Just You by Jane Lark

Author:Jane Lark [Lark, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780007562237
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2014-04-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Justin didn’t really speak to me when we left the restaurant and walked to the subway. It was as if he didn’t even know I was there. But I knew he did know, and I knew he needed me. I touched his hand. It was shaking, but he didn’t grip mine, instead his hand lifted and his fingers ran over his hair about four times as he whispered. “Bullshit.”

I didn’t know what to say. There was nothing I could say to help. But last year, I’d walked out on a load of shit and tried to cope alone–he wouldn’t want to be alone.

I kept pace with him, hurrying as he walked fast.

“Fricking shit,” he breathed.

I didn’t answer.

On the subway train, when I sat down, he took the seat facing me and bent over, his hands gripping his head. There were only a few other people in the car but they weren’t near us. His fingers spread bracing his head as he looked at the floor.

What could I do? I didn’t want to intrude on his feelings, but he looked in agony. I wanted to touch him, to reassure him. To try and make it better; even though there was nothing I could do or say that would do that.

Jake had been stabbed and no words were going to change it…

Shit, the truth hit me in the face with a punch. Justin’s brother had been stabbed, he could be bleeding to death right now…

I got up and moved across the car to sit next to him. I put my hand on his back. It jolted. He was crying. “Justin…” His name came out on a breath. I held him. “I’m sorry.”

He sat up straight, suddenly, so I had to let go, but then his arm came about me, as his other hand wiped at his eyes, then his nose. “Sorry, Portia. This night was about you.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m just worried about you… and your brother.”

“Fuck, Jake was always the one. I knew he was the one… He was so quiet, but he talked to Robin, and I thought Robin… Shit. What the fuck was he doing?”

His frustration sliced through me. “Don’t go in there angry. You can’t undo anything, and I know how easy it is to get sucked into things, different things, but…”

He looked at me his brown eyes shining in the white light of the car. “I know that, Portia, I’ve fought like mad to keep them all out of it, but it’s hard walking that line, and for months now there’s been this feeling in my gut about Jake, but I didn’t do anything. I didn’t know what to do…” His hand gripped my shoulder and it was painful, but then he let go and bent over again, gripping his head in his hands. “Fuck. Why didn’t I do something?”

I rubbed his back in a pathetic attempt to give comfort, but I could hardly say it would be okay, I didn’t know. I didn’t even know how badly Jake was injured.

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