Chapter 21 Trey
Trey
I round the corner just in time to see her disappear.
Silver-blonde hair, moving fast. Gone before I can call out, before I can even be sure it was her. But I know. Something in my chest knows.
Harrick and Silas are standing in the middle of the path, watching the spot where she vanished. Harrick’s laughing. Silas looks like he just scraped something off his shoe.
“Was that—”
“Does it matter?” Harrick cuts me off.
Silas’s expression flattens. “You know exactly who it was.”
I look at where she disappeared. Back at them.
“Nova.”
“Of course.” Harrick grins. “The little misfit finally figured out where she belongs.”
My hands curl into fists.
“You didn’t.”
Silas raises an eyebrow. Doesn’t answer.
“Tell me you fucking didn’t.”
Harrick laughs, loud and easy like this is all a joke. “Chill out, man. What’s it to you?”
Silas tilts his head. Studies me. “Oh, that’s right. She’s your little girlfriend now, isn’t she? Did you forget to mention that to us?”
Harrick howls. “Holy shit. This is a joke, right? You can’t be serious.”
“Enough.”
The word comes out harder than I mean it to. Harrick’s laughter dies. Silas just watches me, that same flat expression, like he’s waiting to see what I’ll do.
“What, Trey?” His voice is soft. Almost amused. “You can dish it out but you can’t take it?”
“That’s not—”
“What are you going to do? Huff and puff?” He steps closer. “You’ve been right here with us plenty of times. Don’t pretend you’re better than this.”
My jaw tightens. He’s not wrong. I’ve stood next to them. Laughed at the same shit. Looked the other way when I should have looked closer.
But this is different.
“Don’t fucking tempt me.”
Harrick snorts. “You don’t have the balls anyway.”
I’m done.
“Where the hell did she go?”
Harrick shrugs. “Who knows? Who cares? She’s fucking gone. That’s all that matters.”
“No.”
Silence. Silas’s eyes narrow.
“If you’re so concerned,” he says slowly, “go after her.”
He lets that sit.
“But if you do, you can kiss that internship with my father goodbye. You know the one. The one that’s going to set you up after graduation.” He smiles. “You really want to throw that away for some broken girl who doesn’t even have a mark?”
I stare at him.
Two years. Two years of swallowing shit I didn’t agree with because I needed what his family could offer. Two years of telling myself it was temporary, that I’d get out eventually, that the ends justified the means.
Two years of being exactly the kind of person who’d let Nova run off alone after they made her cry.
“You know what?”
Silas waits.
“Tell your father to go fuck himself.”
Harrick’s mouth drops open.
“Stay the fuck away from her. Both of you.”
Harrick scoffs. “And if we don’t?”
“Then the scholarship won’t be the only thing I’m willing to lose.”
I turn and walk. Then run.
I don’t know where she went. I don’t know if I can find her. I don’t know what I’m going to say if I do.
But I’m not letting her stay gone.