Page 90 of Under the Influence

“Cause a distraction,” I demand. “I need two minutes, then meet me out back.”

I hear a loud crash and shouting a few seconds later, and I scoop the girl up into my arms.

PRESENT

Lainey didn't speak to anyone for weeks after the closet, and she didn't talk about it for months. That's when I knew Nash was a monster, making an innocent girl pay for something she had no part in. Ever since picking her up off the floor that day, I've never let her down.

It was that specific day I knew that I'd never fit in here. I didn't want to. I may be a great baseball player, but I'd never fit the Legacy image like Nash. In fact, it blew my mind that Carson had his back.

No matter what he'd been through, it was not an excuse for what he did. That's why I protect her because when she hurts, I'm back in the closet staring at the girl with brown hair, scared and bleeding. It’s not even a romantic thing. I just can’t quit her because she is my addiction. Whenever it feels like she is drifting away, my skin starts crawling. I need her just as much as she needs me.

So if Drayton is what she needs right now, that is fine, but it doesn’t mean I am going anywhere. He will never have her like I do.

No one will.

She might not be bleeding anymore, but there is a piece of her that is still broken.

The bell sounds, signaling it's time for lunch, and I grab my bag off the floor. I didn't retain anything from that last class at all because my mind was so occupied with Lainey. I see Cori first, but she looks tired, and her bloodshot eyes give away her lack of sleep.

"Are you okay?" I ask, pushing the glass doors open to the patio and pulling a pack of cigarettes from my pocket.

"Yeah," she smiles, blowing me off.

"Is it Nash?" I ask. "When I told you to play his game better than he did, I didn't mean to kill yourself doing it."

She sighs, "We haven't talked in over a week."

I see her glance inside, girls hanging off of him like he's a fucking coat rack.

"Coach is going to kill him," I state, looking at the black cast covering his wrist.

She laughs, "You think so?"

"I know so. His legs still work, though, so he's screwed. I bet he's throwing up by the end of practice."

Her smile fades, and Lainey and Drayton walk up. My mind plays tricks on me because, at first glance, he almost looks like Nash. Same build, same cocky ass swagger, his hair just a smidge darker. No wonder Nash is so threatened.

Cori smiles, glancing at their hands twisted together, "So how's your first day?"

Drayton beams, looking down at Lainey, "Well, it's better than I thought it'd be."

"Just wait until 3:30," I warn.

"What's at 3:30?" Lainey chirps, hopping onto the wall, Drayton pushing himself comfortably between her legs.

"Baseball practice," I smirk, remembering my first day here. "It's like swimming with sharks."

Drayton laughs nervously, and Lainey rolls her eyes, "What's the big deal anyway? It's just baseball?"

"It's just his funeral," Nash says, walking up at the perfect opportunity. Carson stands at his side, his eyes glued to Cori.

My hate for Nash overpowers my distaste for Drayton, "The only funeral we will be attending is yours when Coach sees that cast and kills you with sprints."

Carson laughs, earning a hateful glare from Nash. Cori stares at him but doesn't move, her feet basically glued into place. She glances down at his black cast. "I have something I need to do," she rambles, grabbing her bag. "I'll catch you guys after school. Are we still on for tonight?"

I shake my head, yes, and she turns away quickly, leaving everyone standing here baffled. I look between Nash and Carson, both of them watching Cori's back as she walks away. I'm just trying to figure out which one of them will run after her. "I'm going to go get my jacket." Nash says to Carson, pretending the rest of us don't exist, "I'll see you at practice."

Except he isn’t going to get his jacket. We all know where he is going. I can see through this whole pretend hate thing. It's probably just foreplay for him. He probably gets off it.