Dead Girl Walking ― Aaron Minyard

43. those nights

will you be my future or just an escape?
love me, love me, love me
― bastille

♦

DAN LOST RENEE'S BET THE NEXT DAY.

Mara was in the middle of reading from her art history textbook when Dan sat down on the coffee table in front of her.

Mara glanced up, eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

"What's the deal with Aaron and Andrew?" Dan asked.

Mara rolled her eyes. "Ask them."

"You and I both know they won't say anything to me," Dan countered. "Whatever those two have going on, it's ruining our chances of bringing the team together, and if we can't do that, we don't stand a chance against the Ravens."

Mara bit her tongue against a reminder that, even if they were the most functional team in Class I Exy, it was still unlikely they could beat the Ravens. Instead, she said, "It's really none of your business—or mine."

"That's bullshit and you know it, West," Dan said. "Andrew hasn't acknowledged your existence since coming back when just last semester, he was willing to stand between you and Riko."

"Things change," Mara said tersely.

"They do," Dan agreed. "My guess is the thing that changed is that Andrew found out about you and Aaron, and he doesn't approve."

That was more than an understatement, but Mara said nothing.

"Aaron has never once treated the rest of the team like anything more than co-workers," Dan said. "He's been an asshole to the rest of us since he started at PSU, and then that changed when Andrew was gone. So whatever is keeping him from engaging with the rest of us, it has something to do with Andrew."

"Like I said," Mara said through gritted teeth, "it's no one's business but theirs."

"Mara," Dan said. "I want this team to succeed, and we can, but not as long as those two hold us back. We can't be a team if they refuse to try."

"Even if you knew everything about them, you couldn't make them care about the team," Mara said.

"But Aaron cares about you, right?" Dan said. "And don't deny it, we saw the two of you when Andrew wasn't here. We didn't even think Aaron could care about a person he wasn't related to, but turns out we were wrong."

Mara looked away.

"Except now, you're back to hiding," Dan continued. "Aaron and Andrew hate each other, so why does Aaron care so much about pleasing Andrew that he'll put you on the back-burner?"

"They don't hate each other," Mara protested, ignoring the sting of Dan's words. "You can't honestly believe that."

Dan sighed. "Okay, maybe not hate, but they're—complicated, obviously. And that's making the team complicated. What does Andrew have on Aaron to make him do what he wants?"

Mara fought a growl of frustration. "He doesn't have anything on Aaron, he—" She sighed, relenting. "They have a deal, okay?"

Dan immediately perked up. "What kind of deal?"

Mara closed her eyes. "To stick together," she said. "Just the two of them—no friends, no girlfriends. There—happy?"

Of course, Dan only had more questions. "And Aaron's just sticking with it? What does he even get out of it?"

Mara looked at her like she was stupid. "He gets a brother."

"A brother that treats him like that," Dan said, incredulous. "How is that worth it?"