Page 29 of The Freshman

They paused outside the cell andlistened to the wheeze of Henry as he climbed up afterthem.

Nate took a step nearer, and Alfietook one away. He still couldn’t make eye contact with Nate andinstead stared at his clenching jaw, stared at the lines of hisneck as it pulled tight. He didn’t know the expression Nate wore.He imagined him smirking, but no noise travelled to hisears.

“I got your blush wrong,”Nate said slowly.

Alfie forced his gaze high and wasimmediately caught in the trap of Nate’s eyes. They were darkerthan Alfie had ever seen them, and the intensity in the look madehim shiver. He didn’t just feel stripped by the stare but tieddown, chained, at Nate’s mercy.

Nate wetted his lips, and his eyesroamed Alfie’s face. Then they settled on his tingling mouth. Alfiehad sunk his teeth into the soft flesh and only realized when Natedid.

Alfie took another step away fromNate, and subtly leaned over the railing to check if Henry wasclose by.

“The apples of your cheeksblush, but it goes farther, down to your jaw.”

Alfie dropped his gaze and shook hishead. “Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

Alfie shuffled. “Making me feel stupid… for—for that.”

“I’m not trying to makeyou feel stupid.”

Henry puffed into view and coughedinto his tissue. Then he moved to the cell door and unlocked itwith a clunk.

“Get inside,” hesaid.

“I want Alfie to pat medown,” Nate said carefully.

Alfie blushed furiously and tookanother step back. Nate wasn’t done humiliating him for hisreaction.

Henry huffed. “No, just get in thecell.”

Nate breathed deep and released hisbreath slowly. Alfie raised his head and saw Nate staring fiercelyat Henry. He may have been old, almost knocked to the ground byNate’s exhale, but he didn’t bow to him.

“Inside, now.”

Nate walked forward, and Henryunclipped his hands. Then he slammed the door shut loud enough towake everyone in the prison.

“Evil,” he muttered, thenturned to Alfie. He nodded, and a few seconds later Alfie noddedback. They walked back down the stairs in silence, and the muteatmosphere only broke when Henry closed the office door behindthem.

“He didn’t do anything toyou, did he?”

Alfie shook his head. “No…”

Henry rubbed at his chin. “It’s justthe thought though, just knowing you can’t see what he’s doing,that he might catch you unaware.”

It wasn’t that at all, but Alfienodded anyway.

“You handled that well. Iwouldn’t have liked being close to him when the lights wentout.”

Alfie scratched the back of his head.“Think maybe Glen can do the top level at roll call?”

Henry bobbed his head. “I think that’sa good idea.”

Chapter Eight

At roll-call, Nate didn’t startbashing the door much to Alfie’s relief.

He didn’t want to hear Nate’s purringvoice. He needed to gather his thoughts about what happened, orabout what almost happened. He spent another shift staring at Nateon the computer screen but didn’t build the courage to scrolldown.

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