“What?”
“A Beast. His dad tried to kill me, and Bryce slugged him over the head with his concert trophy.”
Danna looks away. “Hell. All the shit I miss being stuck in this house. Well, is he okay?”
“Lance told me last night about how he was trying to find me all day yesterday. He was always one step behind. He tracked me to Bryce’s home. He said it looked like his father hit him a few times.”
Danna lowers his head. “Fucking animal.”
“No, he’s a Beast.”
“That’s what I mean. Here we are, trying to leave Ryland, and the one guy I know who’s been wanting to do that forever isn’t with us.”
“It’s hard, but maybe it’s better. Another year or two, and he can leave, no matter how much of a shit his father is.” I peek into the living room and see Jaxson sitting on the couch, staring up at the ceiling with his hands crossed over the back of his head. I sit back at the table with Danna. “What’s it been like staying with Jaxson?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “He has not been here that long really. I did not even know what happened with you two right away. Lance would not tell me. Jaxson barely said a word to me. Since you came back safe, he has started to open up more by saying hi from time to time.”
“I just didn’t think he was like that.”
Danna shakes her head in disgust. “I don’t think he would have. Lance told me everything. In my opinion, Jax would not have done it. I mean, look what he did to Nathanial Price.”
“What do you mean?”
Danna raises her eyebrows. “No one told you?” I shake my head. “It was Jax that killed Nathanial, not Lance. That night, after you were out, Lance beat up Nat. Jaxson then fought Lance. At some point, Nat got back up with a blade in his hand and swung at Lance. Jaxson shoved Lance out of the way, and somehow, Nat was the one who was stabbed.”
I look into the living room, and Jaxson continues to look at the ceiling, maintaining his pose.
“I wonder how he’s doing?” I ask, more to myself.
Danna stands up. “Fuck him. He tried to hurt you, Elle. Do not give him any sympathy. I’m going to my room to get some things ready.”
When Danna leaves, I peer into the living room again.
I ignore Danna’s advice and walk into the living room. The couch is empty, but I see Jaxson heading down some stairs. I barely have a chance to say a word, as he almost runs down the stairs.
Jaxson’s bedroom was on the main floor, not downstairs. I wondered what he was doing. I almost thought to ask Danna to bring her gun and come with me.
I walk down the stairs quietly. Downstairs is a large living room, bar, pool table, and three rooms. Two of the doors are closed, but one is open.
When I get closer to the empty room, I hear whispers.
“I’m so sorry,” I hear Jaxson quietly say. “I’m sorry, but you didn’t listen. Why didn’t you listen to me?” Jaxson sighs heavy. “None of this should have happened. I should never have listened to you and become one of them.”
I open the door wider. “You can’t take back the past Jaxson,” I say to him. Jaxson is sitting curled up in large ball beside the lifeless body of Nathaniel Price. His soulless eyes are wide open, staring off into nothing. A small camera is lying near his body. I wish I never came down here after seeing him. I cover my face and leave, sitting at the empty bar.
I could use a drink after what I saw.
Jaxson sits on a chair near me. “I’m not a bad person. I just want you to know that.”
“I still can’t believe you. You were going to do that.”
Jaxson looks away. “I’m going to have to carry that sin for the rest of my life.” He looks at the room where Nat lies. “I’ve got a few now.”
“Danna told me that it was you who killed Nat,” I say quietly.
Jaxson nods his head. “The plan was to end the competition that night. Do what we had to do, and be done with it. I would be Alpha and lead The Beasts to a new era, a better one. That is what I thought at least. That’s how I justified what I was planning to do. Nat had been pumping me up all night to do it. This place, it does weird things to you. I grew up with nothing. I was lucky enough to have good parents. Many in our neighborhood aren’t so lucky with that.”
I turn away at the thought of my own parents. They were not good law-abiding citizens, or even parents for that matter. Even though I am sad they died, I wish all the memories I have of them could burn with them.
“We didn’t have it easy,” I say, agreeing with him.
“Then you come here to Ryland, and you see how these people live. It is just normal to them. They act like not having a butler twenty-four hours a day makes you poor. They have no idea what poverty is. I saw what they had, and I wanted it for myself. I thought I was willing to do anything to have it too.”
Part of me understands. We both know what it’s like to come to Ryland with fresh envious eyes. I was willing to put up with anything Lance threw at me to stay here. I wanted this lifestyle.
Jaxson turns his head away from me again. “For whatever it’s worth, I’m sorry. I wish I could take it back. Take it all back. Never come to this fucking town to begin with.”
“Fuck Ryland,” I whisper.
Jaxson nods, and looks back at me. “So, I guess you and Lance are kind of a thing?”
“It may be pretty short lived, given our situation,” I say
