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“What’s your problem?” I gasp, clawing at the skin on his arm. For a moment, I think Dereck will very well choke me out until I’m unconscious, but as that terrifying moment approaches, his grip releases suddenly, and I open my eyes to see Matt pulling Dereck back with a single hand. He offers his hand to me and I take it, getting to my feet, rubbing my raw throat. “What’s your problem, man?” I growl at Dereck. “I can date whoever I want.”
“Yeah, well, apparently so can she,” Dereck snarls. He whirls around and punches the wall, hard, barely wincing, but I know the force is enough to leave a glorious bruise on his hand. Matt and I watch him without interfering. An angry Dereck is a Dereck I don’t have any desire to fuck with, and I still can’t figure out what exactly is happening here, but everything seems to be pretty clear to Matt.
“What’s going on?” I ask weakly, grabbing my bag from the floor. “Fuck, dude. You’re losing it.”
“Do you really not see what’s happening?” Matt asks, finally turning to me. He’s smirking, that same, stupid smirk I’m so used to seeing. But right under that smirk is something else; anger, probably, and maybe even … hurt?
“No, Matthew, I guess I don’t see what’s going on.”
Matt laughs, glancing back at Dereck, shaking his head. “She played both of you, Connor.”
“What?”
“Did you and Rowan Bates have sex?” he asks. I know there’s no denying it now, so I slowly nod my head yes. Matt turns to Dereck. “And she fucked you, too, didn’t she?”
For a moment I think Dereck might take a swing at me or Matt or both of us, but he doesn’t. Instead, he mutters a profanity under his breath and nods his head. Matt continues to laugh, but he’s shaking his head, and under that laugh is something sinister.
“She’s still dating that Jason guy, too,” he says with a small shrug. “I saw her at the restaurant with him last night. She’s really getting around, apparently.”
“Wait, did she sleep with you, too?” Dereck asks. Something dark thunders over Matt’s face, but it’s gone before I can even guarantee it was ever there.
“Nah, man, I haven’t even talked to her.” He turns away from us then to walk away to his next class, but then he turns around one last time. “This is your fucking mess to deal with.”
“Wait,” Dereck calls, and I’m surprised Matt actually stops.
“What, D?”
“What should we do?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“Because you always have good ideas, don’t you?” I add quickly, ignoring Dereck’s stabbing glares. “You’re clever. At least, you seem to think you are.”
Silence settles over us, but I can see the wheels turning in Matt’s head. Finally, after what seems like far too long, he turns to Dereck, and that dangerous smirk is back.
“How’s Carly been?” he asks, and something deep down in the pit of my stomach twists with fear; fear for Rowan, and fear for us.
All of us.
