Page 142 of Explosive Prejudice

“I see.” Andrei moved his gaze to meet mine. “How did you two happen? I mean… Not only were you straight, but you hated his guts. We all did.”

“It’s a long story.” That involved things I wasn’t willing to share, such as me working as a hooker for the past five months. “I have no explanation other than saying we’re more alike than you’d think.”

His sudden laugh caught me off guard.

“What’s funny?” I smacked his arm, and he pushed me away, smiling.

“Nothing. I just remembered once telling you pretty much the same thing, and in response, you nearly ripped off my head.”

I knew what he was talking about. At the beginning of the year, after Shay-Lee and I kicked each other’s asses at the back-to-school party, Andrei confronted me. In fact, he told me the exact same words, but back then, I’d been too angry to see the truth.

“You were always the smart one.”

“That’s true.” He grinned, but then his expression hardened. “D, I don’t want to fight with you. I really don’t, but I’m still worried. I believe that you care for him, but that guy… I mean, Shay-Lee isn’t sane.” He paused and took a deep breath. “That night at our old school, when we confronted him and his guys, who I’m aware are no longer his guys, the look in his eyes… It was pure insanity. And while I do understand he goes through hell in his life, it doesn’t take away from it.”

Shay-Lee was most definitely the furthest thing from mentally stable. With his outbursts, ongoing trauma, anxiety, and drug abuse, he had a long way to go till recovery, but so did I. And that was what Andrei didn’t understand.

“I’m insane, too.”

“Diesel—”

“No, let me finish.” Despite the worry in his eyes, he allowed me to continue. “He and I are not okay in the head. Far from it, but somehow, we manage to balance one another. I know it’s not a solution in the long run, but that’s okay. Once we’re out of here and get enough distance, I plan on getting him the therapy he needs and probably get some for myself. Got some shit to work on.” Shay-Lee would probably fight me on it, but I wouldn’t take no for an answer. I would not repeat what I went through with my mom. And while understanding Shay-Lee needed professional help, I came to terms with the fact that I needed it, too. What separated me from my father was that he never did anything with his rage. He allowed it to control his life, and I refused to do the same. If I’d realized it sooner, Iván might still be alive.

“What do you mean once you’re out of here?” Andrei asked, bringing my attention back.

“We’re leaving California.”

His brows pulled down in a frown. “Leaving? To where?”

“We’re thinking about going abroad for a while to get as much distance as we can.”

“Hold on.” His frown deepened. “When?”

“Tonight.”

“Tonight?” He scowled, and I snorted at his shock.

“Yeah. I mean, we’re going to make a quick stop in Vegas, but then we’re off to who knows where.”

Looking away from me, Andrei huffed. “Next thing you’re telling me that you’re going to get married in Vegas.” My silence was my answer, and his eyes snapped to mine. He slumped his back into the sand and covered his face with his hands. “You’re joking, right? Tell me you’re fucking joking?” He jumped back up, grabbing my shoulders. His panic grew as I kept quiet with a smirk glued to my lips.

He let go of me. “Holy shit. You’re dead serious.”

“I am.”

Rubbing his forehead, he blew out some air. “I mean, I’m happy for you, but why marriage? You guys have been dating for what… three, four months, maybe?”

“It has nothing to do with time,” I grunted, thinking back on our first kiss. “I’ve never been connected with someone as much as I am with him.”

“We connected.”

I snorted, then gave him a raised eyebrow. “Yeah, but never once did I want to fuck you. While Shay-Lee, on the other hand—”

“Okay, okay, I don’t want to hear the rest.” Waving his hand in the air, Andrei cut in. “Date one another, travel the fucking world, but why get married? What’s the rush?”

It wasn’t that he didn’t make sense. Andrei often did, but looking for sense in a place it never existed in the first place was pointless. On paper, Shay-Lee and I should have never kissed, fucked, fallen in love, but we did it anyway.

“There’s no rush, just me wanting to make him my family.” Pain stung my heart, and I took a deep breath. “Iván’s dead. He was stabbed in prison a few weeks before he was supposed to get out.”

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