Page 78 of Science Project

“Why?”

“Because you can’t get involved in this. You can’t be involved with me.”

I would find a way out of this, but I had to do it myself. Once Akio got involved, I would be too distracted by trying to protect him.

“I’m already involved in this. I’ve already—” Suddenly, Akio stopped short and smacked his lips together. After a few moments of silence, he shook his head and looked away from me. “Just tell me.”

“What did you do?” I whispered.

Akio glanced back over at me, brows knotted together. “It was nothing.”

“Akio …”

“If I tell you, you’re either going to be angry or feel bad about it.” He readjusted his glasses. “All you need to know is that I did what I had to do to protect you, and I will continue to protect you. Whether you tell me who hurt you or not, I will find them.”

“Stop with the crazy ideas. Don’t get yourself killed because of me.”

“Caring about you isn’t crazy,” Akio said, holding my gaze. “So, you can either tell me who did this to you or I can find out myself. And if you love me the way that you said you did last week, then you’ll give me a name. At least one.”

My heart pounded in my ears. “But …”

“Just give me a name, and I’ll do the rest.”

I stared at him for a few moments, not wanting to get him involved, but knowing that he would get himself killed if he tried finding out for himself. So, I dropped my head and blew out a breath of frustration, mixed with defeat.

“Pick,” I whispered. “One of them is nicknamed Pick.”

CHAPTER

FORTY-THREE

NICOLE

Before Akio could respond, I hurried out of the bathroom. I didn’t want to talk anymore about it. I didn’t want to even think about it.

When I stepped into the hall, Principal Vaughn’s door swung open. Jace Harbor pulled Allie, whose eyes were filled with tears, out of the office and slammed the door behind them.

“Don’t say anything to my father,” he whispered to her. “We’re staying here for now. It’s the only place that’s safe. As soon as school ends, meet me by my car. We’ll go home once I know my dad is gone. Don’t leave with anyone.”

“We’re just going to let him continue to video innocent people?” Allie asked.

My eyes widened as I wondered what the hell Allie could be talking about, especially after leaving Vaughn’s office. Who was videoing innocent people? What were the videos about? Clearly, I had missed something during the time I hadn’t been in school.

Jace stopped a little ways down the hallway, obviously not having spotted either Akio or me yet. “My dad is far more of a threat than Vaughn. Let me take care of him, and then we can take Vaughn down, along with the rest of Redwood’s most corrupt. Okay?”

Allie balled her hands into fists. “Jace, we can’t let him get off. He’s ruined my life.”

I looked between her and Principal Vaughn’s door, wondering what that pedo had to do with this. He and Dad were good friends, and he had touched me for the first time in the summer before ninth grade.

If he had hurt Allie in any way—or touched her—I would … do something to him.

I didn’t know what. I didn’t know how. He could hurt me all he wanted, but when he touched Allie—one of the sweeter and more innocent girls at Redwood—then I had a problem. It was bad enough he had already slept with most of the cheer team.

Jace took her face in his hands and stroked his thumbs against her cheeks. “He won’t. I promise that I’ll take care of him. Redwood is about to be blown to pieces and crumble. We just have to give it a little more time.”

Her lips trembled, yet she held out her pinkie. “Pinkie promise me.”

Jace curled his pinkie around Allie’s. “I promise you that I’ll make everything right again.”

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