opened Faust's door.
Nico was standing in the middle of the room with his muscles tense as he stared at his best friend, jaw clenching. Faust's face was impassive as he stared back at Nico.
Wanting to ease the tension in the air, I walked over to the edge of the bed. "Here. Beau said you like chicken more than mushroom."
"I'm not hungry," Faust said quietly, void of any emotion as his eyes stayed trained to Nico's.
"Well, you have to eat something." I chuckled nervously as I set the bowl on the bedside table. Glancing over at my shoulder, I raised both eyebrows at Nico who just looked back at me.
Sighing, I sat beside Faust's body and searched his face. "Are you okay?"
"I'm going for a drive," Nico grumbled under his breath, twisting the knob open. "I'll be back before I have to bring her home."
Faust finally met my eyes as soon as the door shut, looking lost in thought as he reached out to tuck a strand of my hair beneath my ear.
"Seriously, Faust, what's wrong? Is it Nico? Did you two fight?"
Shaking his head, he let out a deep sigh as he shifted, sitting upright so his back rested against the headboard. "He was just telling me things I didn't want to hear. Don't worry about it."
His eyes showed the opposite. Like many other things, I decided to let it go. "Come on, you need to eat."
So he did in silence.
After eating, Faust and I talked for a bit before the need to rest finally overcome him. I brushed his hair away from his forehead as he shut his eyes, mumbling a quiet thank you. Leaning forward, I pressed my lips to his forehead and stood on my feet, slipping my phone out of my pocket. I had about less than an hour before my parents looked for me.
Beau was lounging on the couch and Nico was leaning against the wall with a can of soda in his hand when I arrived downstairs. Both glanced up at me when I entered the living room.
"How is he?"
"Tired," I answered the older Carter brother. "I have to get going, and again, I'm sorry about dinner."
"You'll come back for it," he countered, standing. "I'll walk you guys out."
I smiled back and shifted my gaze to Nico. "Ready to go?"
Keeping his bright green eyes directed to mine, he crushed the can of Coke in his hand and shot it in the bin before nodding. "Let's roll."
We said our last goodbyes to Beau before Nico and I made our way down the alley. Just like how we entered, Nico's arm came around my waist protectively as we walked past the sketchy neighborhood. The group of teenagers were still hanging around the dumpster. Nico pulled the car onto the main road and drove.
After a few minutes of silence, I asked, "What did you and Faust talk about while I was in the kitchen?"
Nico took his time to respond. "It's nothing."
"Okay. Who's Sullivan?"
"Someone you shouldn't worry about. Stop asking questions, you're making my head ache."
"That seems to be my talent these days," I teased in hopes of lightening up the situation.
Nico didn't even smile. "My head and Faust's," he muttered.
I took a deep breath and tried again. "Thank you for bringing me to Faust and for driving me home. It really means a lot."
"This is a one-time thing. Don't get used to it, princess."
I rolled my eyes. "Can't you at least say 'you're welcome'? Ever heard of politeness? I'm trying to be civil with you, Nico."
"Don't," he countered, jaw clenching as he sped faster. "It's getting you nowhere."
I crossed my arms and snapped, "Yeah, I'm starting to see that."
"Congratulations," Nico answered flatly. "You're not so blind after all."
"What the hell does that even mean?" My voice rose, patience wearing thin.
"It means you need to shut. The. Hell. Up," Nico snarled, voice dripping with venom. "Before I actually say something I'm going to regret."
I swallowed hard and leaned back against the seat. "You are possibly the rudest person I've ever had the misfortune of meeting."
Nico laughed—a bitter, humorless sound that made me regret my words for a moment until he opened his mouth. "That might've hurt a lot if I actually cared about your opinion, sweetheart, but I don't."
Words like that shouldn't even upset me anymore—they were already expected from Nico, but for some reason, the idea of being hated made my chest ache. Nobody wanted to feel that way. I never wanted to feel that way.
Breathing heavily, I blinked rapidly and turned away, swiping my cheeks with my fingers. "Alright, Nico. I got the hint. I'm sorry for the insult and for bothering you."
It was the longest twenty-minute drive of my life.
I wondered if he heard the sound of my heart breaking.