17. Victor Blackwood

The thing Anne wanted to talk to me about last night was space.

She said it so casually. Like she was asking for a glass of water, not trying to change everything.

"Maintaining a healthy distance. This isn't a breakup or anything. I just need some real time to think."

I nodded slowly. Didn't flinch. Didn't grab her arm. Didn't scream.

Because I understood. Or I had to pretend to.

She wanted space? Fine. She could have her illusion of it.

But I'm part of her space. I always have been.

So I let her walk away with Katy, acting unbothered, like I wasn't calculating every inch of the distance between us.

I had to do something—anything—to calm my head. So I made myself useful.

First stop, the nurse's office.

"Hey, I think Anne left something here. I told her I'd check."

The nurse smiled, distracted. "Go ahead, I'll be right back."

Perfect.

I slipped behind the desk, took photos of the appointment logs, then reached into the emergency contact binder. One simple swap: I replaced Yesenia's number with mine.

Next stop: yearbook office.

"Anne and I want to submit a picture for the couples spread," I told the editor, handing over the selfie Katy took of us the other day. "We want it to be a surprise."

She practically squealed.

"Oh my God, you two are adorable! I'll make sure it gets in!"

Just like that, more roots sunk in.

She could think she was pulling away. But I was already in every shadow of her day.

That's what real love looks like.

***

I sat behind the gym, my usual spot when I didn't trust myself in the classroom. Her words kept looping in my head nonstop.

"Maintaining a healthy distance."

Like the hours we spent together meant nothing. Like me meeting her dad meant nothing. Like me taking out Lara and Craig for her wasn't a huge deal.

Like my heartbeat wasn't synced to hers now.

And then I heard them.

"She's like a different person now."

"Did you see Anne on Katy's I***a though? The skirt, the bangs?"

"She's so hot now."

"Just about hotter than Lara."

"Wouldn't mind getting some alone time with her..."

"She wouldn't even look at you, man."

Laughter. Gross, choking laughter.

"Give a loser bitch like that some attention and she'll open right up."

They were talking about my Anne. Like she was a toy. A challenge.

Like she was available.

How dare they?

I stood and walked over.

They were leaning against the wall behind the gym, where the cameras had been broken for years. Teachers didn't come around here. No one ever did.

"Oh look, Anne's boyfriend."

"How'd you make her hot?"

"What's it taste like?"

I didn't answer.

I slammed my fist into the mouth of the one who asked. He crumpled surprisingly fast.

The second guy went for my collar. I ducked under and grabbed the back of his neck, slamming him into the dumpster wall. His head bounced. His body followed.

The third tried to run. I grabbed his hoodie, spun him around, and drove my knee into his gut. He dropped, wheezing. I leaned down close.

"You don't get to talk about her. You don't even get to think about her."

He choked, red-faced, tears welling. He tried to speak—I didn't let him. I leaned closer.

"She's not some girl you drool over during gym. She's not some half-naked profile you save on your phone. She's not for you. She's mine."

"I got it!"

"Talk about her again, and I'll tear out your fucking tongue."

No screams. Just the soft, wet sound of fear and blood in the back of their throats.

I wiped my hands with the napkin from my lunch bag. Adjusted my sleeves. Wiped excess blood off my knuckles with the inside of my jacket. The adrenaline was gone, replaced by the cold calm I always felt after doing what needed to be done.

I left them there next to the dumpster. Right where garbage like them belonged.

***

By lunch, I'd changed into a clean shirt from my locker. My knuckles still ached but I was calm again.

Anne was under a tree with Katy, eating quietly. She looked beautiful, even while frowning at something in her drink.

I approached carefully. Sat down without touching her. I respected her space. Even when I hated it with a passion.

I wanted to be closer.

I wanted us to touch all the time.

Katy gave me a sideways look. Anne blinked.

"Hi. Thought I'd check in."

"Just keeping things quiet," Anne said.

Good. That means she's still thinking. Still working through whatever issue in her own way.

Why couldn't she tell me and let me handle it though?

I looked down at her lunch tray, then at the way the wind tugged her hair across her face.

She just needs time to realize she needs my help.

And when she did...

Well, I'd already made sure the world was safe enough for her to fall right back into place.

"Normal is good," I said, my voice calm as I watched her pick at her lunch. I watched the way the sunlight hit her hair just right. "By the way, have you been talking to anyone new lately? Like is anyone weird bothering you? Being a little too friendly with you at all?"

Anne paused. My question had weight—too casual to be a real question. I was watching to see if she would cover for anyone else. I always was.

"You jealous?" Katy grinned, teasing.

That made my stomach turn. Did that mean someone had approached her? Were the guys from behind the gym saying something to her? Should I go back and finish the job on them?

"No one really," Anne answered. "Everyone's just looking from a distance."

Looking from a distance.

Even worse.

That meant she was being seen. Being noticed.

By people who didn't deserve to look at her.

I forced myself to relax and took a sip of her drink, trying to steady the storm behind my smile. It's crazy what a little makeover did. It's not like anyone else saw Anne's true beauty before I did. Now suddenly they think they can look at her?

She's mine.

"Yo Anne!"

"That makeover! Damn!"

"Who are you, baby?!"

"You lookin' fine, girl!"

"Bring that over here!"

Whistle.

The field lit up with testosterone and immaturity. Loud laughter. Catcalls. Like she was on display. Like they had the right to speak to her like that.

My fingers curled tightly into my thigh. My jaw ached from the clench. My pulse pounded in my ears.

Dogs. Pathetic, slobbering mutts.

How dare they look at her like that?

I turned to see her reaction.

She... kept eating.

Unbothered. Like nothing happened. No blush, no frown, no tension.

Just silence.

It made me feel more unsettled than anything. How could she not react? Was she used to it? Did she not care? Could she not see what I wanted to protect her from?

Why didn't she need me in that moment?

"Okay but like... people are so obsessed with you two now," Katy suddenly said, flipping her phone toward me.

It was a picture of Anne and me from earlier this week—sitting close at lunch, me smiling at her. Her head tilted just slightly toward mine. Perfect.

The comments were buzzing:

"This a photo shoot or are they really together?"

"Power couple alert!"

"Who's the girl? Anyone got her @???"

Good thing she didn't have social media. No one needed access to her but me.

"Honestly even I didn't think you and Anne were real either at first," Katy continued like a complete idiot.

I stared at her. Hard.

She flinched slightly.

"I mean... I do now obviously," she backtracked. "I mean come on, look at you guys. You're, like, intimidatingly perfect together. It makes sense you two would get together."

I didn't speak. Just stared. Then smiled. Small. Controlled.

She relaxed again. Thought she was safe. Good.

"This makeover—" I started.

"It still looks great, right?" Anne asked, finally cutting in.

I snapped out of it. Right. She liked it. She's happy with it.

That's what matters.

Who am I to destroy that?

"Yeah," I said. "You look beautiful."

My sweet Anne. If she liked the makeover, then it was perfect. Even if it meant she was catching the eyes of people who didn't deserve it.

"But all this attention must make you feel uncomfortable," I added, watching her closely.

"Not really," Anne shrugged. "I'm just ignoring it for now. Plus, Katy's in all my classes, and she's good at chasing undesirables away."

I looked at Katy again. Maybe... maybe she wasn't the worst. She was helping keep the mutts away.

Still. I'd need to check her motives eventually.

"Did you see the lineup for the assembly?" Anne asked Katy, changing the subject with flawless timing.

"Yeah, and I like died," Katy groaned.

They moved on. I sat there quietly, letting the rest of their conversation blur. But inside my head, things stayed sharp.

Anne was shining now. And the world was trying to see her.

But I saw her first.

And I'll be her last.

No matter what.