Page 141 of Dissolving Prejudice

Horrified, I stared at it, feeling drops of sweat sliding under my T-shirt before I looked up at him. Annoyance crossed his face before he shoved the crutch into my chest and walked past me. My arms trembled, and I hugged the crutch close to me while attempting not to drop it.

“Mr. Keller, I’m afraid we must leave before the police arrive,” he said, voice calm.

“T-the police?”

“Did I stutter?” He glanced at me over his shoulder, his cold stare leaving me in utter fear.

“N-no,” I gasped, then turned to look at the room where Shay-Lee was. “D-did y-you k-kill him?”

The speed at which Mr. Rogers turned to face me made my body freeze, and I stayed still, like a frightened animal, as he moved closer.

“Kill him?” His brows pulled tight, forming a sharp crease above his nose. “What sort of nonsense are you spitting? He’s my son. My beloved son who needed to be scolded back toward the right path.” His lips curled with disdain before he lifted a hand.

I was certain he’d hit me, but instead, he used his thumb to wipe away my tears. “That’s all I was doing, Mr. Keller. Giving my son a slight push in the right direction.” He smiled. “And you, sweet boy, are going to help me make sure he stays on that path, or so help me God—” His hand slowly slipped from my cheek to cup the back of my neck. “—you’re going to regret it.”

“Are you getting in?” someone asked, and I looked up to see a young nurse holding the elevator door open for me.

Realizing I’d got lost in memories, I quickly shook my head with an apologetic smile.

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” I stepped inside the elevator and pressed the parking lot floor.

“Are you here to visit someone close?”

“I’m sorry?” I turned to face the nurse, who smiled at me with warmth.

“I asked if you’re here to visit someone close?”

For a brief second, she reminded me of Laura. This nurse looked nothing like Laura, but something about her attitude and the ease with which she started a conversation reminded me of her. It was funny how, eventually, I just ended up repeating the same mistake. With Laura, I was too afraid to speak up, which led to her suicide, and with Shay-Lee? I was also too scared to open my mouth. Only in his case, my crime didn’t end with just being silent, as I’d taken an active part in covering it up and blaming Diesel for the whole thing. At one point, Mr. Rogers even made me plant the gun I used to kill Orson in Diesel’s old room so the prosecution would use it as evidence. Was it wrong of me to do? Of course, but at the time, I was too scared for my own ass to do anything but follow Mr. Rogers’s instructions.

“No… not exactly,” I finally answered her question. Shay-Lee and I might have been close for a few years, but it was all over now. He’d asked me to stay out of his life, for both of our sakes, and I wasn’t about to argue with that. One could almost laugh over my pathetic ass—to still want a man who cheated on me, and with his ex, no less? Only his cheating didn’t come as a surprise, as I never truly believed he loved me. He was mine for a borrowed time, and while I sure hoped Diesel would never return, I knew that wouldn’t be the case. Shay-Lee’s rejection hurt, but I bet he also hurt when his dad smashed his head open with my crutch.

“Well, I hope they’ll be okay,” that nurse spoke again, and this time, I just hummed my response.

I was never good at talking to strangers, especially girls.

Thankfully, she got out on a different floor, leaving me alone in the elevator. Since I’d called for a doctor to go and check on Shay-Lee, my job here was done, and I was heading home. Once the ride reached the parking lot, I stepped out. While paying my parking ticket, I noticed a motorcycle parked beside the machine, which made me think of Diesel. It was odd that he wasn’t here, and when Shay-Lee asked me for my phone to call him… What was that about?

And while it made me curious, I couldn’t say I cared, as I genuinely hated Diesel with all my heart. He was always one cocky bastard who thought he was such a badass. Maybe he was; I mean, considering how I’d come here prepared for him to shoot me, it must have meant something, but still. He was a real jerk.

With my parking ticket paid, I was ready to track down my car when I spotted a familiar face. Squinting, I made sure I was seeing correctly before raising my arm and waving.

“Dylan!” I called, but he didn’t turn around.

Didn’t he hear me?

“Hey, Dylan.” I ran toward him until I was close enough to grab his shoulder.

Dylan turned around, his green eyes going wide with surprise.

“Oh, Jordy.” He smiled. “What are you doing here?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing, man.” I shoved both my hands into my jeans pockets while smiling at him.

“My aunt had open-heart surgery the other day, and I came to visit her.”

My brows drew in with concern. “Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that. Is she okay?”

“Hopefully.”