Page 76 of Gambler's Fallacy

“She isn’t,” I say fiercely. I take a step closer to him, but I keep my hands to myself. “Nobody is ever hurting you again, Seven. Not your mother, or the rest of your family, or Caleb’s grandfather or whoever the fuck. I’m—We’re—going to protect you. Right, Vortex?”

“Always,” Vortex says, and his voice is unsteady too. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was near tears himself.

Maybe he is.

Seven doesn’t say anything, though. He looks small and sad andscared, and I don’t know that we can say anything to change that.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. It’s inadequate, but it’s all I have. “I didn’t mean to imply… I’m only frustrated.” My fists clench, and it’s so much easier when I can simply beat up the source of my frustrations. “I love my mother, and I want to help her, and it hurts to watch her get beaten down by him. I don’t… I don’t know how to help her, because she won’t let me help.” I laugh bitterly. “I guess I know why. I’m just like him. Yelling all the time. Punching things. Hurting people.”

Seven stares at the floor. “That doesn’t make you like him,” he mumbles.

“Way to make it about you, Havoc,” Vortex says, his voice thick with venom. “First youimplyby flat-out saying she’s dumb, then you start whining about how you can’t control your goddamn temper?” He laughs, then wraps his arms around Seven again. “We’re leaving.”

If they leave, Seven and I are going to be like he and Vortex were at the start of this day. I shake my head.

“No!” I reach out for Seven and ignore Vortex’s glare. “Seven, please. I’m sorry. I don’t think you’re dumb. I think you’re incredibly strong, okay? I wasn’t thinking. I hurt you, right after I said I’d never do that. Please, don’t leave angry. Tell me what I can do to fix it.”

“I’m not angry,” Seven says, and somehow, it’s worse to think that he might not react to this with anything other than anger. “And there’s nothing for you to fix.” His smile is so obviously forced that I want to put a fist through the wall because I’m so pissed at myself for doing this to him. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay,” Vortex snaps. “But Seven cares about you, so he’s going to forgive you. Whether you deserve it or not. So you’d better make sure that you deserve it, Havoc, or you and I will do more than have words.”

I roll my eyes at Vortex. “You’re one to talk, with how you iced Seven out because you couldn’t handle a bit of rough sex.”

Vortex’s jaw sets hard. “I said I’d talk toSevenabout it. I don’t need to justify anything to you.”

“Oh, so you get to make mistakes, but I don’t?” I growl at him. “You couldn’t even manage to be there the other day, all because you were too?—”

“Stop!” Seven shouts. “You don’t… You don’t get to fight about who hurt me the most!” He shakes his head. “I’m calling Caleb.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket, fumbling with it for a minute.

“Wait!” Vortex and I both say. I look at Vortex and sigh. “Okay, really, I’m sorry. I’ll drop it. How about I order food for us, and we finish this fucking TV stand so we can play video games in comfort?”

“I don’t really want to be here,” Seven says, hugging his arms against his chest without letting go of his phone. “I need… I need Caleb.”

Vortex stares at him, and I can read the conflicting emotions in his face. He’s as pissed as I am — and as hurt. But to make this about us would make this even worse.

“I’ll call him,” Vortex says. “You can wait in Havoc’s room until he gets here.”

I nod. “Yeah. Do you need a drink? I’ll grab something. And I probably have a few granola bars around if you need a snack.”

Seven shakes his head and shuffles off to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

I groan, annoyed at myself and at Vortex. “Fuck. Well, so much for helping you and Seven make up. Now he’s pissed at both of us.” I glance down at the TV stand and get onto the floor again to get back to work. “Tell Caleb to bring food for us, at least, if he’s going to steal Seven. And beers.”

Vortex grunts, taking out his phone and stepping into the hallway.

He stays out there for a long time, not returning until he has Caleb in tow — Caleb, who doesn’t have food or beers in hand.

“For the record,” Caleb says, “I really didn’t expect both of you to be such idiots.” He raps gently on the bedroom door. “Seven? I came to collect you.”

Seven emerges, his face blotchy and red. He goes straight to Caleb, looking like a scared little boy, and Caleb wraps his arm around Seven.

They leave without another word.

Vortex glares at me one last time before shutting the apartment door.

Great.

I glower at my stupid TV stand, still in multiple pieces.

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