Page 97 of Freshman

“Guess Henry does talk rubbish. Get in.”

“No, stay out,” Nate snapped. “Stay out if you know what’s good for you.”

There were red lines in the whites of his eyes, and his nose twitched erratically. It wasn’t the Nate of a week ago, but the one in the file, the one Alfie had always been too scared to know. This version of Nate looked like he would kill and enjoy himself while he did it.

“Behave,” Mike said firmly. “Otherwise we won’t be going anywhere.”

Nate fixed his gaze forward, but his body stayed tense, and he flared his nostrils as he breathed.

Alfie slid in beside him, wishing he could be anywhere but in a car with Nate. This wasn’t the Nate that had panicked and shown concern.

This Nate blazed with anger.

In the space of a week, something had changed. Alfie had ignored his calls and avoided work to get his head together. It seemed in that week, Nate had also sorted his head out and decided he didn’t want Alfie anymore.

“I don’t want this screw next to me.”

Alfie stared at the side of Nate’s face, then dropped his gaze to his lap. In the ‘us and them’, Nate had put him on the opposing side, separated them from each other. Alfie’s gut tightened, and his eyes felt hot and stingy. He had taken too long stalling, too long thinking about what was right and wrong, and Nate had changed his mind.

“Erm, Alfie, door…” Dave said.

“Yeah, throw yourself through it, knock yourself out on the pavement,” Nate sneered.

Alfie swallowed uncomfortably and shut the door.

“What the hell have you got against Alfie?” Mike asked. “Is it the humiliation of having him punch you?”

Nate rolled his shoulders, then cracked his neck left to right. “Two filthy screws are enough. I don’t need a third. He should’ve got out of the car like I told him.”

Mike laughed. “Prison officers don’t do what the prisoners tell ’em.”

Nate snorted and shook his head. “Bad things wouldn’t happen if they did.”

“Greenbrook cemetery, forty-minute drive,” Dave said. “Nice little plot.”

The car grumbled to life, and they were on the road, moving away from the prison. Nate continued his angry pants and tightened and released his hands.

Each time Alfie feared his skin would split.

His and Nate’s shoulders were pressed together, and he could feel Nate shaking.

Alfie pushed himself as close to the door as he could, but he could still sense the rage rolling from Nate. His jaw shook, and Alfie imagined him crushing his teeth together, gritting them so hard they were in danger of breaking.

Dave took a sharp bend, and Alfie couldn’t stop his knee knocking Nate’s. His was shoved aside, and Nate huffed extra hard through his nose.

“Hope Dave’s driving doesn’t have you hurling,” Mike mumbled.

“Nah, it’s fine.” Alfie wanted to speak clearly and with confidence, but it came out soft and shaky.

Mike leaned forward to see around Nate. “You still look a bit pale. You sure you’re up for this?”

“Why not pull up and let him out,” Nate growled.

“He doesn’t want to get out,” Mike muttered.

Nate turned his head, focus so intense it made Alfie feel like he was shrinking. “You want to get out of this car, don’t you?”

His words were accompanied by a subtle nod, and Alfie frowned. A part of him wanted to get out. He suspected Mike and Dave would let him, but if whatever they were was over, if Nate had had his fill, fucked him and no longer desired him, then he needed to prove himself as an officer, not fold under a prisoner’s wrath.

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