Page 48 of Bad Man on Campus

“What else did she say?”

Phoebe examines me, like she’s trying to read my mind and I hear people coming down the hall, so I take her through the doors, outside the rink, behind it. The October night air smells like dead leaves and coming frost. The cold air grounds me, clears my head. The irrational panic recedes.

So what if Phoebe knows about Sky?

“We should go somewhere,” she says. I shake my head.

“No. You and I are going nowhere, Phoebe. Ever. I’m with Glory. She’s who I want to be with, all I ever really wanted. I’m sorry for that, for leading you on when I should have known better.”

“You didn’t always want her. You weren’t together for three fucking years,” she says, her voice starting to break.

“Another mistake on my part. One I had to learn the long, hard way.” I pause a beat as she breathes hard, struggles to maintain control.

“We’re done, Phoebe. There’s no relationship left for us.” It’s true, but it makes me sad because I truly did want to be her friend. She’s good and smart and decent and interesting, as a friend. Her face cracks and I resist holding her as the tears stream. She ducks her head and swipes them away and gets her poise back. It doesn’t take long. I keep my smile to myself.

“Okay, Kace. I get it. I’m not going to be one of those girls who can’t take a hint, or who goes for revenge. I’m not a crazy chick.”

“Glory isn’t a crazy chick either,” I say automatically, understanding Phoebe’s style of shade. She laughs, but it’s a sad sound.

“So you say. I hope for your sake you’re right.” She stands still and we stare at each other for a full minute before she turns away. “Good-bye, Kace. I’ll see you around, but I won’t bother you.”

I let her walk away, and it’s not easy because I know she’s hurting, know she’s a decent human being. But it’s what I need to do. Besides, maybe Fitz will pick up the pieces.

I sigh, knowing the likelihood of that is less than 0%.

I walk back to BMOC House because it’s all I can think to do. I don’t know where Dooley and Glory went, but I’ll call her when I get home. After I digest the mess with my family, how they now think I’m with Phoebe, and how Phoebe and I are so much more than over and done with now. And how Glory told her about Sky so she would help me placate my parents, keep my secret about seeing Glory.

It’s more than fucked up. And I have no idea how to un-fuck it up.

* * *

I don’t know I fell asleep until the buzzing of my phone in my pocket wakes me. It’ not a text. Someone’s calling. I slip it out and punch it on.

“Hello,” my voice is raspy with sleep.

“Kace, is everything okay?” It’s Glory and she’s whispering. “Where are you? Are you still with your dad?”

Shoving myself up to sitting position, I rub at my eyes. It’s close to ten. The house is still empty and quiet. I stand to get my bearings, get my mind working.

“Kace?” there’s alarm in hr voice now.

“Yeah, I’m here. I was sleeping.”

“Sleeping?” Her whisper voice goes squeaky and one corner of my mouth goes up.

“You don’t need to whisper, Glory. I’m in my room. Alone.”

I hear her expel a breath, then I wonder. “Where are you?”

“Tell me what happened,” she says, ignoring my question, and the worry and suspicion about her drinking grips me, knotting my gut. I try putting it aside because I don’t want to argue with her, can’t take any more exhausting drama tonight.

“I told my parents I wouldn’t go to dinner with them after a game until we could all go.”

“Did Phoebe… how was she?”

“Phoebe—thank you by the way, for throwing her at me like that—she’s no longer my girlfriend, fake or otherwise. In fact, she’s no longer friend.” I sigh into the phone and wish Glory was here. Wish she could get in her car and drive over. But she has no car and doesn’t drive now.

I could get in my car and drive over there, but something holds me back. Something more than exhaustion. The tightening across my shoulders tells me it’s fear. Fear that I’ll find her drunk or drinking and I can’t bear that tonight, so I don’t even ask.