Chapter 20 Gray #2
“I’m going to lie to myself and pretend that she didn’t get the memo either,” Ash said with a rueful laugh. “My ego needs to believe the lie.”
“She’s ruthless, I agree, but she isn’t callous,” I told him quietly. “She didn’t play you.”
“I hope not.” Ash resumed walking, and I followed him. My desire to hit something was dissipating until I realized he wasn’t walking to the house.
“Where we headed?”
“Going to get Izzy to check your hand, so when we tell Coach tomorrow that you fucked up royally, he won’t kill you if he knows first how long it will take to heal.”
I nodded in agreement as I jogged to catch up with him. “That’s actually a great idea.”
“You’re a shit cousin and a bad friend, but you’re still the best running back on the team.”
I laughed out loud at his honesty. “Still family too, cousin,” I said as I nudged him with my shoulder.
“Yeah, well, you’re a dick. I hope you’re out all season.”
“No, you don’t.”
He grunted and then nudged me back a little more forcefully than he needed. “No, I don’t, but I sure as hell hope it hurts like a motherfucker.”
“If it’s any consolation, it really does.”
Ash grinned maliciously as we headed to the team’s doctor’s house, and I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope that we would be okay.
* * *
“Tell me again how you messed your hand up worse when you haven’t been doing anything?” Coach Bowers glared at me, and I met his stare.
“It must have been worse than we originally thought,” I lied blithely.
“You’re out for the rest of the regular season.”
That did suck, and I was pissed, but I couldn’t do anything about it. “Yeah, Izzy said that.”
“You punch the center for the basketball team?” Coach asked me shrewdly.
“What? Denzel? Nah, why would I?” Who the hell told him?
Coach looked at me for a long moment, and I didn’t give him anything.
“Out.” I didn’t argue but stood and headed to the door.
“Santo,” he called, and I turned back. “You do nothing for these last few weeks. I am not ruling you out for the conference championship. If we get there. You’re not going on the reserved list. You hear me?
You fuck this up, boy, and I will gut you myself. ”
“And if we don’t make it to the conference championship?” I asked.
“Then your brother and your teammates know who to blame.”
“Good talk,” I said sarcastically as I pulled the door open. “Real motivational.”
Jett was sitting on the benches, waiting for me. “You’re still breathing.”
“He may be slightly pissed off,” I told him as I grabbed my backpack. “You’d think I’d done it intentionally, just to fuck up his Monday.”
“Your hands are important,” Jett said as he stood.
“I know,” I growled as I headed out.
“Why are you self-destructing?” Jett asked me quietly.
“Didn’t know I was.”
“Course you are,” my brother scoffed. “You’re so full of shit.”
“So I keep getting told,” I mumbled as I pulled my phone out of my back pocket.
“She’s skipping today.”
“Why?” I asked him as I looked up from the phone.
“I dunno, Gray, maybe because you fucking destroyed her yesterday,” he bit out angrily.
“Hardly.”
“Don’t be a prick. You were cruel, and she didn’t need that.”
“She needs to pull her head out of her ass and face the facts,” I reminded him. “She can help us. Tell me you told her that.” I saw him hesitate, and I groaned. “You had one fucking job,” I scolded as I passed him and headed to her apartment.
“Where you going?” Jett yelled from behind me.
“Where the hell do you think I’m going?” I grumbled as I flicked him the finger with my good hand while walking away.
When I got there, the door was locked, and she didn’t open it when I knocked. I knocked louder.
“Dude, get the hint, she isn’t in.” Some blonde said as she walked out of the lower apartment, and I ignored her as I pulled my phone out.
Me: I have no problem knocking this door in either
Quinn: I’m not talking to you
Me: Okay. Open the door
Quinn: Go to class
I pounded on the door harder. It worked because she threw the door open in fury, her eyes wild with anger and her temper riding high.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” she demanded as she glared at me.
Pushing past her, I walked inside and grinned when I heard her hesitate before she slammed the door shut behind me. Turning, I looked her over: black yoga pants, bright pink T-shirt, her hair in two braids.
“Working out?” I guessed as I noted her coffee table pushed to the side.
“Trying to,” she sassed back at me. “What do you want?”
“Thought that was obvious,” I said as I took a seat.
“Well, consider me dumb and spell it out for me.” Her arms were folded across her chest as she stared at me.
“You.”
I watched as the temper was knocked out of her. “Wh-what?”
“You asked what I wanted. It’s what I always wanted. You.”
“Gray?”
Rolling my eyes, I stood and pulled her into me. “I’m a dick, I have a bad temper, you piss me off, those fuckers make me want to do time for what you went through, but all I ever wanted was you.”
Quinn looked up at me, the uncertainty and confusion clear in her eyes. “You’re insane.”
“I know.” Dipping my head, I caught her lips in a soft kiss. “Doesn’t change the facts.”
Quinn’s teeth scraped over her bottom lip as she watched me, and then, with almost hesitation, she reached up and traced her fingers over the side of my face. “I thought you hated me,” she whispered.
“Sometimes I do.”
“Really?” She drew her hand back and tried to step away, but I pulled her closer.
“There’s a thin line, they say, between love and hate. Some days, I’m on one side; some days, on the other, but every day, it doesn’t fucking matter which side I’m on, all that matters is you.”
“You were horrible yesterday.”
“I’m not going to apologize, don’t expect me to. You need to hear things. You’re not weak, stop hiding.”
“What if I’m just scared?” she asked.
“We’re all scared, Quinn. I’m scared I never stop them and they keep doing this shit to others.”
Her head dropped onto my chest as she embraced me. “I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Kissing the top of her head, I held her close. “Thank you.”
We stayed like that for a while before Quinn pulled back and looked up at me. “You love me?”
“What, you think I’m this much of a dick just because we’re friends?”
She smiled and I marveled at how beautiful she was. “You are a dick,” she teased as she reached up to brush her lips against mine.
“Yeah, well, I never claimed to be anything else.” I kissed her before she could say anything further.