“Yo, Mr. C.” He grins at me in a haze. “What’s going on?”
“Why don’t you tell me?” I wrap my fingers around his throat and shove him inside.
“What the fuck, man?” He makes a half-assed attempt to pry me off before I land a solid punch to his gut. He doubles over in a coughing fit, and I grab him by the collar and lean down into his face, ready to destroy him.
“Which of my students bought the benzos from you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he spits.
I pummel his rib cage with three more blows before he curls up into the fetal position and starts to whine like the little bitch he is.
“All right, man. Chill. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“I told you what I want to know,” I growl. “Who the fuck bought the benzos from you?”
“Ethan Dupree. He bought some Xannies. That’s it, I swear.”
“And then he used them to drug another student.”
Charles looks up at me with a panicked expression. “I didn’t know, man. I swear. I’d never sell them to him if I knew he was gonna do that.”
“You’ll never sell them again, period. You’re done here. No more drugs, no more alcohol. Do we have an understanding?”
“Man, I’m done with Xanax, okay? I won’t sell it no more.”
“You’re done with all of it,” I say. “Or I’ll go straight above mommy dearest’s head and have your ass carted to prison. Not one more fucking pill, Charles.”
He glances at my phone, and his body sinks into the floor as it occurs to him that I’m recording this on audio. While Charles is generally harmless, he will also do anything to make a buck. I let it slide before because it didn’t affect me, but those days are over, and now he knows it.
“All right.” He holds up his hands. “I’m done. I swear it. I’ll only do my business elsewhere. No students.”
I release him and stuff my phone back into my pocket. Now that I’m satisfied Charles has been dealt with, I have one more stop to make.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
STELLA
AFTER WAKINGup feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck, the woman who introduced herself as Dr. Jen takes it upon herself to explain what happened. Though my memory is spotty, I’m able to remember bits and pieces of the night before. The party at the pond. Truth or dare. Taking off my clothes. Feeling like I was weighed down. Ethan.
Oh God.
The thought of him makes me want to vomit, but Dr. Jen just made me a nice breakfast, and I’m trying to keep it down.
“You’re probably going to feel like hell for the day,” she says. “That’s pretty typical. But I’m here if you need to talk. Anything you say to me is confidential, of course.”
“I’m okay,” I insist, and really, I am. What happened was scary, but if Sybil and Micah hadn’t pulled me from that pond, it could have been a lot worse. It was just plain stupidity on my part, and I realize that now. “I think I’ve learned my lesson.”
“You haven’t even come close.” Sebastian’s voice comes from behind me, and when I turn to meet his eyes, a shiver moves down my spine.
“Sebastian,” Dr. Jen chides.
Ignoring her, he pins me with his gaze. His entire body is rigid, and he looks pissed as hell. I know I fucked up, and I expected him to be mad, but this is something else entirely.
“You put yourself at risk last night,” he bites out. “You didn’t even consider the consequences.”
“I know.” I bow my head. “I’m sorry I disappointed you.”
“To be disappointed in you, I’d have to be invested in you,” he answers coldly. My heart drops into my stomach, and now I really feel like I’m going to be sick.