“Oh my god, Nico,” I gesture wildly toward the stubborn couple across from us. “Just tell us, I need to know who to write my check out to,” I tease.
He huffs out a breath. “Yeah, you would like to personally thank this person, I’m sure.” My eyes bolt to him but he’s opening his book now, not paying us any more attention.
He’s not insinuating….
There’s no way…
Arden wouldn’t…
Would he?
Fuck.
Even though I was dying to get to the bottom of this situation, I can’t afford to miss any study time with this anatomy test coming up. Somehow, we get through an hour of studying without any of us bringing up Nico’s face again. It’s productive but I’m distracted the whole time. I need to get home and talk to Arden. And the sooner the better because this feeling in my gut is threatening to eat me from the inside out.
When I get home, Arden looks like he’s been pacing the living room because he stops and turns to face me the second the door opens.
“Hey, where have you been? I texted you.”
“Sorry,” I mutter. “I was studying. I must’ve missed it.” I put my jacket on the hook and kick off my shoes. I take a few tentative steps toward Arden and he looks at me like I’m a deer in headlights ready to bolt at the slightest move.
Arden opens his mouth to speak but I beat him to it.
“Nico has a black eye.”
He closes his mouth, narrows his eyes, then opens it again.
“Good.”
“Did you give it to him?”
“No, but I’d love to shake the hand of the person who did.”
“So, you had nothing to do with it?”
Arden takes a step toward me, and I want to back up but I stand my ground. “No, I had nothing to do with it. Did he tell you I had something to do with it?”
“He implied.”
“Oh, that’s nice. So, you’re trusting his implication over my truth.”
“No, I’m just trying to get the facts.”
He takes another step. He looks angry. I don’t cower.Don’t you fucking cower, Danika.“I’m telling you the facts, Danika. Do you believe me?” He looks at me, and I want to believe him so fucking badly but…his past is against him here. He’s done this before. For my honor, he’s even admitted to me. Why wouldn’t he do it again? I’m sure Nico said some fucking awful shit to him that started the whole fight but I don’t know if I believe Arden wouldn’t resort to violence to protect me. Especially now that he’s deemed me “his”.
“Do you believe me?” He asks again and it’s the sadness in his voice that gives me pause. He really wants me to believe him. But I just don’t know who is telling me the truth.
I’m silent while trying to think of a response but Arden takes that silence as a big fat “no”. He turns and grabs his phone and keys, leaving the apartment without a second glance or another word. And I’m left standing in the living room thinking what the fuck have I just done.
Arden comes back at around nine-thirty and he catches me right after showering and brushing my teeth but before heading to my room. I’m in a towel though, which seems like an even more intimate position to be in after last night.
He drops his keys on the counter and walks right up to me, stopping a few feet away. My instinct tells me to give him space, to back up, to retreat. But there’s something in his expression that tells me he’s calmed down. I wish I could say I’m used to seeing that expression from my childhood but I’m definitely not. My father never calmed down. He didn’t ever leave to collect his thoughts and calm down. He would react whatever way he wanted to in the moment, consequences be damned. That’s why I kept a broom in the coat closet. My mother and I were sweeping up shattered glass on a regular basis.
“Hey,” he says, his throat bobbing nervously.This affected him too.
“Hi.”
I clutch the towel tighter to my body, wishing like hell I was in my pjs, or literally anything else. I don’t even have my favorite robe on. At least I don’t have my hair up in a wrap.