true colors - jb & ag 《completed》

{twenty-nine}

Justin leaned against a Grecian pillar, sipping witch's brew and watching the ridiculousness on the dance floor. If his soul hadn't been a jumble of barbed wire and molten rock, he might find it hilarious that a man in a pink bunny suit was dancing with a woman dressed as a lamp—fishnet stockings and all. Ariana would have laughed and suggested they steal the idea for next year.

His spine stiffened. Ariana actually loved him. It was beyond his wildest hopes, but it felt like she'd carved his heart out with a spoon. Love wasn't something he knew how to deal with. Hate, anger, indifference—all those he could process. Even so, he knew what he felt for her was real because it was transformative. It made him want to be the person she deserved. And that person was willing to give her up to save her life.

Not in the mood for a party, Justin hung back and enjoyed the relative anonymity of wearing a mask. He would stay as long as Ariana was here, just to make sure she was safe. He drained his cup and tossed it in a wastebasket, then searched the room for a glimpse of the purple and silver sparkles of his enchanting fairy girl. In the middle of the dance floor, he spied Lisa with Reggie and Yolanda, but he didn't see Ariana. He scanned the nearby refreshment tables, and not two feet away stood a boy in a checkered suit with an enormous top hat perched on his dreads. Something inside Justin snapped, and without another thought, he grabbed Isaiah around the shoulders and forced him into a dark hallway. "We need to talk."

"Dude, let go!"

Isaiah and his crooked cop father had been at the root of every evil in Justin's life. Red clouding his vision, Justin shoved Isaiah through an open doorway and slammed him up against the wall. His voice a low growl, he demanded, "You pushed Daniel because he caught you dealing. Didn't you?" Isaiah struggled, and Justin jabbed an elbow into his diaphragm. "Tell me now!"

Isaiah let out a grunt, his eyes watering as he fought to breathe. He shook his head, his hat toppling to the floor.

Justin read the fear in his eyes. Good. "Did you lie to the police about it or did your daddy cover it up just like the drugs?"

When he didn't get an answer, Justin pressed his forearm against Isaiah's windpipe. "Spill, or I swear I won't be responsible for what I do to you in the next two minutes."

"Okay." He croaked. "I lied. I lied!"

Justin eased off Isaiah's throat but kept him pinned against the wall. "About what?"

"About . . . about you . . . pushing Daniel. I didn't see it."

"Yeah, you lied. Because you pushed him!" Justin gave Isaiah another slam, his head snapping back.

"No, Justin, I swear on my mother's life, I didn't do it. The Martins . . ." His throat convulsed. "The Martins gave their testimonies, and then my dad . . . my dad said it would go better for me if I just agreed with them." The tension left his body as if he'd been waiting to say those words for a lifetime.

"But Daniel saw you dealing drugs."

"Yes, but after Daniel talked to my dad, he agreed to keep quiet if I promised to stop. And I did. I never touched the stuff again."

Justin searched Isaiah's face. "But why would one of the Martins push him?"

Fear flickered across Isaiah's gaze, and this time it wasn't because of Justin. That had to change. Justin moved back, kicked the door shut, and then unsheathed the sword at his hip. Isaiah froze as Justin pressed the tip to his throat. The sword had been his grandfather's, and although dull, it was very real. "I have nothing to lose by stabbing you. The chief already thinks I tried to kill Penelope. It's only a matter of time before he has me thrown in prison." Justin twisted the sword, pressing the tip into Isaiah's skin.