Victor: Her Ruthless Crush by Theodora Taylor (beach read book TXT) 📕

of Byron’s dignity than they'd already taken. That was the only reason I waited until they were gone from the locker room before running over to my brother.

“Ronny! Ronny! Are you okay?”

Byron shook his head and stood up straight with a pained wince. “I'm fine. You shouldn't have come in here.”

“I shouldn’t have come in here?” I repeated. “They shouldn't have ganged up on you three against one. They could've seriously hurt you.”

“Naw, I had it under control,” Byron insisted with another shake of his head.

What? Had they hit him in the head before I came in here? Was Byron concussed? Because obviously, “You don't have this under control! They could’ve done permanent damage, and then how would you be able to get a basketball scholarship?”

I reached out to rub his arm. “Ronny, I think it’s time to tell Dad.”

Byron knocked my hand away. “I thought you had a session with NTT Docomo today.”

NTT Docomo was what he called Victor. I wasn’t even sure he’d bothered to remember his real name. “You’re going to have to walk to the station by yourself. I still have to take a shower and get dressed.”

“I’ll wait,” I offered. Forget the surprise snacks. My appetite was totally gone. “What if Jake and his friends are waiting outside?”

“Just go! I don't need my sister to protect me.” Byron’s voice was strong at first, but it cracked on the last two words of his big declaration. And his entire face convulsed like he was trying not to cry.

He should've cried. I would've cried if I had been going through what Byron had all semester. But I knew he had Dad’s voice inside his head, telling him that wasn't how real men handled their business. That was why I couldn’t remember the last time I saw my brother cry.

“Okay,” I whispered. “I'll see you at home.”

Byron didn't answer, just snatched a towel out of the locker and walked away toward the showers. That was probably where he'd been headed before Jake and his boys jumped him.

I stood there after he left, feeling worse than useless.

I'd been so excited about moving here to Japan, the home of anime and manga. I knew my parents would never agree to let me go somewhere to pursue an art major, so three years in Japan seemed like the next best thing.

But Byron hadn't wanted to come here. Unlike me, he’d been popular at our school back in New Jersey. He was easily on track to getting a basketball scholarship by middle school. But that had all been ripped away from him, and he’d been forced to leave everything and everyone he'd ever known behind.

Actually, I did remember the last time I saw him cry. On the plane ride over here. He’d sniffed quietly, turning his head toward the window so that Dad wouldn't catch him. And I’d held his hand and promised everything would be all right.

Everything had been alright. Up until this term of his second year. What happened wasn't my fault, but still…

As I walked to the subway station, it felt like I had failed my brother. Now his life was the opposite of all right, and I didn't know how to fix it.

But Byron was right. I was late for my tutoring session with Victor. Re-shouldering my backpack—which in hindsight could've been used as a shield for Byron as opposed to my face—I headed off to the train station alone.

Winter had come in like a lion a few weeks ago. And the cold wind blew so hard that my knitted hat flew off and disappeared into the dark before I could run after it.

Ugh! Well, that felt like one of those metaphors that were always coming in our English classes. And that would definitely be another lecture from my mom.

I could already see her signing about how I was “too irresponsible” and how I would have to use my “Chinese boy” money to buy another one. I sighed. Thank God I’d been able to hide what I was really using the money I made tutoring Victor to buy. I didn’t even want to imagine that freak-out.

Thanks to missing the express train, I didn’t get into Roppongi station until a good forty minutes after my usual time. Donny always met me at the top of the stairs to escort me into Victor's super-secure building, but his regular spot, where I usually found him leaned up against the wall, was vacant. He had probably assumed I wasn’t coming and had left. And when I went to get on the escalator, I found a placard apologizing for it being broken.

This day would not let up!

I ran up the station steps, but I realized I was in trouble as soon as I got to the top. It had been hard enough to find Victor's building in the tangle of Roppongi high-rises when I still had daylight on my side. I’m pretty sure Victor started sending Donny to the station to get me because a couple of times I got a little lost and had to apologize for being tardy.

But looking up at the glittering district, I knew there was a zero percent chance I wouldn’t get lost tonight. And I was already so late—

My thoughts cut off when, out of nowhere, a hand clapped over my mouth, and somebody grabbed me from behind.

5

I screamed into my attacker’s gloved hand. But even I couldn’t hear the muffled sound over the street traffic. I tried to struggle, but the attacker’s arms were like steel bands around me. I couldn't jab him with my elbow or even kick my feet back because he was holding onto me so tight.

Oh God, why was this happening? What did he want? A sickening fear washed over me. Was he going to hurt me? Or worse?

Just as my mind began to unravel with panic, my attacker yanked the leather glove off the hand that wasn't clamped over my mouth. And he raised it into my eye line to