8. The Wounded
The Wounded
Harper
As soon as I part from Luke and Jack after last period, my insides grow untethered. Kenz sticks close to my side, but I’m exposed. All the stares I tried to ignore earlier are more intense.
Kenz loops her arm in mine. “Come on. Ignore them. They’re just jealous you could be Homecoming Queen.”
My stomach turns. “Fuck, I hope not.”
“Why not?” Kenz leads me toward the parking lot, and we get caught up in the wave of students leaving the school. “You’re as pretty as the other girls. You’re nicer than most.”
My phone vibrates in my hand, but I don’t look to see what message I’ve received.
“The only reason I’m nominated at all is because I’m the horsemen’s girlfriend.” I roll my eyes. “That, and Sidney wants to humiliate me.”
Kenz chuckles. “Yeah, but just because this school wouldn’t know a good thing if it smacked them in the face with a wet t-shirt doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it.”
“A wet t-shirt?” I arch an eyebrow at Kenz’s choice.
She shrugs and tugs me to the right toward her car. “What? It’s better than a fish or whatever the actual term is.”
I consider that and smile. She unlocks her car and we slide in. Fuck, I missed having just us time. We definitely need a girl’s night. Just the two of us.
“It seems like it’s been forever since we talked. How are you and Brandon?” I clip in my seatbelt.
Kenz sighs and sags back against the car seat.
“I don’t know. He seems good some days and other days he’s almost obsessed with what everyone else is doing.
” She turns to face me. “I love him, but I know he’s not end game for me.
I definitely don’t want to end things now, but I know we’ve got an expiration date. If that makes sense?”
“He asked me at the game if something was wrong. Said you seemed distant.”
She starts the car. “My mind has been in a thousand places. I mean, you’re under attack.
I’m not sure I trust the lollipop gang that we’ve been hanging out with.
Especially finding out that Penny is Luke’s sister.
And going through the guys’ list of ex-ugly bumpers isn’t really making me crave intimacy at the moment. ”
She cringes on the last bit before pulling out to join the mass of cars trying to exit the school.
“You guys should have a date night.” I wish everything would be that simple to fix. “Reconnect.”
“Maybe.” Kenz sighs. “Honestly, I think he just expects more from me now. Like we should be fucking like crazy still. Which, trust me, we are, but somehow I don’t feel like I’m enough.”
“Well, that’s shit.” I straighten. “You’re wonderful, and if he doesn’t think you’re enough, you should find someone who does.”
Kenz laughs. “Fuck, you’re all over the place. Go on a date. Fuck that dude. Did someone slip you some extra sugar at lunch?”
“I’m just tired. Tired of always having someone to fight or something to figure out.” I pick at a piece of lint on my shirt. “Things were much easier when I was invisible.”
“You were never invisible, H.” Kenz pulls along the curb outside Nico’s house and parks the car.
“I’ve always seen you. Your mom’s always seen you.
Fuck those others if it took announcing to the world that you belong to the horsemen to put you on the map.
You should have been on the map from the start. ”
I shake my head at her tirade, but my heart squeezes thinking about my mom. Fuck, where is she? When is she coming back? Is she already back? Will she get in touch with me?
“Hey, are you okay?” Kenz reaches out and takes my hand.
I can’t say anything. We don’t know who is trustworthy and who isn’t, but we know that we’ve been bugged before. “It’s just going to be a long week.”
She smiles and squeezes my hand. “It will be over before you know it.”
She gets out of the car, but I sit there for a moment as she walks around it and waits on the sidewalk for me. I want to tell Kenz about my mom. I want to tell her about everything, but I know it’s not smart. If they bugged us, they’ll definitely bug my best friend.
I drag in a breath and shake off the despair at Mom being gone. For now.
Joining Kenz on the sidewalk, we walk up to Nico’s house. Mrs. Lee opens the door before we can even knock.
“Harper!” She smiles and nods at Kenz. “Who’s this?”
“My friend MacKenzie.” I want to rush past her to find Nico, but instead I wait with that anxious feeling building inside me. I need my guys. Maybe a little too much right now. “How are you today, Mrs. Lee?”
She touches her heart and smiles softly. “It’s been a rough day with surgery and all. Nico’s been in and out of sleep all day. But I know he’ll be excited to see you.”
And yet, I’m still standing outside. “I’m excited to see him too.”
Mrs. Lee smiles, and then it finally sinks in. “Come in. I’m sorry. It’s been a while since I had company over.” She steps back. “Do you want something to drink? I could bring you some snacks. Nico is in his bedroom.”
“I know where it is.” My little admission makes me blush.
Her smile stays the same. “Okay, you head on up, and I’ll bring some drinks and snacks.”
She disappears into the kitchen before I can say no thank you. Kenz nudges me with her shoulder, and I lead the way up to Nico’s room. I knock softly before opening the door.
Nico’s asleep in his bed. His leg is propped up and the TV is on low in the corner, some action film playing on the screen. I step inside and inhale his rain scent.
“Do you want me to wait out here?” Kenz whispers.
“Maybe after his mother checks in on us?” I shrug. This isn’t something I’m used to dealing with. Parents and boyfriends and injuries and needing a bodyguard.
Kenz comes in and sits at the desk. I sit next to Nico on the bed and brush the hair that’s fallen over his eyes to the side. When he’s asleep, I can see the boy he used to be. The one that used to race me through our neighborhood.
The Nico I have back is stronger. I can’t imagine being with these guys without him. We’re all a work in progress, but I love him.
He moves to roll toward me, wrapping his arm around my waist and dragging me down against him. “Sunshine.”
“And friend,” Kenz blurts out. “And possibly your mom in like ten seconds.”
His dark eyes blink open at me. My upper half is down on the bed next to him.
“Nico,” I say softly and push his hair back from his face.
He gives me a soft smile and brushes his lips over mine before helping me sit back upright.
The door opens, and his mom comes in looking down at the plate of cookies on the tray in her hands.
“It’s not much. I should have thought about all the friends Nico would be having over.” She sets the tray down and gestures to the cans of soda on the end of the bed. When she straightens, she looks around at us with a smile. “It’ll be nice to have more voices here.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Lee.” Kenz leans forward and takes a cookie, biting into it. “This is good.”
Mrs. Lee smiles and stands there. The silence grows awkward.
“Mom, could you get my pills? I think it’s wearing off.”
She almost jumps to it. “Of course. I’ll be right back.”
Kenz takes a bite of cookie. “Is your mom okay?”
“She’s got a lot going on.” Nico sits up a little more, and I help with the pillows behind his back. “How was today? Rough?”
I smile. “Not as rough as I thought, but definitely not easy.”
He nods. “The doctor wants me to stay off it another day at least. It was a pretty complicated tear.”
“Of course. You need to do what your doctor says.” I cup his jaw, and he turns to press a kiss on my palm. A shiver rolls through me.
His dark eyes meet mine, and his lips curve into a smile against my palm, making me melt a little more. Kenz clears her throat, alerting us to footsteps coming down the hall. I drop my hand and mouth thank you to Kenz.
She winks at me as Nico’s mom comes back in. She stays for a little while, asking about school and talking about football and Nico’s recovery. How someone will have to help him with his books. Which I don’t think will be a problem.
When she leaves the room to run to the store to get more snacks, Kenz stands and stretches.
“Oof, those cookies and soda went right through me. I should be in the bathroom for ten to fifteen minutes at least.” She winks at me.
Nico chuckles. “You’re a good friend.”
“The best.” She arches an eyebrow at him. “I know you were her first best friend, but I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good.” Nico picks up my hand and kisses my knuckles.
“That’s my cue.” Kenz slides out the door and walks down the hallway.
“How was today really, sunshine?” Nico cups the side of my neck and his eyes search mine. “Jack made two sweeps of my room. If my dad planted something, it either doesn’t work or he pulled it.”
I release my breath. “It was a long day.”
“Have you heard from her?” His eyes narrow.
I shake my head. He means my mom. My constant presence. Even when she was working, she was there for me.
“It’s not forever, sunshine.” He presses his forehead to mine and more tension eases from me. “She’ll be back.”
“I know.” A tear escapes, and suddenly my throat thickens.
Nico captures my tear and sighs. “It’s hard right now. But we’ll make it through this. We’re not alone.”
He pulls me into his arms, and I hug him with my head on his shoulder, breathing him in. We’re not alone anymore. He and I have this family in Caden, Luke, Jack, and Eli. They’ve let me in, and I’ve let them in.
There’s nothing that could come between us now. Nico and I just hold each other for however long Kenz is gone.
Kenz coughs loudly outside the door.
“You can come in, Kenz.” Nico laughs. “As long as you’re okay with hugging.”
“As long as clothes haven’t come off...” Kenz comes in with a smile. “Dammit, I was hoping for clothes to come off.”
I shake my head and sit back on the bed. Nico traces the edge of my jaw.
“We brought you your homework that wasn’t online.” Kenz sits in the chair and swivels it. “We’ve got an hour to kill before the guys get off football practice.”
“We could play a game of cards?” Nico offers. He gestures to his desk. “Top right drawer.”
Kenz pulls out a pack of cards. I stand.
“I need to use the bathroom.” I glance between them.
“We’ll be good, H. Do your thing.” Kenz grins and shuffles the cards from hand to hand. “I won’t win all your boyfriend’s money.”
I shake my head as I slip into the attached bathroom. When I get in there, I get a buzz on my phone. I forgot to check what the earlier text was.
I pull out my phone, and the most recent text is from Penny.
Penny:
Tomorrow night
I swallow. That’s when Sidney wants to come over to Luke’s. We haven’t really decided how we’re doing this, but I’m not fucking in front of her. She doesn’t get any more of him than she’s already taken.
Me:
Thanks
I don’t know what else to do with that. The other one is an image from an unknown phone number. I open it. It’s a picture of Jack lying beside Emma on a girl’s bed. They’re facing each other but not touching.
The clothes he’s wearing are the ones from the day he went over to check on her.
She’d been assaulted, and if I take Jack at his word, she’s his friend.
I would do this with Kenz. So while I don’t want to jump to any conclusions.
I need to figure this out, but we also need to find out where this came from.
I text the group chat with the number the picture was sent from and the picture.
Me:
Someone’s trying to stir trouble