Page 123 of Whatever It Takes

The world around me spins. I touch my pocket, hoping for a cigarette, but I think I ran out in the cab.

“I’m her friend,” Salvatore refutes.

“Salvatore, you don’t understand,” Willow says quickly, sticking up for me.

“I understand that he’s drunk and obviously angry and you shouldn’t be near him right now,” he says. That really rubs me the wrong way. Him dictating who she can even talk to. I don’t care if it comes from a place of concern. Willow and I have been through more together than he’ll ever know.

“Hey, she can make her own decisions,” I snap and move towards my girl. She lets out a breath of relief.

But then Salvatore says something. I thinkhold on.He puts his hands on my shoulders to stop me from walking to Willow. It’s a light touch, but it feels like someone descended fifty tons onto me. And I just swing.

My fist connects with Salvatore’s cheek. Hard enough that he goes down on the ground.

Some other guy with jet-black hair is pushing me back like I might go in for a kick to the stomach. I wouldn’t. I don’t…I don’t even know why I punched him.

My head throbs now.

My knuckles burn.

“Garrison!” Willow yells, but I can’t see her.

“Get off!” I say to the guy trying to push me back. “Get the fuck off!” I hold up my hands, showing him I’m not going to start in on Salvatore.

He steps back.

People begin to clear a path, and I notice Salvatore rising to his feet, his angel wings bent from the fall. Willow stands near but her eyes flit around the crowds, searching for me. Two girls flank her sides and whisper to her. Their lips move hurriedly. I recognize them instantly: Sheetal and Tess.

Sheetal’s hands gesticulate angrily and she waves them in my direction.

I can imagine what they’re saying to Willow.Don’t go with Garrison. He’s jealous, dangerous.

Willow’s gaze finally finds mine. Her brown eyes sink with pure concern. She’s not scared or hurt or mad at me.

She should be.

I’m not a good guy.

Hasn’t tonight proven that?

I take a step back and glance towards the street. Maybe I can catch a cab…

“Garrison.” Willow’s voice draws me in; she’s already moving towards me, despite her friends’ protests. She reaches my side and almost tries to touch my hand again, but she stops herself short. In a whisper, she breathes, “Can I hold your hand?”

“No.” My answer is quick and caustic.

It knocks her back. But she blinks and nods. “Okay.” She crosses her arms over her chest like she’s cold.

“I’m going to go,” I tell her.

She shakes her head adamantly. Hurt and confusion bunching her brows. “No. You’re not leaving.”

I can feel the cellphones whipped out, recording us. I don’t even know if they realize who we are, or if they’re just doing it for the internet. People are cruel like that.

One of the worst nights of my life will be out there for public consumption. For their entertainment. Hell, I used to be one of them. Feeding the gluttonous, cannibalistic internet at someone else’s expense.

I can’t tell if it’s the cold, but it’s harder to breathe all of a sudden. The wind stabs my lungs.

I lean closer to her.