My shoes click against the tile as I hurry after Nate. Students are staring after him, some of their eyes landing on me with curiosity, but all I care about is him. The way his shoulders are squared, and his fists are clenched, like he’s ready for a fight.
“Nate!” I call again, louder this time, quickening my pace, weaving between clusters of students until I’m only a few steps behind him. Close enough to see he’s shaking.
“Nate, stop! What’s wrong?”
His steps falter slightly at the sound of my voice, but he keeps going.
Nate wouldn’t ignore me, not after everything.
I take a deep breath, ignoring the panic threatening to take over, and follow him through the doors to the gym, all the way to the entrance of the boys’ locker room.
I pause briefly, knowing that I shouldn’t go in there, but before I can change my mind, I push through the door behind him. The smell of sweat and shampoo hits me immediately. Fluorescent lights hum overhead. A handful of students are lingering by the lockers, half-dressed, joking around.
I avert my eyes on instinct, but I look back up again when the laughter dies down at the sight of Nate. When he speaks, it feels like it shakes the walls. “Everyone. Out.”
“Not you.” He says, aggression controlling his voice as he grabs Jason Barnett by the t-shirt. He waits until the last guy shuffles out of the locker room before shoving Jason against the wall.
I open my mouth to say something, I don’t even know what, but the words die on my tongue when I see Nate’s expression. What I thought was only anger has quickly changed to devastation.
“Nate.” I try, but it’s useless.
His eyes are locked on Jason, whose lip curls into a shaky sneer. At first, I think maybe he’s scared. But something comes over him, shoved up against the wall by his own coach.
A confidence settling in.
“What?” he spits out. “You mad ‘cause your bitch brother couldn’t take it?” The words feel like ice water down my spine. Nate’s body goes still, but Jason pushes, more vicious than I would ever believe possible.
“He wanted it, Coach,” he taunts, “He was beggin’ for it.”
“Don’t you fucking say that!” His hand clamps on Jason’s shirt, shoving him back so his head hits the wall with a loud thud. He laughs, cruel and mocking, before looking in my direction, noticing me for the first time.
“Bein’ a fag must run in the family, huh? Maybe I’ll fuck your girl too—” Nate’s fist draws back, and he lands a hard punch against Jason’s face, drawing blood from his nose, but all Jason can do is laugh.
“Nate!” I shout, and I don’t know what comes over me, but all of a sudden I’m lunging forward, grabbing his wrist,wrapping both hands around his arm. It’s stupid. I don’t even care. “Don’t!Please!” His arm strains against me, trembling, muscles bunched.
Until, finally, he looks at me, and whatever is on my face, makes his arm drop.
“Get the fuck out of here,” Nate growls, shoving him back one more time. “Before I kill you.”
Jason doesn’t test the threat, standing up to his full height. He shoves past me, hard, leaving my skin crawling at the feeling of his body touching me after what he said he would do to me.
What hedidto Alex—
Oh my god.
“Nate…” I start as his shoulders begin to shake. He turns toward me, and for the first time, I see it all. The broken expression, the tears trailing down his cheeks.
“Iris.” His voice cracks, his anger disappearing now that Jason is gone. “he hurt Alex. Hehurthim.”
I wrap my arms around him, feeling every shudder of his body. He buries his face in my neck and holds on tight, crushing our bodies together. “I should’ve protected him,” he gasps, his tears soaking the collar of my blouse. “Ishould’ve known.”
“It’s not your fault, Nate,” I tell him, but it only makes it worse, his sobs coming out raw and helpless.
“Ifailedhim.”
My own tears blur everything, turning the locker room into a smear of light and red. I try not to think about what Jason said, about what might’ve happened to Alex…
“No, you didn’t.You didn’t.”
