Page 6 of #PhiThetaForever

"Lena, stop walking and look at me," Justus's voice is soft, and he gently puts his hand on my shoulder. He’s taller than I am by a good amount, but he's not as tall as Declan. He uses his thumbs to wipe the tears from under my eyes. "Listen to me. Bo is manipulative. Trust me. He could get the Pope to do shots and participate in an orgy if he got a few hours alone with him."

"How can you be friends with someone like that?" I blurt out far more rudely than intended.

Justus chuckles and offers me his elbow. I slide my hand through, and we stroll like that toward my dorm, our arms pressed together. After a few moments, he sighs. "Bo and I aren't friends. We tried to be my Freshman year. I even pledged Sigma Nu."

I can't help the way my eyes widen. From what I've seen in the last forty minutes, Justus isn't anything like the Sigma Nu frat brothers.

Glancing down at me, he smirks. "Don't look at me like that. I was 18 and away from home. Bigger city. I wanted to live life and fit in."

"But you're not part of Sigma Nu now." A big gust of wind blows against us, and I shiver. I shouldn't have left my jacket in my dorm room.

Justus stops and, before I can protest, shrugs out of his jacket and holds it open for me. I give him a smile and put it on. It's so warm and smells like peppermint and cherries. Which strikes me as odd, but it's also nice and comforting. Justus holds his arm out to me again, and we continue walking, maybe even a little slower this time.

"You're right. I pledged. I got accepted. And by the time they said I was in, the only thing I wanted was out."

"Justus, why?"

He sighs and then smiled down at me. "I got caught up in the partying. Drinking and drugs and girls. Doing stupid pranks, just all-out dumb shit. The last thing they made us do for our pledge was snort three lines of cocaine and then go beat up homeless people."

I stop in my tracks. Justus turns to me and surprisingly cups the side of my face. My brain says that moving away from his embrace is what I need to do, but Justus doesn't give me a bad vibe. Honestly, if I wasn't with Declan, he's the kind of person who would get my attention. "You got high and beat up homeless people."

He nods as he runs his thumb across my cheek, taking a step toward me. "I'm not proud of it, Lena, but I am thankful for it. Rock bottom has a way of making you find yourself. Sigma Nu made me lose everything about myself. But that night, I knew I wanted to be better than that. I went to a friend for help. I stopped drinking, got clean, left Sigma Nu behind, and found God. Bo and I speak when we have to, and I only went tonight for Declan and Jackson."

Oh crap. Jackson and Candice. "Crap. I'm such a bad friend. Damn it." Frantically, I move back and get my phone out of my pocket, struggling to unlock it because my fingers are cold.

Justus gently grabs my phone and chuckles. "Relax. I already texted Jackson and told him I was walking you home. He and Candice left a few minutes after we did, but they're going to get coffee. Do you want to go meet them or finish walking to your dorm?"

The anxiety deflates, and I smile. "Home, please. It's almost 11, and as old lady as it's going to make me sound, I have to be up at six to get ready for class."

Justus and I chat about small stuff the rest of the way to my dorm. When we finally stop outside, he holds my cell up, unlocks it, and starts typing. After a second, he hands it back. "I put my number in there. If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to call."

"Justus, I—"

"Lena, this isn't me hitting on you. Trust me, if I was making a move on you, you'd know it." My face heats, and he chuckles, running his hand through his hair. "You're pretty awesome. And I don't see why we can't be friends. Plus, I'm part of a frat/sorority combo that I think you will like. Jackson and Candice are coming next weekend to our open house. Come with them. Bring Declan if you can get Bo's claws out of him after tonight."

My stomach drops at his words. "Justus . . . what if I can't?" His brows come together, and a lump forms in my throat as the millions of terrible, painful possibilities run through my head. "What if I can't keep Declan away from Bo? From Sigma Nu?"

Cupping the side of my face again, Justus bends slightly so that we're at eye level. "Then you have to be ready to fight through Hell. Rock bottom isn't a fun place to be, and something tells me that Declan might have a harder time coming back from that than I did."

Closing my eyes, I silently pray. Praying that Declan gets back to his dorm safe tonight and doesn't do anything else stupid. Praying for direction and guidance. And thanking the Lord for Justus saving my butt tonight and walking me home. When I open my eyes, he staring at me, smiling again. "What?"

"I thank God for meeting you tonight too."

My mouth drops open a little as he waves to me, strolling away from my dorm building. I chuckle and slide my phone into my pocket, and head inside. After I'm in our dorm, I debate texting Declan but decide against it. He's such a big touch guy; well, he can enjoy the rest of his evening. Darcy fell asleep with the Xbox controller on her stomach and the TV on. Grinning, I move the controller to the TV stand but don't turn it off and cover her with her throw blanket.

I curl up in my bed and decide I do want to send a text, just not to Declan.

Me: Thank you for rescuing me tonight and walking me home.

A second after I lay my phone on my nightstand, it vibrates.

Justus: God put me in the right place at the right time. And that is the blessing of the ways we find our friends. ;)

I shake my head and smile, laying the phone back down. Justus is a good guy, and if we can be friends, I'd love that. But I'm not sure what to do about Declan. I thought physical therapy and his accident were the worst hell we'd face. I thought that was rock bottom.

What does rock bottom look like if it means Declan isn't fighting to be better or get better from something?

And am I strong enough to fight for both of us?