Heading out the side door toward the parking lot, deep in thought, I damn near bump into Iris’s favorite student, Addie. “Oh, sorry, kid, didn’t see you there.”
“Hey, Coach,” she says, shifting her sketchbook under her arm. “Um, Ms. Patel wasn’t in class today, and I heard some stuff. Is she okay?”
The question catches me off guard after hearing nothing but insults all day. Feels good to know that everybody isn’tlike that.
“Thanks for checking in. I know it’d mean a lot to Iris. I’m going to see her right now, so I’ll let you know.”
Addie nods, relieved. “Good. Give her a hug for me. And tell her we’re thinking about her.”
I force a small smile. “I will.”
It took me ten minutes to get out of the truck, and I’ve been standing at her door like an idiot for at least five, my heart pounding like I just ran the mile.
My phone buzzes in my pocket for gotta be the hundredth time today, and when I pull it out and see my dad’s name on the screen, I hit the red button.
I ain’t touching that right now.
‘Cause honestly, today’s been hell. Everywhere I go, people are talking about me or Iris. Making damn sure it’s loud enough that I hear. Calling me things I’ve never been called before.
Calling her worse.
I didn’t know it would feel like this.
I mean, I knew some folks would have opinions. My family might have questions. But I didn’t realize the rest of the town would care.
And I didn’t know it would crawl under my skin like this, make me feel like there’s something wrong with me. Truth is, I never thought anybody would have to know. That we could go on like before.
Maybe that was a mistake.
I love her. God help me, I do. I’ve been turning it over in my mind since she told me the truth, like maybe I shouldn’t,like the truth should change things, but no matter how I spin it, I come back to the same thing.
I love her, and nothing she could tell me would change my mind.
I raise my hand to knock, but hesitate.
What if she doesn’t want to see me?
After what happened this morning, I wouldn’t blame her. Still, I knock. I have to try, I have to show up for her.
When she opens the door, the look on her face shatters me into a million pieces.
“Iris,” I push my way inside and wrap her in my arms. She falls into me immediately, like I can bring her any sort of comfort, and I hold her like she’s breakable.
I think right now she might be.
I can feel the tension running through her like a live wire. Her fingers clutch my shirt like it’s the only thing holding her up.
I stroke my hand through her hair, down her back, the only thing I can do while she cries into my chest.
I guide her further into her apartment, into the living room, but she never lets me go.
“I don’t understand,” she whispers, broken between gasps. “I didn’t—I didn’t do anything. Why is this happening?” I press my chin to the top of her head and close my eyes, fighting down the sick feeling in my stomach.
I know exactly why.
The name flares like a neon sign in my head,Savannah, and all I can see is her storming out of Holloway’s office, glaring in my direction. I thought I was doing the right thing, telling him what she’d done. I thought it would protect Iris, that she wouldn’t bother either of us anymore.
Instead, I handed Savannah a reason to come after her, and that’s exactly what she did.
