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Ben honestly wasn’t trying to listen in to Darius and Kenji’s conversation but they were having it like four feet away.
“So, we good?” Darius asked Kenji. From the corner of his eye, Ben saw Darius hold up his fist for a fist bump.
Kenji’s expression was so disgusted and angry that even without directly looking at him, Ben could see the way it scrunched up and twisted. “No, we’re not. Because unlike you, I don’t take risks with friends’ lives.” The words were harsh and unforgiving, a verbal slap to the face. When they were said, Kenji turned away from Darius and the group.
Ben turned toward Kenji and Darius, anger bubbling like lava in his stomach. “Excuse me,” Ben said loudly. His voice cracked like a whip between them.
Everyone froze.
“Did you just say that you don’t put peoples lives at risk?” Ben said, not actually asking a question. “Because you told all of us what you did the first day we got here, Kenji. You almost got Darius killed two times in the first two days.” He didn’t remember walking toward Kenji but suddenly they were face to face. Ben glared up at Kenji, eyes locked onto his and lip curled up in a snarl. “And you didn’t even try to help Darius pull me up from the monorail.” None of them had, but this was about Kenji.
“I…” Kenji began.
“You were perfectly happy to let Darius make the choice to leave me on this island to save yourselves after I fell.” Ben jabbed a finger in Kenji’s chest. “And you didn’t make a peep about it when I decided to stay on the island. You were going to abandon me twice without a care in the damn world but you draw the line at Brooklynn getting captured even though the plan was to get her back all along?” Ben was so angry that he was shaking. He shoved Kenji.
Kenji stumbled backward in surprise. His eyes were wide with shock, his jaw slack. He looked at Ben like he didn’t know who Ben was. Good. He didn’t know Ben. “That’s -”
“It’s not like Brooklynn hasn’t been taken hostage before, or did you forget how I found you two? Oh, or is it okay for Brooklynn to be taken hostage by people who want to kill her as long as you’re with her?” Ben was practically snarling now, every word coming out as a low growl full of rage. “You don’t get to treat Darius and everyone else like crap because you have a crush on Brooklynn, Kenji. Get your priorities straight and realize that Darius has saved all of our lives the whole time we’ve been on this island.”
Kenji glanced behind Ben at the others. Whatever he saw in their faces made him frown harder. He held up his hands, saying nothing.
“Apologize,” Ben said, the word sharp and meant to cut.
A hand slid into Ben’s hand. “Ben, it’s okay,” Darius said gently.
Ben turned on him, gentler than he’d been with Kenji. It wasn’t Darius who invoked Ben’s anger. “I haven’t been with you guys for most of the six months we’ve been on the island, but from what I’ve seen and what Kenji just said, he hasn’t changed at all. He’s still a selfish, lazy jerk.” He squeezed Darius’ hand gently. Ben didn’t want to fight with Darius.
“That’s just how Kenji is,” Darius said. He gave a small shrug. “Let’s all just get back to the boat.”
Kenji stormed past them in the direction of the boat.
Brooklynn gave Ben and Darius a small, sad smile, then followed him. Ben wondered if Kenji’s crush on her was mutual.
Yazmina and Sammy nodded and smiled in turn, then left after the others.
Darius didn’t move and he didn’t let go of Ben’s hand. He waited a few heartbeats, then tugged on Ben’s hand to get his attention. When Ben faced him, Darius leaned forward and kissed Ben’s cheek. “Thank you for sticking up for me, island man.” He winked.
Ben blushed all the way up to the roots of his hair. “Uh, well, um, you’re welcome, dino-nerd,” Ben said.
Hand in hand, they walked back to the boat and their friends.