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“Oh, fuck this shit.” Abby Gale says in her icy tone that catches everyone’s attention. “Since no one else has the balls to ask, I will. Is this some kind of senior project or charity work you’re doing, Julian? None of us agreed to feed the homeless this month. And I’m not so sure any of us want to sign up for that kind of… undertaking.”
A wave of energy rushes over me, my entire body trembling in the process. Without meaning to, I squeeze the burger in my hand so hard it crumbles. Julian must notice my reaction because he takes the burger from my hand and drops it onto his plate. Then, he holds my ketchup-covered hand on his thigh under the table and traces circles on my skin to calm me down. He knows how much I like this. My mother used to do it when she was alive. It was how she got me to fall asleep on nights when I would wake from nightmares.
Julian raises his free hand and points at Abby. “Get your shit and leave my table. Now!”
“But,” she challenges.
“No butts,” Julian growls. “Get the fuck up and take your friends with you. You’re no longer allowed to sit with us. You don’t speak to us. Don’t even think about us. And that includes Nash and Knox. So, get the fuck up and find somewhere else to sit before I move you myself.”
Speechless, Abby blinks back a few tears that are now spilling down her cheeks. One of her friends rolls her eyes at Julian, and the other girl picks up her tray without looking at anyone.
“You’ll pay for this,” Abby shouts as she blows past us, leaving a trail of some nasty designer fragrance. “I’m sure your dad will love to know that you’re back to screwing the help.”
Julian shudders at the mention of his dad. He hates him, and when we broke up last time, his dad had a small part in our final blowout. Between Abby Gale and Jonathan Rivers, I never stood a chance.
Julian bites his bottom lip. He looks worried as if her words have some meaning behind them. And now, I’m starting to wonder if there’s more to the story from two years ago and if I should trust a word he’s said to me.
Chapter Sixteen
Julian
Dr. Carter shines a light in Briana’s eyes and proceeds with the usual checkup. Her reflexes are good now, and she hasn’t shown any signs of a concussion since Sunday night. I sit in silence and wait for the doctor to give his final verdict. I’ve been through this enough times that I have a feeling he’s going to clear Briana. At least I hope he will. She’s been dying to get back to normal. While she hates that I have to follow her around and take her notes, I know she secretly likes it. And if I’m being honest with myself, I will miss being her sidekick.
Dr. Carter shoves his medical instruments back into his leather satchel. “The swelling has gone down, and
I’m almost confident you’ll make a full recovery. But I still want you to be careful, Briana.”
She leans forward on the examination table and digs her elbows into her thighs. “I’ve been through worse, Dr. Carter.”
He nods, a frown tugging at his mouth. “Maybe so, but I still want you to take precautions. Some patients experience immediate relief and assume that means they’re better, only to have more long-term effects appear down the road. It’s not uncommon for someone who had a concussion to start experiencing side effects six months or even years later.”
“It’s happened to me,” I confess.
Briana looks at me, her expression unreadable, and sighs.
“I got hit so hard in high school I couldn’t get out of bed for a week,” I continue. “I thought I was good after a few weeks, and when I got back on the ice and took another hard hit, I thought my hockey career was over.”
Dr. Carter nods and then turns to face Briana again. “I want you to avoid strenuous activity for as long as possible. No exercising…”
He lists all of the things Briana should avoid. I still get headaches and phantom pains from all of the concussions I’ve had over the years. Sometimes, the ache comes back out of nowhere, and I have to sit in a dark room until the migraine passes.
Briana slides off the table and shakes Dr. Carter’s hand. “Thanks for everything.”
He smiles, gripping his bag in one hand and shaking her hand with the other. “Of course. Call me if anything changes.”
Sliding my arm behind Briana’s back, I lead her out of the locker room and into the back hallway. She looks both ways, unsure of where to go. Only student-athletes are familiar with the back way out of the event center on campus. This side of the building is off-limits to anyone who doesn’t play a sport or work at Strickland University.
I drag her into a dark hallway that I know will remain vacant for at least a few more hours. The second we’re out of sight, I have her back against a locker, cupping the side of her face with my hand. She peeks up at me, her eyes meeting mine as her lips part for me.
“What are you doing, Julian?” She barely gets out of the words. Her breath warms my lips as she speaks.
“I was planning to kiss you.”
She slides her hands up my chest and hooks her arms around my neck, pulling me closer. “Then, do it.”
I smirk at her challenge. Man, I love this girl. I’ve always loved the feistiness in her. The fight. She never made anything easy for me, and I loved her more for it.
I lift her in my arms, and she wraps her legs around my back. Our kisses are raw and passionate as if each of us is fighting for the upper hand. I want to claim her. Possess her. I want to show her how much she’s sinking beneath my skin. After years of waiting to be with her again, I can’t stop touching her. I want to feel every inch of her, leaving nothing uncharted.
