Page 150 of WTF

“Yes. Is this him?”

Gee, thanks for the details.

“It’s him,” Lars answered, tension radiating off him.

“Put that away,” I said, waving at the phone.

“So he came to your dorm room last night? And you two share a room?” The officer continued, waving his pen between Rush and Lars.

Leaning down to Lars’s ear, I whispered, “You’re moving in with me.”

He didn’t say anything, but his body melted a little farther into mine.

“That’s right.” Rush agreed.

“And after you let him in the room, what happened?”

The muscle in Rush’s jaw pulsed. “I left.”

“So you didn’t actually see him attack your roommate.”

“I let him in the room. I saw Lars on my way out. Told him his brother was up there, and Lars looked kinda freaked. He said he was just surprised the guy flew all the way across the world to visit. He went upstairs. When I came back later, there had evidently been a struggle in the room, and Lars was shivering on the bed, bruises all over him and a suitcase packed. So no, I didn’t see that dick put his hands on Lars, but it was pretty fucking obvious.”

I closed my eyes, Rush’s words painting a scene in my head that was so vivid it didn’t matter I hadn’t been there. It would live inside me as if I were.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there,” I apologized, tightening my arms around him.

“I’m glad you weren’t,” he whispered.

“And what did Mr. Eriksson tell you about his injuries?” the cop asked.

“Nothing,” Rush said. “He was pretending to be asleep, so I left him alone. I didn’t want to make it worse.” He glanced across the room at Lars. “I’m sorry. I should have made you talk to me.”

“I wouldn’t have said anything,” Lars said, voice hollow.

The officers turned to Lars. “Could you please tell us your version of the events?”

Wes and Max took a step closer, closing us in on both sides, offering solidarity and support.

Lars dragged in a breath, released it slowly, and started to speak. “It’s like Rush said. He showed up at my dorm, pretending we were brothers. I never told anyone about him. I didn’t think he’d come all this way…” His voice trailed away, and then it was as if he forgot he was in a room full of people and started speaking to himself. “I know he said he wouldn’t let me go. But I didn’t think he’d come this far. I thought he was too scared of Win.”

Chest squeezing, I said, “You thought he was scared of me?”

Lars’s head bobbed, chin lifting so he could glance behind him to my face. “Everyone is always so intimidated by him. Some are outright afraid. But you intimidatedhim. I’ve never seen anything like it. You stood your ground that day in Sweden. You didn’t back down at all. He wasn’t expecting it. You caught him off guard. I could tell right away he had no idea how to handle the big American who didn’t play by his rules.”

“That’s why you let me stay in your room,” I said, realization dawning.

All this time, I thought it was because I was sweeter than honey.

Now ain’t the time, Yoda.

“He stayed away from me the whole time you were there, only getting close enough to follow me around campus and watch. God, it was such a relief.” Lars’s exhaustion was palpable. The reprieve my presence gave him coated my tongue.

“And then I just left,” I said, a bitter wind whistling through my chest.

Lars’s lips rolled in. “And then you left.”

Pulling him around, I grasped his forearms. “What did he do to you?” I growled.