Read Online Equilibrium (Marauders #4.5) by Lina Andersson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lina Andersson
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it.”
“You’re fine?”
“More or less,” he shrugged. “But I have people to dump my shit on. Don’t worry about it.”
“Okay. I’m still sorry. And I still have to go. I have rehearsals.”
“Want a lift?”
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be alone in a car with him, but there were other pretty embarrassing things about rehearsals. Stuff I didn’t want to tell him yet.
“Dad was going to… So…”
“Okay. I’ll see you around, Princess.”
“Sure,” I said. “See you.”
But when I finally found Dad, he was in the office with Mom and a few of the others, and they all looked pissed. Not at each other, but something had obviously gone tits up.
“What’s up, Baby Girl?” Dad asked.
“The rehearsals…” I started. “Can Roach give me a lift?”
“You okay with that, honey?” Mom asked.
“Sure. Just… have someone pick me up. Or I can call.”
“Absolutely,” Dad said. “You’ll be fine on your own?”
“Yeah.”
“You’ll call if you’re not?” he added, and I nodded.
I was pretty sure I’d be fine.
I should be fine.
It was about fucking time I was fine.
~oOo~
Roach
Eliza was really quiet on their way to the community center where she went for her drama rehearsals. She kept looking out the side window, so Roach turned on the radio. He wasn’t sure if he’d done the right thing by telling her he’d been raped, too. It honestly wasn’t a big thing for him anymore. He’d been a kid, and he’d learned how to defend himself later on. Besides, pretty much everyone he knew back then had been raped a few times. It came with the territory.
It hadn’t been meant as critique, what he’d said to Eliza, but he could see why she might’ve taken it that way. And he most definitely hadn’t felt insulted by her walking away. He’d been honest about that, and he would be honest about things, because he knew that that was what she needed more than anything.
He pulled up outside the community center and waited for Eliza to get out—which she didn’t.
“Still pissed at me?” he asked.
“No, that’s not it.” She took a deep breath. “Could you, like, follow me to the door?”
“Sure,” he answered without hesitation. He should’ve thought of that, and that was probably the real reason for why she’d been quiet. She’d been taken outside the community center, and he assumed the others followed her to the door when they gave her a lift. It might be that she’d been embarrassed to ask. “Just need to park the van first.”
He got out of the van as soon as it was parked and walked around the front. She was already outside, but she was waiting for him. As they walked over the grass, she stayed close to him, actually closer than she’d ever been to him, and it kind of dawned on him: He’d told her she’d been sheltered, which she had, but for someone so protected, what had happened was probably a worse shock. He’d more or less been waiting for it, but he was pretty sure that it had never been in her frame of mind that she was at risk.
“It’s not everywhere,” she suddenly said. “I mean, I can go out alone, it’s just here.”
He was pretty sure she preferred company at any other place she was, too, but he indulged her and nodded. By the front door, she hesitated again, and instead of asking, he walked inside and held the door open for her.
Eliza walked through the center, and then halted in front of a door that simply said ‘Room Four.’ With her hand on the door handle, she looked at him again.
“Do you want me to wait here or inside?” he asked instead of making her ask.
“I’m sorry. I thought… it would be fine, but…”
“Don’t be, Princess. I’ll text Brick to let him know I’m here.” He nodded towards the door. “Will they be fine with it?”
“Yeah. I’ve had someone with me before, and they know why, so it’s okay.”
There were seven other girls waiting for them inside, and after sizing him up, they
“You’re fine?”
“More or less,” he shrugged. “But I have people to dump my shit on. Don’t worry about it.”
“Okay. I’m still sorry. And I still have to go. I have rehearsals.”
“Want a lift?”
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be alone in a car with him, but there were other pretty embarrassing things about rehearsals. Stuff I didn’t want to tell him yet.
“Dad was going to… So…”
“Okay. I’ll see you around, Princess.”
“Sure,” I said. “See you.”
But when I finally found Dad, he was in the office with Mom and a few of the others, and they all looked pissed. Not at each other, but something had obviously gone tits up.
“What’s up, Baby Girl?” Dad asked.
“The rehearsals…” I started. “Can Roach give me a lift?”
“You okay with that, honey?” Mom asked.
“Sure. Just… have someone pick me up. Or I can call.”
“Absolutely,” Dad said. “You’ll be fine on your own?”
“Yeah.”
“You’ll call if you’re not?” he added, and I nodded.
I was pretty sure I’d be fine.
I should be fine.
It was about fucking time I was fine.
~oOo~
Roach
Eliza was really quiet on their way to the community center where she went for her drama rehearsals. She kept looking out the side window, so Roach turned on the radio. He wasn’t sure if he’d done the right thing by telling her he’d been raped, too. It honestly wasn’t a big thing for him anymore. He’d been a kid, and he’d learned how to defend himself later on. Besides, pretty much everyone he knew back then had been raped a few times. It came with the territory.
It hadn’t been meant as critique, what he’d said to Eliza, but he could see why she might’ve taken it that way. And he most definitely hadn’t felt insulted by her walking away. He’d been honest about that, and he would be honest about things, because he knew that that was what she needed more than anything.
He pulled up outside the community center and waited for Eliza to get out—which she didn’t.
“Still pissed at me?” he asked.
“No, that’s not it.” She took a deep breath. “Could you, like, follow me to the door?”
“Sure,” he answered without hesitation. He should’ve thought of that, and that was probably the real reason for why she’d been quiet. She’d been taken outside the community center, and he assumed the others followed her to the door when they gave her a lift. It might be that she’d been embarrassed to ask. “Just need to park the van first.”
He got out of the van as soon as it was parked and walked around the front. She was already outside, but she was waiting for him. As they walked over the grass, she stayed close to him, actually closer than she’d ever been to him, and it kind of dawned on him: He’d told her she’d been sheltered, which she had, but for someone so protected, what had happened was probably a worse shock. He’d more or less been waiting for it, but he was pretty sure that it had never been in her frame of mind that she was at risk.
“It’s not everywhere,” she suddenly said. “I mean, I can go out alone, it’s just here.”
He was pretty sure she preferred company at any other place she was, too, but he indulged her and nodded. By the front door, she hesitated again, and instead of asking, he walked inside and held the door open for her.
Eliza walked through the center, and then halted in front of a door that simply said ‘Room Four.’ With her hand on the door handle, she looked at him again.
“Do you want me to wait here or inside?” he asked instead of making her ask.
“I’m sorry. I thought… it would be fine, but…”
“Don’t be, Princess. I’ll text Brick to let him know I’m here.” He nodded towards the door. “Will they be fine with it?”
“Yeah. I’ve had someone with me before, and they know why, so it’s okay.”
There were seven other girls waiting for them inside, and after sizing him up, they
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