Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 137433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 550(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 550(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
“I can do a whole lot of shit.” I step in his direction.
“Yeah? Like what?”
“Fuck around and find out.”
A shit-eating grin on his face, Austin drops the towel to the floor, walks over to the bench in front of our lockers, and picks up his phone, sliding his thumb over the screen. “Y’all gotta see Bailey Followhill getting picked up by the EMS—”
The video starts playing, and that’s when I lose it.
Every ounce of self-control in me dissipates. She’s my blind side. My weak spot. She is my Achilles’ heel.
I dart toward him faster than an F-22 Raptor and slam his back against the lockers. My nose touches his as I get in his face. We’re both naked and dripping water. Not ideal, but I want him to know I am going to make lasagna out of his inner organs if he speaks about her like this ever again. Don’t ask me why, but Austin’s favorite hobby is pissing me off until I can no longer see straight.
He steps back, chuckling. “My bad.” He raises his palms in surrender. “Maybe it’s someone who looks just like her and attends Juilliard and drives the same car.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” I pluck his phone from between his fingers, direct it at his ugly face to unlock it, and report the video. “There.” I shove the phone into his mouth, deliberately slamming it against his teeth. “All better now, yeah?”
I secure a towel around my waist and pick up my duffel bag, digging for my clothes.
Unlike Bailey, I can lie through my teeth any day of the week. I’m not necessarily a good person. I’m just good to the people I love. Morally fluid, and damn proud of that.
“So did she overdose or not?” Finn, who I swear is slower than a sleeping sloth, pokes.
The lie slides out of my mouth effortlessly. “No, fuckface. She got ushered into the ER last week.
But she fainted, not overdosed. She is taking some time off because of her sports injuries.”
“Sure, man. Sure. Just like I’m taking time off from Margot Robbie because she is too sexually demanding to keep up with.”
Austin grabs his junk, laughing. That’s strike two, and I’m not waiting for the third. He bends over to pick up his shirt from the metal bench. I grab him by the back of the neck and slam him face first against the blue metal lockers so roughly I leave an asshole-shaped dent on the fucking metal.
“Let’s try this again,” I taunt into his ear. “Shall we?”
“You’re handling this whole situation tremendously well,” Grim points out dryly from the bench, rolling his socks on. “Twelve out of ten for self-control. Supreme captain material.”
Ignoring him, I crash Austin’s head against the locker again. He spits out blood.
I don’t care. I’m past seeing red. This is somewhere between burgundy and black. “Promise me you’ll never utter this bullshit again to anyone with ears.”
Austin struggles, flailing as he tries to escape my hold, attempting to throw a punch in to save his pride.
“Hey, hey!” Antonio and Finn rush to get between us, trying to deescalate the situation. Grim is the only one not to butt in. He loves tea so much, I’m surprised he didn’t bring biscuits. Plus, if I fall, he’s next in line to step into my shoes.
“Dafuq are you doing, Cole?” Antonio shrieks but doesn’t put an effort into pushing me in the opposite direction. He knows Austin overstepped.
Austin gurgles on a mixture of blood and saliva, thrashing against my death grip. “Jesus, Cole. That ego of yours has gotten too big for the rest of you.”
“Stop spreading lies about Bailey,” I repeat, voice flat, eyes dead.
“Just because you can’t handle the truth doesn’t change it.”
“One thing I can and will change is your fucking face if you speak about her ever again.”
I grab him by the neck and hurl him to the floor. He falls down with a loud thud, shimmering, fuming eyes directed at me.
Lifting my finger up, I hiss, “This is your last warning. Next time I hear you say her name, I’m feeding Ballsy’s nuts to you with a spoon.”
“It’s a medical condition!” Ballsy kicks my duffel bag angrily as he scurries out the door.
“That doesn’t make it any less funny, bro.” Finn claps his shoulder, trailing after him.
It’s only when Austin, Finn, Mac, Antonio, and Ballsy are gone that Grim opens his smart mouth again. He’s slouched against the door with his arms folded, looking smug. “I ran out of Royal Canin.”
“Huh?” I shrug into my varsity jacket.
“Your version of Snickers. You know, because you’re acting like a little bitch right now.”
I swear this is his version of a pep talk.
“Fucker had it coming.”
“He goaded you to get a reaction, and you fell right into his trap.” Grim pushes off the door, ambling toward me. I know he’s about to lay into me, and he has every right to. “Bailey isn’t God.”