Chapter 102: Trey: Nothing Stupid

TREY

I want to break Nash’s jaw. Other people deserve it more, but sitting here eating an apple while my love life falls apart is moving him up the list.

"In my experience, you’ve got to beg, man." He takes another bite and finishes chewing before adding, "Nothing you say right now is going to mean much."

Does he think I haven’t figured that out? Sadie would be here if she wanted to listen to me, wouldn’t she? Instead, I’m looking at him while he gets through his evening snack.

"I’ve texted her three times. She’s not even reading them."

"Three?" He stops with the apple near his mouth. "You say that like it’s a lot."

"How many am I supposed to send?"

"Try a hundred."

My eyes stay on his face, waiting to see whether he has anything else to offer.

"Look, send more if that’s what it takes." He drops his hand to his lap. "You’ve had time to get used to everything you did. She just found out. You can’t expect her to read three messages and be ready to talk."

Not a big fan of double-texting anyone, but I’ve sent three today. Whatever that’s called, I’ll deal with it if she replies and confirms she’s safe. The way she left keeps replaying in my head, especially the look on her face. I’d do just about anything to stop remembering how scared she was of me.

It’s almost eight when I check my watch. She could still come home tonight.

[Idiot,] Trex snaps. [Home? You think she’s coming back?]

So far, he’s called me stupid, foolish, brain-dead, and a waste of the skull keeping my ears apart. Apparently, he’s going to keep adding to the list until she walks through the door.

I get up, dragging a hand through my hair and pulling my shirt away from my chest. The AC is already at its limit, but I press the button again before standing beneath the vent. It might as well scorch me alive for my sins. At least then the heat would make sense.

Moving back to the table, I open one of her books. The sentence in front of me makes sense, but I read it again anyway, listening for the elevator between words. Eventually, I close it.

If she was here, she’d be on my ass for putting the book down without finishing a page. Probably with a mouthful of dinner, insisting she could eat and explain the Chapter if I could manage the difficult task of paying attention.

My gaze goes to the kitchen before dropping to my watch. Barely any time has passed.

[She wouldn’t be gone if you’d listened to me.]

"I heard you the first time."

[And still managed to do everything wrong.]

I push him back before he can add anything else, suppressing him enough to think. He seems to forget we’re sharing the consequences. If I die of heartbreak, he’s coming with me. He doesn’t get to start over with someone smarter.

With a sigh, I grab my keys from the sofa and head for the door. Nash finally puts down his apple and gets up, stepping into my path with a hand against my chest.

"Where are you going?"

"To find her." I swat his hand away. "What does it look like?"

He steps across as I try to pass, pushing me back. "Don’t, man. She needs space. Let her have it."

"Space?" I look down at his hand, then back at him. "You just told me to send her a hundred texts."

"Texting her and turning up in person aren’t the same thing. She probably doesn’t want to look at you right now." He pauses. "I wouldn’t, if I were her."

"You’re not her." I push his hand away again. "Move."

"Bro, I’m trying to help." He follows when I get around him. "You show up now, you’re just going to upset her more. Let her cool down first."

I pause before the door, curling my fingers tighter around the keys. Upset. I can still hear her telling me she needed to get away from me, and I don’t know what I’d do if she said it again.

"So what do I do? Sit here until she decides she can stand me again?" I turn to him. "I miss her, Nash. It’s been a few hours, and I already miss her."

He lets out an exaggerated gasp. "I knew she had you messed up, but you’re making me nervous."

The step I take toward him gets both his hands in the air.

"Yep, got it. Serious conversation." He nods toward the sofa. "Sit down first."

"Just get on with it."

"Sit down." He shakes his head. "You want her to forgive you tonight? She just found out you’ve been lying this whole time. She’s probably wondering what else you did. I’m telling you, that can be worse than getting cheated on."

"Worse than cheating? How do you figure that?"

He drops his hands and stares at me. "You got her fired. Then you hired her and made moving in part of the deal so she agreed because she needs the money. She’s worried about paying for her medication, and you let her thank you like you had nothing to do with that."

"She got her coverage, Nash."

"Bro." He points at me. "Do not say that to her. Seriously. She knows she got coverage but that’s not what she’s mad about."

My jaw tightens, but there’s nothing I can say that he won’t have an answer for. I turn toward the kitchen, dropping my keys on the counter when I get there.

I take the vodka from the cupboard above, then reach for a glass. The first drink goes down in one swallow. I pour another, set the bottle beside it, my hand around the glass.

Sadie needs to come back here. I’ll give her time to forgive me—a few days, even a week—but that’s about as long as I can go without talking to her. It’s been a few hours, and I’m already standing in my kitchen drinking over it.

I can’t picture waking up tomorrow and knowing she isn’t down the hall. Getting through practice without checking my phone for something she’s sent, or asking if she’s eaten and getting a whole explanation of why coffee counts. I’m used to coming back and finding her shoes by the door, and hearing her call out before I’ve even put my bag down.

Yeah, making decisions for her got me into this mess, but sitting here waiting doesn’t feel like much of a choice either.

I reach for my phone and find her name. She probably doesn’t want to hear from me tonight, but if she answers just to cuss me out, I can live with that.

The call rings until it goes to voicemail. I take a sip, then try again.

Straight to voicemail this time.

Either she switched her phone off or I’m blocked. Neither gives me much to work with, so I try texting.

ME: Can we talk? Just tell me where you are. I’m worried about you.

I leave the phone beside my glass and check the screen whenever I take a sip. Five minutes later, the message is still unread.

Apparently, I’m quintuple-texting tonight.

ME: I messed up. I know. Just give me a chance to talk to you.

A notification appears about a minute later, and I nearly knock the glass over reaching for my phone.

SADIE: Worried about her? You should be worried about yourself. It’s Lola. Stay the hell away from her and watch your back, you lying asshole.

I read the message again. She’s with Lola. At least I know that much, even if her best friend’s planning to kill me.

With a groan, I take the bottle and my glass back to the living room. Walker’s on the sofa beside Nash, looking up as I approach.

"Didn’t hear you come in." I set the bottle on the coffee table and sit.

"Sadie’s a mess, man." Walker leans toward me. "She was crying her eyes out when I saw her."

"Where?" I look straight at him. "Who was with her?"

"At her dorm." He shrugs, settling back. "I was passing through. Didn’t go there for anyone or anything. Caught a glimpse, that’s all."

"Who was with her, Walker? Nobody asked what you were doing."

"Her best friend, obviously." He looks me over. "You’re taking this pretty well."

Nash smacks his chest. "Don’t start. I just talked him out of going there."

"I know what I’m doing." I reach for my glass, and they look at each other before turning back to me.

"What?" they ask together.

"I’m going to win her back."

"How?" Nash leans forward to look past Walker. "Because if this is another one of your plans—"

"I need your help." My eyes move between them. "Both of you."

Neither answers. Nash looks at Walker, who looks back at him before they both turn to me again.

"You need to be more specific," Walker says. "We already helped you get into this mess. Your judgment isn’t exactly getting a glowing review right now."

"Just wait and see." I take a sip, then set the glass down. "I’m not going to do anything stupid."