Going Long (Waiting on the Sidelines #2)(29)

I hung out in the stairwell for about 15 minutes, just trying to sort through the conversation I’d heard. I didn’t know what to do next. Part of me wanted to barrel into Gavin’s room and hold him up against the wall until he broke, but the other part of me knew I only had half the story. And that part was making me sick.

Finally able to get my legs to work, and tired of the strange looks from freshmen passing in and out of the stairwell, I climbed the rest of the way to Nolan’s floor. I took a deep breath when I swung the hall door open, unsure of what I was walking into. Her floor was clear, no one around. I drug my feet to her door at the end and stood in front of it for a few seconds, not sure what words would, or should, come out of my mouth when I saw her.

Leaning my forehead on the door, I rapped on it lightly a few times, almost like I was hoping she wouldn’t hear it and wouldn’t answer. I straightened up when I heard the bolt click for her to let me in. She flung the door open and turned back around to walk back to her closet, smiling at me briefly over her shoulder.

“Hey, was just changing. Thought maybe we could go out, grab a bite? Mind waiting just a few while I get ready?” She spoke calmly, as if the conversation I had heard minutes ago never happened. I had no idea how to play this, so I thought I’d just see what turned up.

“Sure, sounds good. Take your time,” I said, walking over to sit on the edge of her bed. My suspicion had me looking at everything differently. I lifted the corner of her comforter from her bed, touching it to see if I felt anything different. I lifted her jacket to my nose, smelling it for…for someone else. I touched her pillows and then stood to slip open her top drawer, curious and now full of paranoia. I saw her figure pass from the open closet door to the bathroom, and I started some, like I’d been caught.

“Just one more sec, I promise,” she giggled.

All I could think was, “What the hell was going on?” I felt like I’d landed in a Twilight Zone.

I was full on pacing now in the center of her room, my mind debating with itself over whether or not I should confront her about what I’d heard. I tossed my hat on her desk to dig my fingers into my hair, my stomach fluttering more now—not with butterflies, though. She was just stepping out of her closet door, dressed cute-as-hell in a black shirtdress and tall boots, almost making my worries dissolve, when we both turned to face her door. The light tapping was accompanied by a voice. His f*cking voice.

“Nolan, it’s me. Open up, please? I feel bad…I…I didn’t want to make you upset,” Gavin said, clearly upset himself, though not as upset as he was about to be when I was the one to open the door for him.

I turned to Nolan and got the confirmation I needed when she just stared at the door, eyes wide, face ghost-white and mouth slightly open. She turned to look at me, and in that brief instant I just held up my hand. “Don’t,” I said, a little short, then put my hand over my mouth and rubbed my chin a little to force myself not to say anything I’d regret. “I’ll get this.”

When I opened the door, Gavin just stood there—he was still and stared right back at me. He pushed his lips together in a tight, knowing smile and then nodded a few times, looking down at his feet. “Reed…how’s it goin?” he said, reaching his hand out to shake mine. I stared at it for a few seconds and then just chuckled and walked into the room, turning my back on him.

“Well, I don’t know, Gavin. You tell me. How’s it going?” I said, the * version of myself coming out to play now. I leaned into Nolan’s desk and took Gavin in as he walked into Nolan’s room, his hands buried in his pockets. Nolan was sitting down now, at the edge of her bed, her arms folded tightly across her body, her eyes still wide…and glossy?

“Did you tell him?” Gavin said softly, nodding in Nolan’s direction.

“Tell me what, Gavin?” I interrupted. I didn’t like the way he was making Nolan feel, and more importantly, I didn’t like him.

He just sighed heavily and looked down at his feet, and he flexed them a bit and stepped side-to-side, thinking. He tilted his face back up to make eye contact with me, sucking in a long breath before he spoke. “I kissed her,” he said, shrugging his shoulders and smiling on one side of his mouth, as if it was all some f*cking innocent game.

That’s all it took.

Within a half second, my fist was making contact with Gavin’s bony f*cking face. I hadn’t punched anyone in a long time, and it stung like hell. But the rush it sent through my blood was enough to ignite a whole new wave of rage. While Gavin was busy stumbling backward and holding his nose, I flew at him and pushed him hard into Nolan’s wall. I grabbed fistfuls of his collar and jerked him violently into the wall a few times before getting in his face.

“You piece of shit, you keep your hands off my girl! You hear me?” I spoke through gritted teeth. I was getting ready to shove him once again, when I heard Nolan’s voice break through the noise in my head.

“Reed, stop! Stop! Don’t, you’re hurting him!” she said as she grabbed my sleeve and yanked one of my arms from Gavin’s. With her distraction, Gavin was able to shove me back and force me a little off balance. He didn’t swing at me; he just forced some distance.

I was breathing heavily, and Gavin was wiping his nose along his long sleeves, a small stream of blood coming from it now. He leaned back against the opposite wall and turned to look at Nolan, who was standing between us now, her back to me. He was shaking his head, and the face he was making was too damned familiar. I don’t know when the words formed in my head, or if they even did, but as soon as they left my mouth I knew they were going to ruin me.