Strength (Mark of Nexus #1) (5 page)

Sometimes I hated being right.

So, what could I do about it? I couldn’t just waltz up to his room and say, “Hi, remember me? Well, before we met, I hated you and lived in fear of your existence. No hard feelings, ‘kay?”

“Stupid,” I growled, throwing a hard right. It wasn’t like I’d done anything to cause the guy physical harm. Why did I feel so bad about it? No one else did.

Maybe Gabby was right. I was taking the whole thing way too personally. It’d be better for all of us, if I just forgot about it. What else could I do at this point, anyway?

Ugh. For once, I was actually looking forward to the start of classes.

~

When I got back to the dorm, it was already evening. I’d put off my return for as long as I could. I shuffled past the hallway windows and took a quick peek out at the parking lot. Irrational as it was, I felt compelled to check on my car every now and then. God forbid anything ever happen to it. My brother would kill me.

I’d been driving the thing for six months, but it still felt like I was borrowing Drew’s car. He’d reluctantly parted with The Beast after his ultra-prissy girlfriend, Brittani, refused to ride in it. Apparently it was too juvenile for her—whatever that meant. It’s a shame my poor, idiotic brother is so whipped. If she’d said that to me, I would’ve rolled up to her house in a school bus.

Oh well. He’d cut me a deal, and in return, I kept his ’03 Sentra in the family. I grimaced, imagining Drew’s adamant correction, “Se-R, Spec. V. There’s a difference!”
Yeah, yeah, there’s a difference. One sounds pretentious, and one doesn’t.
I rolled my eyes and shifted the bags in my arms. I’d stopped to pick up a few things on my way back, and if I didn’t keep moving, I was going to lose something.

I took a few steps, somehow managing to balance the bags and jerk the suite door open at the same time. I staggered inside and threw everything onto the old loveseat.

Then I saw it.

There, on the doorknob, was a neon orange scrunchie, circa 1990. The presence of this hair accessory meant one thing—Gabby was
entertaining
a visitor. I couldn’t go in.

With a groan, I hefted the bags and stomped back to the elevator.
Fantastic.
By the time I got to Aiden’s room, I was losing feeling in my right hand. I kicked at the door until he answered.

He took one look at my frazzled expression and moved out of my way. Bless him.

I grunted a thank you and dumped the bags by his bed. “So, Gabby has a friend over.”

“Already?” Aiden shut the door and sat down at his desk. “We haven’t even started the semester yet.”

“She’s ambitious,” Josh called over his shoulder, eyes glued to his computer monitor. I caught a glimpse of some half-naked chick hacking away at a monster and knew he was gaming. Fortunately for us, he wasn’t wired to his headset tonight. That usually involved a lot of yelling. And flinching, on our parts.

I fell back onto Aiden’s plaid bedspread, making myself at home. “Sorry for bailing last night.”

“That’s okay. Gabby called this afternoon and told me what happened. She said you’d flip out again if I brought it up.”

“I didn’t flip out.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I just think we should give the guy a chance.” A moment of silence ticked by, and I added, “I don’t think he’s crazy.”

“See if you say that in a few minutes,” Josh mumbled.

I propped myself up on one arm. “What’s in a few minutes?”

Aiden glanced at the clock and then back at me. His shoulders lifted as he took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “You’ll see.”

“Cryptic much?” I glanced up at the clock, just as he’d done. Eight thirty already? No wonder I was hungry.

“So, you went shopping?” He gestured toward the mess I’d littered in front of his bed. “And...to the gym?”

I almost laughed. The boy had a way with conversation. “Yeah, I was feeling a little cagey.”

“Oh, so Gabby got under your skin, and you fled the scene.” He flashed a cheeky grin. “I’m getting better at this stuff, right?”

I chucked a pillow at his face. “A little too good.”

It skidded over the top of his head and landed with a soft thump on the floor. He laughed and opened his mouth to retort but was silenced by a muffled cry.

I blinked, looking around the room. The TV wasn’t on.

Aiden’s mouth formed a thin line as he eyed their shared wall, concern lining his forehead. I followed his gaze and felt my blood run cold. The sound had come from Wallace’s room.

We listened for a moment, and a loud growl emanated from the far wall, followed by a thud. I could practically feel the color drain from my face. Wallace...

THUD!

I jumped as a hoarse scream penetrated the barrier, echoing in my mind. “What’s going on?”

“Do we really want to know?” Josh tilted his head back but didn’t take his eyes off the screen. “Just turn on some music to drown him out.”

Drown him out?
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “What if he needs help?” I sat up with a sick feeling gnawing at my insides.

“He doesn’t need help, Rena,” Aiden cut in, giving me one of those you’re-too-naïve-to-understand looks. “It happens every night.”

“Then what did you do the first time you heard him?” I flinched as something slammed into the wall, followed by a broken gasp. “You couldn’t have known it would be a reoccurring thing.”

“Well, the first night, we figured it was a fight or something. It wasn’t like we were going to get in the middle of it.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
Bystander mentality
. “What about after the roommate moved out? Did you do anything?”

“We called the front desk when he got loud,” Josh offered, mindlessly banging away at his keyboard.

Aiden nodded vigorously. “Yeah, we called the front desk and reported it. The first time, they sent out that e-mail. The second time, they said they were already aware of his condition, so we let it go.”

“So, you’re telling me you were both too chicken-shit to walk ten feet and knock on the guy’s door?” A strong sense of injustice wracked my nerves as I sat there, fingers twitching. “And what do you mean by ‘his condition’?”

He shrugged. “They didn’t say, and since they made such a big deal about confidentiality, he’s probably got some mental illness. It’s not like they can kick him out, because they’d be facing a discrimination suit. We’re just stuck ignoring him, for now.”

My blood pounded in my ears as he spoke. I knew Aiden wasn’t a cruel guy, but his indifference made him a stranger.
Was that how I sounded last night?
I put my head in my hands. Hadn’t I decided to stop dwelling on Wallace’s problems? We weren’t friends. We had nothing to do with each other.

I bristled. That was it. We didn’t have anything to do with each other, because I’d drawn a line between us before we ever met. We weren’t friends, because of my choices. What was wrong with me? I wasn’t upset with Aiden; I was disgusted with myself.

A tremendous weight sank into my shoulders, where the bruises had formed. What right did I have to criticize anyone, when I was just as guilty? Because of our stupid assumptions, we were forcing some guy to suffer through the entire year alone. “I’m done.”

Aiden looked up. “What?”

Nervous energy pulled me to my feet, and I began to pace, trying to work it all out in my mind. “We can’t be those people, Aiden.”

He looked confused. “What people? What are you talking about?”

“I don’t want to look back and regret my time here.” I threw a frustrated gesture, flicking my hand out. “I don’t want to be the reason some mental guy’s scorned all over campus.”

“Why would you be the—”

“We
are the reason.” I stopped and looked him in the eye. “We sat back and let those stories go viral, without bothering to find out the truth. We don’t even know what’s wrong with him.”

Another tortured scream penetrated the walls, resonating in my heart.

“Screw it,” I said. “It doesn’t matter what’s wrong with him. We’re not going to act like he doesn’t exist. Not anymore.”

“Well, I guess I get what you mean.” He stood up and leaned against his dresser. “But you’ve been acting really touchy about this whole Wallace thing. Is there something you’re not telling us?”

“Do you live inside a Lifetime movie, Aiden?” I snapped, crossing the room. “I swear, I can’t say anything around here. If you guys won’t deal with this, I will.”

Josh jerked his head back to look at me, like I’d completely lost it. “What are you going to do?”

“Watch.” I gave the door handle a jerk and stormed into the common area. My fist shook as I raised it, giving the wood grain a sharp rap.
C’mon, c’mon. Just let me get this over with.

One minute passed and then another. I shifted my weight and knocked again, listening to the muffled groans from within. Wallace wasn’t making this any easier.

Aiden cracked his door open and peered out with a grave expression. “I get it, Rena. You don’t have to take it this far.”

“I’m not doing this for your benefit.” I pounded on the door, and we both jumped as something made a loud crack.

He heaved a sigh, glancing at the other door. “Well, it seems like he’d rather be left alone.”

I stared at the door, slowly lowering my arm. How could I retreat after making such a bold declaration? Why couldn’t Wallace just open the door and assure me it was all a big misunderstanding?

With a half-defeated sigh, I plunked down on the sofa wedged in the corner. “I’ll just wait until this”—I gestured toward the door—“passes.”

Aiden sighed again, slipping past the door to sit beside me. “It’ll be another twenty or thirty minutes. You might need some company.”

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and felt my lips pull back in an unexpected smile. “Thank you.”

Chapter Six

After the screaming subsided and the noises stopped, I took a deep breath and pounded on the door again—mentally preparing myself for another bout of waiting. It wasn’t like I had anywhere to go. Gabby was still
occupying
the room downstairs. I had all the time in the world.

Not that he’d ever answer the freakin’ door.

I was about to retreat to my spot on the sofa, when the door jerked open with a barely-perceptible whoosh of air. My hair fanned at the abrupt vacuum, and I swallowed, feeling everything I’d planned to say disappear with a single glance. “Wallace…”

It looked like he’d just escaped a brutal assault, leaving half of his face swollen, red, and glistening with sweat—his left eyelid lowered at half-mast. “What?” he snapped, swiping the back of his wrist under his nose.

“I…I…” My voice jumped an octave. “Are you okay?”

His narrowed, unfocused gaze met mine. “I’m fine.”

He didn’t look fine. He looked dead.

“I just thought I heard something and wanted to check on you.” My adrenaline fed off of his fearsome exterior, burning my legs with the desire to run. It was like meeting the manifestation of our fears for the first time. He seemed so different from last night. “I-Is there someone with you?”

His austere features darkened, and he shifted from one side to the other. “Sure you wanna ask the crazy guy?”

Ouch. Okay, I deserved that.

He gripped the doorknob and tilted his chin, looking past me. “How about you?”

I turned as Aiden paled and backed away.

“N-No,” he sputtered. “I-I mean you’re not crazy. You’re just…” He rubbed his hands on his pants. “Sorry, she just gets worried about…stuff.” Swallowing hard, he jerked his head toward his own door in a gesture for us to go. “We’ll leave you alone now.”

My heart raced. I was petrified, but my mind was reeling with possibilities. If I left, I’d have to forego what little ground I had already gained. Was it worth it? I couldn’t just spout idealistic lectures and then punk out when it came down to it, could I?

“Look, I just wanted to see if you were okay.”
Also, please don’t hurt us.

“Well, you’ve done your good deed for the day.” Wallace stepped back and started to close the door. “You’ll sleep well tonight.”

“Wait! That’s not what I—”

“Goodnight.” He shut the door with a soft click. vzyl

That was it. The discussion was over, and so was my visit to the seventh floor.

I stumbled back to my room in a daze of frustration, not caring about the orange scrunchie on the doorknob or Gabby’s extracurricular activities. All I wanted to do was crash in my own bed and figure out what happened. My face was still burning. I could feel it.

I jerked the key in the lock and kicked the door back. With what little balance I could muster, I grabbed all of the bags and made my way inside. “Don’t mind me.”

The room was dark, but I could see silhouetted forms from the window’s glow. Worse, I could hear the rustle of sheets off to the left. I groaned and charged ahead, avoiding eye contact. “Seriously?”