Calling Carter.

Carter caught up with me as I walked away from him, catching me roughly by the arm. “Don’t try invoking my pity,” he growled at me.

“What? Pity?! I don’t want your pity! I want your fucking pride out of the way so I can bloody well help you!” I nearly yelled. Damn, that anger that I was saving…

He blinked. I took a deep breath and was about to apologise when he looked at me, intensely. The words faded on my lips as he nodded once, slowly. “Okay.” He said very quietly. “Maybe you can help me.”

“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” I replied, then looked at the ground. “You really piss me off sometimes, you know that?”

He laughed, and the tension thinned until it was no longer there. “You’re annoying too,” he assured me. I smiled. “So…” he said, “can I see the paper?”

I raised one eyebrow.

“Please?” He added with a small smile.

I nodded. “You won’t like it, but yeah, here it is.” I gave it to him, and I knew how angry it made him. I studied his face as he controlled his rage, noticed how his body shook with the effort. His hands were in tight fists, and his knuckles were white.

“What a sick creep,” he whispered. He raised his eyes to mine and violently ripped the paper apart. I didn’t know what to do to help him feel better, but nothing I could have done would have mattered.

Caidan walked around the corner.