His eye shuts again, and his hand goes limp in mine, out cold from the meds they have him on.
But it’s enough.
Liz and Ben are both looking at me with confused, worried expressions on their face. I don’t even want to know what I look like right now.
The shock of what Alex told me is quickly turning into boiling rage.
I couldn’t put it together before. I knew there was something weird going on, but I never would have thought—
All this time, the late nights, the bruises, the fight Iris saw before the game, everything clicks into place at once.
My chair scrapes loudly against the linoleum, but I barely hear it. All I can see is Alex’s swollen face, hear the words whispered in the police car, that broken whisper ofJason.
Liz grabs my arm. “Nate,wait—”
I shake her off.
He hurtmy baby brother.
I’m gonna fucking kill him.
Iris
I’m teetering on the edge of a headache as Holloway drones on and on, trying to convince me to bring back the art club next year.
I’m not even sure I’mstaying.
I nod along, attempting to listen to his pitch, but my mind is drifting. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Nate and our conversation yesterday.
I miss him so much.
I haven’t been able to get the nagging feeling that maybe I jumped the gun, breaking up with him the way I did.
“Ms. Patel?” Holloway prompts. “Am I boring you?”
“Oh,” I startle. “Of course not, I’m sorry.”
I try to give him my full attention, but then I hear it. Heavy footsteps. A door slamming down the hall. A loud, angry voice shouting, “Where’s Barnett?!”
A voice I would recognize anywhere, moving down the hall like a tornado.
He doesn’t see me.
Doesn’t even look in my direction.
I’ve never seen Nate like this before. His usual happy demeanor has disappeared, leaving behind pure fury. I step back instinctively, along with everyone else in the hallway.
“What on earth…?” Mr. Holloway mutters beside me.
Nate looks like he could tear the whole building apart with his bare hands.
Fear prickles at the back of my neck, seeing him like this. Not because I’m scared of him, but because I know in my heart that something terrible must have happened.
“Nate—” I speak up as he walks past me, but he doesn’t slow down.
I look up at Holloway, who’s still frowning down the hallway. “Iris, what—” he starts, but I don’t let him finish.
“I’m sorry, I have to check on him.”
