The Shadows Of Yesterday

The Shadows Of Yesterday {28}

"What's this?" Seth said sharply.

I took a step back. Seth caught my arm, keeping me in place as he shot Brynn a look.

"Well, you coming in?" Cad said from where he leaned against the wall.

He was at the front of the room. In the chairs waited Ziv, Harley, Chief, Nicky, Brooks, Nora, and...

Arlo. He was leaning forward anxiously, forcing a smile when he saw my eyes on him.

"What's this?" Seth repeated. "No, you know what? I know what this is. Figures only Jeremy's friends are here. We're leaving."

"You big baby," Brynn said, grabbing him by the shirt and yanking him into the room with impressive strength. "Sit down, Seth. You too, Jeremy. This won't take long."

"Brynn!" Seth said.

Brynn shut the door. "This is for you, too, Seth."

He put an arm around my shoulders protectively. Brynn urged us into chairs. I kept my head down, trying to turn my head so my lip was hidden from view.

"Alright, let's get some facts out of the way," Cad said. "Kid, what'd you see?"

I thought he was speaking to me at first, but then I noticed Arlo fidgeting nervously. "I was walking Jeremy home after we were drinking. I told him Harley didn't like the way she saw Seth treating him. He got upset. We were both drunk and I was worried he was gonna fall so I tried to drop it. I had my hands on him, just tryin' to hold him up, yea? And Seth came along and shoved me off- which, okay, I guess it probably looked bad. But he was getting rough with Jeremy. Yanking and dragging him, holding his arm too tight. And Jeremy was flinching away from him. He looked scared."

"You were trying to take advantage of him when he was drunk," Seth snapped. "Figures you'd twist the story."

"I ain't twisting it," Arlo said indignantly. "I even said it probably looked bad at first. But Jeremy and I both told you what was actually going on, and you just got even more pissed when Jeremy defended me."

Cad held up a hand before they could argue. "So, Arlo saw Seth being rough with him."

"He called me upset yesterday. When I showed up, his lip was split," Ziv said.

"He had a bruise on his face before he was trying to hide, not that long ago," Cad said.

"And a cut by his eyebrow," Arlo said. He was watching me. "Jeremy, you told me it was an accident. Was it?"

I nodded numbly. It had been an accident. Not the one I'd told him, but an accident nonetheless.

"Of course. They're all accidents. Because Seth 'doesn't mean to do it'," Cad said, meeting Seth's eyes. "Isn't that right?"

"What the hell do any of you know?" Seth said. "We don't have to listen to this shit. You don't know anything. Come on, Jeremy."

Brynn put a hand on his shoulder and shoved him down. "You're going to sit and listen."

"What-" Seth started.

"Your relationship is unhealthy," she said bluntly. "It's not good for either of you, Seth. Obviously I'm not the only one who's seen it. Why do you think I started encouraging Jeremy to hang out with other people?" Seth opened his mouth to protest, but she put a hand on his arm. "Seth. I'm worried about you. You two are dependent on each other. You've never denied you have a temper. If you care about your best friend, you'll let him go before your temper really hurts him. If you can't show me you can pick your best friend over your own ego, do you really think I'll want to build a future with you?"