out, eyeing Wesley cautiously. “Hi?”
Wesley didn’t bother with the niceties.
“Did you freak out on Mouse after she saved your ass?” He gestured in the direction of the hall, anger and concern trickling into his voice and already stiff posture. “You may not have noticed, but she’s not exactly all right in the head. She can’t talk because a very cruel person tortured her every day for years. Max tried making her into an obedient little monster, and it messes with her head every time somebody does something to validate that image. If you flinch from her or act afraid, it makes everything Max told her about herself right. That she’s just like that twisted dirtbag. If you did, I can’t say I’d blame you. I probably would’ve pissed myself in your shoes. Maybe you didn’t. You’re braver than I am, if that’s the case.”
He started toward the door, still taut with suppressed anger. He paused just long enough to offer a few last words of wisdom before leaving. “But if you did, you should think long and hard on just what that might have meant to her. She took on John to keep you safe. Don’t repay her by being a callous prick.”
Christoph scrubbed his hand through his wet hair and paced. This was unlike anything he’d ever encountered in Goliath. If you had problems, you dealt with them quietly. You didn’t whine or flinch or run away. You pushed through it, and with a few good friends, you made it out the other side.
He frowned. He had to apologize. He should also get with Analie and have her outline what the hell the standards of behavior were here. Sighing, he headed out of the apartment.
Christoph was not particularly eager to face something that made him, a creature of the night, afraid of dark corners. He shuffled down the hall, dragging his feet, and entered Mouse’s apartment.
Analie and Freddy were on the couch. They had a photo album open between them. Christoph came closer to investigate.
It looked like a Goliath barbeque from a year ago. Oh, God. There he was with that crew cut he’d had back then. Analie was resting her fingers on a picture of her riding piggyback on Gavin.
“Hey,” Analie said, looking up.
“Hey,” Christoph answered. He nodded to Freddy, who was staring at him with a weird expression. “Where’s Mouse?”
“In her room,” Analie said.
Christoph looked toward Mouse’s door. “You mind hanging out in your room for a bit?”
“Nah.” She picked up the photo album and she and Freddy went to her room, shutting the door.
Christoph walked over to Mouse’s door and took a deep breath. He didn’t want to knock because he sure as hell didn’t want to go in.
“Hey, uh, Mouse? It’s Christoph. I just wanted to say thank you. For saving me. I was really freaking out about John being all ‘argh, gonna eat you’ and then you busted in there like Wonder Woman and totally creamed him, which was actually really cool....” Christoph scrubbed his hair. “Anyway, I’m really sorry I... did what I did. ‘Cause that’s not cool when you were obviously saving my ass. So—I’m sorry and I hope you don’t totally hate me now.”
* * *
Analie and Freddy were smashed against the bedroom door, listening to Christoph.
“He’s getting better at talking to girls,” Analie whispered.
“This is better?” Freddy muttered.
* * *
Mouse had scrubbed John’s blood off her hands, then slumped down on the bathroom floor, curled up against the tub and watching dully as a few pink-tinged tears stained the porcelain. More evidence of the monster she was, and always would be.
She cringed when she heard Christoph’s voice. His apology only started up the tears again, and she covered her burning eyes with her hands, trying to stop. She was too cowardly to face him considering the way she was feeling right now, sure he’d be even more horrified with her to see that even her tears were stained with blood.
* * *
Christoph dragged his feet over to the couch and sat down. He half hoped Mouse would come out, and half hoped she’d stay in there. He’d give it a little while and see.
Analie and Freddy ventured into the living room again. They sat next to him on the couch, Analie between the two. Christoph looked over that the photo album they were still poring over and groaned when he saw the picture.
“Burn that.”
Analie grinned. “No. Besides, there are copies.”
Christoph shook his head. “That totally sucks. I can’t believe you