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For the next few minutes, I let mother nature calm my mind a little as I watch how the wind makes the leaves dance in the trees. I’m finally starting to breathe a little better, the ache in my chest easing a bit when my gaze catches on something in the distance.
For a moment, I just stare, my mood souring as I watch Tiffany walk out of the building across the street and down across the lawn. When I spot Sullivan walk up and greet her, that sour mood turns to red hot anger.
Leisurely, he strolls beside her, as if they’re the best of friends. Of course, I can’t hear what she is saying, but from her body language, I can tell that they are having a friendly conversation… too friendly when it comes to her. Maybe I wouldn’t react this strongly if it was somebody else… anybody else. But Tiffany? It feels like a thousand tiny knives are stabbing at my heart right now.
He skipped class with me to meet up with her?
Jealousy burns through me, rushing to the surface, leaving a bitter taste on the tip of my tongue. Unshed tears sting my eyes as I gather up all my stuff and shove everything inside my bag. I can’t do this right now. Not ever actually. The professor briefly glances up at me but doesn’t say anything as I get up and start descending the steps. I can feel eyes on me as I reach the doors and escape the confines of the room.
By the time I make it down the hall, the tears have started to fall, each one leaving a stain against my cheek. My vision goes blurry, either from all the tears or something else. Before I can grasp what is happening, my head is spinning, or maybe it’s the world around me. I can’t really tell. It feels like I’m on a roller coaster, my body going up and down, up and down.
On autopilot, I reach into my back pocket and fish out my phone. Unlocking it, I scroll to Oliver’s number. With my eyes closed, I hold the phone to my ear and wait for Oliver’s voice to fill my ear. The sound of his voice instantly calms me, grounds me, reminds me that everything is going to be okay.
“Can you come and get me,” I ask, breathlessly. “Building eleven.”
“Is everything okay?” I can hear the concern etched into his vocal cords.
“Yeah, can you please just come get me.” The floor sways beneath my feet, and I’m not sure how much longer I can hold on.
“Of course, I’ll be right there.” He hangs up before I can say anything else, and all I can do is hope that I’ll be okay, that everything will be okay. Because if it isn’t, I’m not sure what I’ll do.
9
“You need to tell us, right fucking now, what you were doing with Tiffany?” Oliver speaks through his teeth, greeting Sullivan as soon as he enters the living room. Of course, my body starts to physically ache when our eyes lock. His brows pinch together with worry as he looks between his brothers and me. Oliver is next to me on the couch, Banks on the other side, both of them are holding on to me, holding me together.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Sullivan questions urgently, looking directly at me. He sounds almost frantic, and though I want to tell him, to reassure him that everything is okay, it’s not. With everything going on, with all the added stress. It’s wearing me down. Eating away at my resolve.
“Since when have you earned the right to ask her a question? She’s been trying to talk to you all week, and all you do is ignore her.” Banks lashes out at Sullivan next. Deep down, I don’t want them to fight, even over me.
“Harlow,” Sullivan takes a hesitant step toward me, and I can’t stop the tears from forming in my eyes. I blink them away, but they remain there, a reminder of how out of control my emotions have become. “Are you okay? What happened? Tell me, and I’ll make it better. I’ll do whatever I need to fix it.”
To fix it. For some reason, my ears catch on those three words.
“Do you want her? Do you not want…” The words lodge in my throat. After everything we’ve been through, the mere thought of us not all ending up together. It kills me, physically kills me.
Sullivan looks as if I’ve slapped him, his nostrils flare and his eyes flicker with anger.
“Who? Tiffany?” All I can do is nod.
His body visibly trembles, and in nothing more than a second, he’s crossed the space separating us. “No, no way in hell. I don’t want her. You’ve got it all wrong. I don’t give a fuck about her. I’ve been trying to get close to her, so I can find out what she’s doing and who she’s been talking to.”
