Moose and Goose

Chapter Twenty-six

When they hear Cyrus yelling, Eric and Jerome shuffle down the stairs. Judith sits on the sofa with her eyes fixed on the coffee table and her dry lips apart. Her arms are wrapped around her torso, keeping her warm.

"Dude, take a chill pill," Zeke says, then folds his arms, and Cyrus raises his brows. Jerome and Eric stand under the arch. "He didn't do anything to her."

"Get the fuck to your rooms," Cyrus yells while pointing to the stairs and he watches them pass by him. Jerome looks at Cyrus as he sits next to Judith, and Eric moves to the side to make room. "Are you okay?"

She doesn't respond. Eric turns to face the two on the couch after watching them ascend the stairs.

"Judy?" When Jerome calls her name, she turns her head to look at him. When she sees him, her eyes well up, and her face scrunches up before she breaks down in tears.

Cyrus and Eric stand there watching Jerome rush to her aid. He takes the seat to her right, and he wraps his girthy arms around her as she leans into the chest of his black flannel sweater.

"I hate this fucking campus," she wails, and he gently strokes her hair with his left hand.

"What happened, Judy? What's wrong," he questions her. Cyrus gets up.

"I'll be in my room," he mutters to Jerome, and he nods. Cyrus exits the living room and climbs the stairs while Eric remains where he is.

"You're right. I can't protect myself." She pulls away from his embrace, her face flushed with heartbreak. "It doesn't matter where I am or what I do or who I'm with or who I tell, I'll always have a target on my back. I leave you in the student lounge, and someone grabs me from behind. I come here after leaving the sorority, and those two guys try to –"

She stops herself from saying anything else, shakes her head, and looks down at her lap. Jerome searches for her gaze through the tears that have settled on her lashes.

"Can you give us a minute? I'll meet you in your room after this if I have time." Eric nods and walks up the stairs, leaving them alone. Jerome takes a breath and turns to face her. "Did Zeke and Wesley do something to you?"

"They tried – but Cyrus made them stop," she whines to him. She notices his jaw clenching as he grits his teeth, his eyes briefly narrowing. "I'm gonna drop out. I can't keep feeling like everyone is out to get me."

"I'm not out to get you," She frowns and lowers her brows, breaking his heart. He pulls his lips in to lick them, then cups her face in his hands. He sighs as he wipes away her tears with his thumbs. "If you leave because of them, they win."

"Then what should I do, Jerome," she asks, her voice shrill, and he removes his hands to sit them on hers.

"Tomorrow morning, I'm walking you to the campus police booth, and we're reporting everything that's happened," he says calmly, and her face sinks. "You're not dropping out; at least, not for them. Okay?"

"Why're you being nice to me?" He doesn't respond right away, so they stare into each other's dark brown irises.

"I care about you, Judy, and you crying upsets me." Judith sniffles again as she leans into his arms. She listens to the thumping of his heart against her right ear, and it soothes her. Jerome rests his chin on her head and exhales deeply.

"Can I sleep with you tonight," she asks, and he furrows his brows. "Kacey's housemother is up-tight, and I don't have anywhere else to go."

"That's fine. Do you need to shower?" She nods and looks around, expecting to see a downstairs bathroom. "Follow me to my room. My roommate is asleep, so you can use the shower for as long as you need to."