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Kiwi grins down at me. "Who would've known that you going on the run and settling in the middle of nowhere would end up being good for me?"
"Shhhh!" I hiss and peer over my shoulder at Mags's sister. Mags knows why I'm here, but that doesn't mean I'm advertising it.
"Oh hush, she's preoccupied. Look," he placates me and nods his chin in the direction I hear a multitude of voices suddenly come from.
I glance toward the commotion, and my heart stops. "Shit." I push against Kiwi's chest, urging him to move toward the back door.
"What?" His confused gaze ping-pongs between the group that entered the yard and me.
Chelsea's friend Morgan arrived with a bunch of football players in tow. Is she dating one of them now? I keep shoving, and realization must've set in because Kiwi finally lets me go, and I dart around him into the house.
Mags is about to leave the house, and we collide, almost knocking each other over.
"What's gotten into you?" she asks, exasperated.
"Morgan brought a bunch of football players with her."
Mags's attitude instantly switches to alarm, and she peers around me. Chelsea's boyfriend, Mack, is on the team, but he has no clue about my little, uh…fascinationwith Wes. I didn't expect anyone else from the team to show up. This is Mags's sister's party. I try to move deeper into the house, but she grabs my arm to stop me. "He's not here."
Air leaves my lungs, and it's like a massive weight is lifted off my chest. I can breathe again.
He's not here.
Why would he be? Wes has never been seen at a house party. His sole focus is on football. He and Kai throw parties, but even during those, he keeps to himself. At least, that's what I've heard. I haven't had the guts to actually crash one.
I scan the group that is now engaged in a game of cornhole. She's right. It's only Morgan with Jasper—a guy she's had her sights on for weeks—and Zeke. Jasper is a sophomore, and Zeke is a senior. Wes is a junior. Not that it matters; they all still hang out together, but I know that neither of them is in Wes's minuscule inner circle of one, aka Kai.
"I think I'll hang back anyway," I mumble and pull my hand from my friend's.
"King," Mags calls out after me, but I'm already halfway to my room.
Between last night and this almost-encounter, I need a break. I've been a loner my entire life, which has changed some since settling here, but it still becomes too much at times.
Kiwi has taken like a fish to water with the friends I made. He'll come find me if he needs to. Lying on my bed, I plug my headphones in and press play. With "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes assaulting my eardrums, I close my eyes.
CHAPTERFOUR
"It's about time.You had a little under two hours left. I already pulled up the airline page." Her irritation makes the corners of my mouth twitch.
Straddling my bike, I'm parked in front of the field house, about to head to practice. I'm holding on to the bike with one hand, flipping the lid of my wireless headphones open and shut with the thumb of my free hand. I laugh, glancing over the handlebar. "Awww, D, you know I would never miss one of your deadlines. I was busy with class and training."
"Bullshit, Weston. You don't have practice on Mondays. I expected your call yesterday. The twenty-four hours was a courtesy," Den sneers.
She's got me there, and I can't even be pissed at her for calling me out on my cowardliness. I avoided her as long as possible, but knowing I'd miss her allotted cutoff if I'd waited until after practice, I finally hit the dial button.
When I don't reply, her voice softens. "You don't want me to bringthemup."
My jaw clenches, and I have to force my teeth apart to respond. "You know I don't."
It takes a Herculean amount of strength to keep my voice steady. I'd rather get a root canal without anesthetics than talk about my former friends.
"It's been two years, Wes," she says calmly. Den sided with me when Rhys used Lilly's money and bought my way into Pine Hill—that much I found out over time. Lilly wasn't a hundred-percent on board with her boyfriend'sgood deed, but she also didn't stop him. My anger toward her has slightly lessened, but the betrayal that makes my throat burn and every muscle in my body tense is as strong as ever.
Am I overreacting? According to Den and my mother…yes.
Do I care? Hell no.
My sole focus is on getting my lost future back. Everything—andalmosteveryone—else is of no interest to me.
