Waiting on the Sidelines (Waiting on the Sidelines #1)(34)

“Here, let me toss your bag up on the bars,” Sean said, taking my bag from me and putting it up on the railing shelf.

“Wait! Can you grab my headphones? I want to listen to some music,” I asked. He stared silently for a moment. We would not be talking. Again. I know what he is thinking.

“Sure, hang on,” he said, sliding the zipper just enough to pull my headphones and iPod out. He handed it to me and slid down next to me. I picked a playlist and turned the volume up just enough to drown out everyone else as the bus pulled from the parking lot onto the main drag through town. I pulled my knees up and sunk down a bit to keep my body hidden from the presence I still felt behind me. Tatum hadn’t done anything in days. But it didn’t matter. I was always on edge.

When Sean reached for my hand, I flinched a little. But he held on anyhow. He played with my fingers as I shut my eyes and feigned sleep. It’s not that I was ignoring his touch. But rather, I couldn’t feel it. I was angry at myself for how I was treating Sean and the more he tried to hold on to a piece of me, the more I pulled away. Finally, after a few minutes, I turned my body so my back was to the window and my legs were bent up in front of me, so I was facing Sean. He winced a little, looked down and then patted the tops of my shoes. Reaching down to his bag, he pulled his headphones out, put some music on and shut his eyes in pretend as well.

The drive to Globe was nearly two hours. We were starting to climb through the mountains when I noticed the chill coming in through the windows. It was only four in the afternoon and already the winds were freezing. I slid my back up along the window, careful not to alert Sean, and looked along the bars for my bag. There wasn’t much room up there, so he had put it a little farther back in the bus. When I located it I dropped my gaze to see who I could ask to pass it along to me and locked eyes with Tatum, smirking.

“Cold,” she mouthed.

I just gave her a careful nod, and motioned at my bag above her, not fathoming what she would do next. Her smile was venomous as she stepped into the aisle and slid the zipper on my bag slowly. Reed was involved in a video game and paying no attention to her as she pulled out my sweatshirt and sweat pants. She slid back in to sit along the window and then set them on her lap, out of my sight.

I gave her a pleading look. I was so cold already. She lit up with a fake friendly face and reached up to drop the locks on her window. In an instant, she flung my warm clothing out of the bus, dropping it on the side of the desert highway somewhere outside Globe. In seconds she had the window closed again and she was staring at me with narrowed eyes and a mischievous grin.

I sat there staring at her for minutes, my mouth agape. Before this, everything she did was underhanded. But this was so forward. So obvious. Such an attack. I couldn’t cry. I was too shocked. I turned back in my seat and slid back into position and put my music on. I was going to freeze and it was going to be terrible, but I would live through it. With one small action, Tatum had won this round.



I grabbed my suddenly lighter bag from the bus and hurried down the aisle to the steps. I climbed out and waited while Sean stood by the side of the bus where they loaded the poles for vaulting. When he had his equipment we both walked to the center of the track and dropped our things to set up camp with everyone else. Tatum and her groupies were already running their warm up lap. Sean tugged at my pinky to get my attention.

“Wanna run? It’s good to keep warm,” he smiled. He had no idea.

I followed him over to the track and then like clockwork we set our steps in sync as we made our way around for a lap. My heart rate was up, and that was helping. It was two hours from now that worried me, though. We stepped back into the grass and started our stretching. I caught a glimpse of Reed and my eyes followed him as he took his lap around the track. With each bend to stretch I picked him up, following his movement as he rounded one end of the track and made his way towards us. I looked over at Sean and gulped when I saw him staring at me… staring at Reed. He looked at Reed and then back to me, nodding once. Knowing.

Reed came up and sat down to stretch with us.

“Fuckin’ cold, no?” he said, pulling his hood up over his head.

“No shit,” Sean replied, snuggling into his warm ups, too. He didn’t make eye contact with Reed though. “Hey, be right back. I have to hit the bathroom,” he said, hopping to his feet and running to the back of the stadium stands.

I finished my stretching with Reed, turning away from him some so Tatum didn’t think we were talking or that I’d invited his company. My legs were covered in goose bumps and my teeth were already starting to chatter.

“Noles, you should get your sweats on. It’s only going to get worse,” he stood up, jumping in place and raising his knees to warm up his legs.

“Yeah… I would, but…” I trailed.

“Did you forget them?” he said with raised eyebrows.

“Sorta,” I said. Not a total lie. I did forget to keep them safe, I thought.

In an instant, Reed reached up over his head and pulled his hood up, yanking his sweatshirt over his head. Some of his T-shirt came up exposing his muscular stomach and the waistband of his boxers. I sucked in air and quickly looked down as his sweatshirt dropped on my lap.

“Put it on. I’ll be ok with just the pants, I swear,” he said.

I was about to protest, but he was already walking away. Surely this would set Tatum off even more. But I was so cold. And his shirt smelled so good. I pushed my arms through the sleeves and pulled it over my head, letting the hood stay up. It was extra large, so I had enough slack in it to tuck my knees inside as I sat. I was feeling warmer already. But I don’t think it was because it was a sweatshirt. I think it was because it was Reed’s. In inhaled its scent, and hugged the sleeves close to me. It was as close to an embrace as I may ever have with him again.