Page 56 of The Man Upstairs

“I mean it. Don’t tell your fucking mum. It’ll bring shit down on all of us.”

I managed a nod.

“Fine, yeah. I don’t want to bring shit down on Mum. She’s had enough already.”

Jayden repositioned his bag on his shoulders, and I saw the start of tears in his eyes.

“You want to stay away from that psycho upstairs,” he said. “He’s out of his fucking mind.”

He didn’t give me the chance to respond before he turned and walked away, and I didn’t call him back, because I couldn’t. What would be the point in going over the same insane ground?

I was practically sprinting when I rushed back to our apartment block. I couldn’t think straight as I opened the main door and shot up the stairs. Mum wasn’t in, she was working tonight, which was just as well as I was so wound up, I was pacing, still trying to understand.

Julian threatened Scottie’s life to keep him away from me.

My college mask crumbled to pieces, and for the first time in three years I called up the pizza house’s number on my phone.

“I’m sorry, but I’m sick,” I told the manager. “There’s no way I’ll make it in tonight.”

Luckily, Monday was our quietest day. Marcus would be able to manage.

I watched the clock, pacing through every minute, counting down the moments until I’d usually cross Julian’s path in the corridor. My heart was pounding, nerves on fire, everything tingling.

Out of shock.

Out of gratitude.

Out oflove.

Out of…who fucking knows?

But I didn’t want to accost him in the corridor, in case anyone was around, so I waited, as calmly as possible, my eyes focused on the road outside through the window.

Finally, I saw him approaching with a cigarette in his mouth.

I pressed my ear to my front door so I could hear his footsteps pass on by, and then I counted down from one hundred, slowly, to make sure he’d get upstairs…

Fuck, how quickly I picked up my college bag when I reached zero. I slung it over my shoulder and stuck my head out into the corridor, checking for signs of neighbours. There were none, which was just as well, since I was bounding like a desperate gazelle as I locked up behind me and dashed upstairs.

My knuckles were tiny taps, sharp and fast. I was holding my breath as I heard Julian reach the other side. I was staring up with huge eyes as he answered the door.

I stepped on in and dropped my bag, and we stood, stare to stare, no words needed. He knew I knew, and I knew that he knew I knew, but it was all a tumble of emotions.

“You really did that?” I asked him.

“You shouldn’t know about it,” he said.

“Answer me, Julian. You really did that? You threatened Scottie?”

My saviour was deadpan for a heartbeat, and the true power in his eyes ate me alive.

“Yes, I threatened Scottie. I told him to get the fuck out of here and never come back. I had a knife to the cunt’s ribs, and he crawled away like a pathetic little wimp.”

It felt so weird to hear it said out loud from Julian himself.

“Would you have done it?” I asked. “Would you really have killed Scottie?”

Julian didn’t flinch. His eyes were pure.