Page 101 of Break Points and Face Offs

Nathan’s laugh doesn’t sound natural.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he shrugs.

“Tell me.”

“No, it’s just …” He pauses before grabbing a bag, resting his hand on the car instead. “You do know he was scared of you, right, Priestley?”

My heart sinks. This is becoming a common occurrence these days. Still, my instincts tell me to deny and defend. “Me? Why would he be scared of me? I only ever wanted what’s best for him.”

“I know that,” Nathan says with a sigh. “And I tried to tell him that, but you made him feel like shit. Whenever you were in a room, he’d visibly shrink in on himself.”

Like Jamie around my father.

“Hey, Priestley? I thought you knew all this? I didn’t think you gave a shit.”

“Of course I give a shit,” I snap out of it. “I care about Ben. He reminds me of Jamie.”

“Oh.” Nathan rubs the back of his neck.

“What happened with the German? Is Ben okay?”

He looks like he’s thinking about not telling me, like I’m not to be trusted, but finally he relents. “He’s heartbroken,” Nathan says. “Elias was his first love.”

“I’m sorry. That sucks.”

Nathan narrows his eyes at me, like I’m tricking him by pretending to be nice. Does he really believe I have no empathy? How much of a monster president was I?

“It does,” Nathan agrees. “But this party is going to cheer him up.”

He rummages in one of the bags and pulls out a furry green onesie with ears. “I’m dressing up as Yoda.”

I don’t recognize the freshman milling around the first floor as we carry the bags in. The second they see us, they jump at the chance to help. They don’t look like the kind I would have allowed into the fraternity, but then, I guess that was the point.

I’m not sure what I came here for. To seek guidance from people I don’t hate? To ask the advice of someone in a functioning and healthy relationship? Now I’m here, I realize I don’t have the right. For the first time in my life, I’m somewhere I’ve been told I ought to belong, and I don’t feel like I deserve to be there.

“Priestley, wait,” Nathan says when I turn to leave. “Stay a while, let’s catch up. We can go into your old office.”

I appreciate him referring to the executive office as my old office. It is very firmly Nathan’s office now. He didn’t have to do that. No wonder he’s so popular.

I accept the invitation gratefully and follow him into the hallway. Glancing at the photographs of old classes and awards. Pictures of the tennis team lifting the championship trophy two years in a row.

Nathan closes the door behind us and offers me the seat in front of the desk.

“Unless you’d like the other⁠—”

“No, thanks. That’s your seat now.”

“Everything okay?” Nathan asks as he sinks into my old, cracked leather desk chair.

I sigh, run a hand through my hair. I have been trained to pretend that everything is fine when it’s not. I can’t do it anymore.

“I’m in love,” I blurt out.

Nathan’s eyes bug out and he covers his mouth with one hand. I almost laugh at the way Nathan tries to hide his surprise.

“Yes, contrary to popular belief, I am in possession of a heart.”