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He ignores me, wrapping his beefy hands around my taut fingers. “I care.”
I shake my head.
“We all care,” Zander calls over his shoulder.
“You shouldn’t.” I shake my head again, tears starting to burn my eyes, my nose, my throat. Fuck! I will not fucking cry!
“Come on, man.” Grady moves in beside Wily as Tyrell steps up behind them both.
Now I’m facing all four of my roommates, their expressions a mix of worry and sadness. Shaking out of Wily’s hold, I step back, scraping my hands through my hair. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“We’re not going anywhere.”
“Yeah, man. You’re one of us.”
I can’t help a mocking laugh as my body starts to shake. “You don’t want me. You’re better off without me.”
Wily lets out a soft sigh, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around me before I can get away from him. “We love you, dude.” He gives me a tight squeeze. “We love you.”
My face buckles along with my insides, and I beat his back with my fist. “No. You shouldn’t!”
“We do.” Zander catches my arm before I can hit Wily again. “We love you.”
That big, dumb giant is still holding me tight, and the tears I’ve been trying so hard to fight overtake me. I can’t stop fucking shaking as I let out this pitiful, keening whine.
“We love you,” Grady says, and I can’t fucking hear those words anymore.
I want to wrestle out of Wily’s hold, shove him off me and tell them all to fuck off.
But then my stupid fingers curl into his sweater, and I find myself clinging to the guy.
Clinging… and crying like a fucking baby.
CHAPTER55
NYLAH
I couldn’t stop pacing until I got a text from Sienna telling me that Carson had been found and the guys were bringing him home.
Sienna: Sounds like he’s a mess. I’ll let you know more when I find out the details.
It took everything in me not to rush over there and be around for his arrival. But if he was a mess, he probably didn’t want me to see it. I get that. The only one who was allowed around me on my worst days was Gramma.
So I tucked myself back into bed and tried to catch some more sleep.
It didn’t work. I spent the night tossing and turning and woke up feeling headachy and sore.
I can’t spend another day lying around moping. But I don’t want to go to class either.
Jolie left already. She had an early start because she wanted to see her boyfriend before her first class.
Lucky bitch.
Sitting up with a broken snicker, I swing my legs over the side of the bed.
Sienna sent me a brief text late last night telling me that Carson was okay. He was sleeping and just needed some space.
It was a thunder punch to the chest.