15. Jeff #2
A dull ringing began in my ears, like someone had hit Mute on a high-frequency TV, and all my blood rushed to my head.
Holy shit. Shit. Someone knows. My neck tingled and I whipped my gaze around the neighborhood.
Was I going to find someone staring at me with binoculars?
No. But it felt like someone had eyes on me and it creeped me the hell out.
Who had access to my number? A lot of chicks… any one of them could’ve sold you out.
“Dude, what the fuck?” Aaron yelled from twenty steps ahead of me. “Why did you stop?”
“Sorry,” I mumbled and shoved my phone in my pocket. “Read something weird.”
“Did you see the headline about the student busted for thousands of dollars’ worth of drugs in their dorm? They raided the old building on the south quad yesterday. One of the freshmen on the team lived next to him.”
“That’s crazy.” I tried to act normal, and not like a bounty was on my head. Aaron gave me a weird look and I caught up to him for the final block. He was insightful at reading people and if I didn’t chill the fuck out, he’d start asking questions I didn’t want to answer. “Drugs, you said?”
“Yeah, like hard-core shit.” He kicked a rock from the middle of the sidewalk and it bounced into someone’s yard. “Sampson said he’s banned from his dorm for a couple nights until they search the walls between their rooms. How wild is that?”
“It has to be making the news, right?”
“Probably. Our school doesn’t have scandalous shit like that happen. Just cowardly social media posts accusing athletes of being drug-addicted whores,” he said bitterly, referencing the summer before his junior year.
“Don’t be bitter. You and Greta got together because of that and you were a real piece of shit before her.”
He shoved my shoulder with a grin. “Dick.”
“Just being honest.” I laughed at his dumbass expression, but it was short-lived when I thought about the scandal that was definitely going on at our school. And someone found out I’m involved.
We approached the driveway and Aaron rushed to the door. “I’m sick of this fucking winter already. It better be quick because I’m not trying to pull a muscle playing in these temps.”
“Midwest winters can last until April.”
“I swear, if I get drafted somewhere butt-ass cold, I know it’ll be karma for all my idiot shit sophomore year.”
I laughed because he was right. He held the door for me and I tried to discreetly look around our block for anything that stood out. A person, a telescope, someone in a car staring at me, but it all looked bleak and normal.
“You hanging around the house tonight? I think all the girls are coming over for dinner if you want to hang with us.”
Couple-world again. Blah. “I might eat with you guys, but I’m working on a project with Amber.”
“Ah, Henderson.” He smiled and raised his brows at me. “Don’t hurt her, man. She’s got it bad for you.”
Wait…what the fuck did he say? “What?”
“Dude, haven’t you noticed her the past three years?
She blushes every goddamn time you’re in the room.
I told her to make a move once and I thought she was going to throw up.
” He tossed his bag onto the bottom of the stairs and plopped down onto the couch, not realizing at all that I remained fully dressed in my winter coat by the door.
“I don’t get why she would be into you…you’re a real ass most of the time. ”
“Who’s a real ass?” Zade asked, strolling into the living room from the kitchen with food hanging from his mouth. The dude ate more than anyone I knew, but he was a beast on the mound.
“Jeff.”
“Yeah, I agree.” Zade looked amused and smug.
I snapped out of my momentary paralysis and flipped them both off. They laughed but let the topic go. I was torn. Part of me wanted to ask more about the bomb Aaron had dropped on me but I didn’t want to bring attention to it. She has it bad for me? Three years?
Does this change anything?
“I’m gonna head upstairs to get started on some homework,” I said, not waiting for their reply.
It was an unspoken rule in the house that if we had schoolwork, no one gave anyone shit for doing it.
It was one of many reasons why I loved these guys like brothers and I didn’t feel the slightest regret for lying to them.
My mind was completely occupied with two things and while the threatening text should have been my only priority, I couldn’t stop thinking about Amber.
I started typing out a text to her but had to erase it three times. What the fuck is happening?
Jeff: Come on over when you can. I’m home the rest of the night.
Jeff: Something huge happened today.
Amber: What was it?
Jeff: It’s a better conversation to have in person.
I told myself it was true—someone had my number and I didn’t want to risk anyone seeing my text to her—but my gut knew she would come over faster with the promise of information.
But if she’s into me, why wouldn’t she want to come over?
Or why stop us from hooking up?
Why do I care?
“God damn it.” I rubbed my palms over my eyes and hated the uncertainty and unease at the entire situation. It changed nothing. Not the way I saw her, not how I would act, not how much I wanted her. There. That decided it. Nothing would change and I found my normal swagger when I texted her again.
Jeff: I haven’t stopped thinking about your body. Please say yes.
Amber: I’ll be over in thirty minutes—in class still.