Page 130 of Taking Sides

My hands are shaking as I knock on the door at Whitney’s house. It’s quiet inside, but I already drove by the school and didn’t see her car there so I’m guessing practice is over.

Movement inside has my heart racing. I steel myself for the worst-case scenario, in which she isn’t happy to see me and sends me away, but when the door opens and it’s Victor on the other side, I realize I didn’t consider this.

“What are you doing here?” Victor crosses his arms over his chest and widens his stance. I know he’s trying to intimidate me, probably bait me into another fight, but it won’t work. Whitney wants to know I can keep my cool with him and that’s what I’m going to do.

“I need to talk to Whitney.” I glance around him inside the house, but his big head blocks too much.

“She isn’t here.”

“Where is she?”

He arches a brow defiantly.

Fuck. I can’t believe this guy stands between me and the woman I love. Fate has a real interesting sense of humor.

“I don’t want to fight with you. I need to talk to Whitney.”

“And I’m telling you, that isn’t going to happen right now.”

I grind down on my molars. “Can you not be a dick for, like, five minutes?”

His arms fall to his sides, but his expression only intensifies.

I run my hands through my hair, pulling at the ends.

“I am in love with your sister. And if I haven’t already epically fucked things up, then I’m going to do everything I can to be in her life.”

“So what? You want to be best buds?” He shakes his head. “Pass.”

“I want her to be happy. And I know you do too, or you would have already slammed the door in my face. Now, are you going to let me in or not? Because I’m getting in that house one way or another.”

“Conrad?”

I whirl around to find Whitney standing next to her car. My heart leaps out of my chest at the sight of her. Fuck, I missed her. She looks from me to Victor and back like she’s carefully taking in the scene. My pulse races as I stare at her. I rehearsed a dozen different ways to apologize and win her back, but it’s occurring to me now that she may not give me that chance. Maybe she’s already decided.

Victor leans closer and speaks so only I can hear him. “I would have punched you first, then slammed the door in your face.”

THIRTY-FOUR

My stomach flips and twists as I stare at Conrad. He comes forward and takes my school bag from me. I didn’t even realize how heavy it was until the relief hits me. I’m exhausted—mentally, physically, emotionally. But somehow with Conrad here, I feel the most at ease I have in days.

“Hey.” His voice is low and quiet, more reminiscent of the guy I first met than the one I last saw.

“Hi.” I smile up at him. “You’re back.”

“Late last night,” he says. “I missed you.”

My already very uneasy stomach gives another flip. “Yeah, me too.”

Conrad’s eyes crinkle at the corners as he smiles at me.

“Does he know?” Victor calls out to me from the porch.

I glare at my brother. I don’t think he’s intentionally being a jerk, but this is not how I want to have this conversation.

“Know what?” Conrad asks.

When neither Victor nor I respond, Conrad ducks his head slightly to stare at me more intently. “Is everything okay?”