Chapter Thirty Three #2
“Isn’t it? I could have been home hours before school ended.
I would have dropped out months before if I’d known how sick she was.
” I press my lips together, not knowing what to say.
I had no idea he was withholding so much of himself, crushing it all inside.
Guilt rages inside my being, and apparently Thi can see it written all over my face.
“So maybe I’m on some crusade to save you.
Maybe sitting with you in the hospital was a form of therapy for me too, and maybe I’m too intense with wanting to know your favorite takeout order and clothing size.
But I’m not confused in my feelings for you, Amorzinha.
This whole time you think I’ve been saving you, you’ve been saving me too.
I’ll give you all of me because I can, and I don’t need much in return.
Your smile, your small laugh. Knowing you’re alive and safe. ”
Focusing on keeping my lungs working, my chest rises and falls heavily. I wanted to know more about Thiago, and now I do, I’ve fallen for him all the more. Although, that doesn’t change the fact that I have no idea who I am, even how I’m getting through each day without crumbling.
“I might end up hurting you,” I admit quietly since we’re being honest. At least if I say it out loud, I’ll know I was upfront.
“Meg,” Thi tuts, and I get the vibe that he’s rolled his eyes. “I deal with risks and chances every day. I know when something is viable and when it’s a lost cause. Trust me, you’re a risk worth taking.”
“So romantic,” I force a smirk. “If hacking fails, you should go into hallmark cards.” Thi laughs too, the moment breaking and settling back into familiar territory. My heart warms at the sound.
“Noted. Now are you going to play a game with me or are you going to keep avoiding how shit at Runeborn you are?” Shaking my head, I reach forward for the mouse just as a knock sounds at the door. Shoving the cover aside and leaving it to pool onto the floor, I hold the mic to my lips.
“Hold that thought, takeout’s here. You’ll have to play whilst watching me eat.” Unplugging the headset, the unmuted soundtrack filters through the room as I race to the door, my stomach grumbling on cue. Except when I open it, there’s seemingly no one there, until I look down.
My brows almost touch, my eyes blinking in quick succession, not quite believing what I’m seeing.
Tense shoulders, rigid posture, deadened green eyes that peer up without really seeing me.
Still in his lacrosse jersey, his hands are fisted, causing veins to web across his forearms. Everest’s jaw tics, the column of his neck exposed due to his lowered position. On. His. Knees.
“What’s happening right now?” I ask, more to myself.
Did I accidentally inhale a hallucinogenic?
Do I have carbon monoxide poisoning? There’s no sharp, cutting remark ready on his tongue, no sense of control radiating off him.
Instead, he looks wrecked. Like an athlete torn down from his podium, his trophy snatched away and reputation set on fire.
For a moment, we just stare at each other, the quiet hallway stretching behind him.
“I’m out of options,” Everest croaks, his voice raw. I take a mini step back, physically shocked by what I’m both seeing and hearing. In all these years, I’ve never seen Everest crack. Not a hair out of place, not without a harsh retort ready to smoothly regain his control.
“I need you to play along,” he adds, quieter this time, and my reaction to that is just as severe as his first admission.
My mouth pops open, a heavy weight settling in my chest. Everest’s eyes don’t drop from mine, though I might as well be gazing into the void.
There’s no life anyway. “I need you to meet me halfway on this. Just—” He swallows, jaw ticking as if the next words physically pain him. “Just act the part. Please.”
I stare at him openly, searching his face for the angle, the manipulation, the carefully constructed lie he always uses to get what he wants. If it’s there, I can’t find it.
“Act the part?” I repeat slowly, my fingers sliding around the doorframe for support.
“You mean stand next to you, smile for the cameras, pretend I’m falling for you while your parents spin whatever narrative they want?
” My head tilts slightly, disbelief threading through every word.
If it’s even possible, Everest’s green eyes hollow out even further.
“Yes,” he nods. “I’m trying to protect you too.” My face relaxes at that, the grip on the doorframe loosening so I can fold my arms. His audacity almost makes me laugh.
“Oh, this ought to be good. How in the hell are you protecting me, Everest?”
Dragging a hand through his lengthy blond hair, he exhales slowly. A trace of venom returns to his expression, his pale complexion coloring with some humanity once more.
“Has the team been giving you shit? Have the police hounded you with pointless follow up questions? Have you had a single camera shoved in your face that hasn’t been pre-planned? I’m doing my best here.”
My mouth pops open, any quick retort fizzling out.
Everest has done all of that for me? He’s been…
protecting me? I raise a brow, staring directly at him until the following silence cements his confession.
He’s not lying, so I’m left with one of two bigger questions.
The why, and the how am I so oblivious to those moving pieces of my life around like a chess board.
I don’t get a chance to ask either, because the door along from mine creaks open, the intrusion cutting through whatever fragile, disorienting moment Everest and I have stumbled into.
My attention snapping upwards, looking over Everest’s head in time to catch Reid stepping out into the hallway, his presence as invasive as ever.
Another tattered pair of overalls hang from his once-white T-shirt, a rolled joint tucked behind his ear.
He pauses as soon as he registers that he’s not alone.
His stormy-gray eyes flick between us, taking in the entire scene in a split second.
I note how Everest’s head hangs, his eyes fixed on the floor. There’s a bunch to his shoulders, a mix of irritation and shame oozing from him. It doesn’t matter that he doesn’t even know Reid, only that there’s a second witness to his downfall.
“Nothing to see here,” I state, flicking my hand dismissively.
Reid stalls, and for a split second, I think he might say something.
There’s a flicker of confusion in the slight parting of his lips, in the way his head tilts.
His gaze drifts to Everest’s back, outlining the number one with his observant eyes.
Whatever Reid is thinking is suddenly dismissed with the twist of his ankle, his worn sneakers barely making a sound as he strides down the hall and disappears into the stairwell.
I audibly hear Everest exhale in relief.
Back to the problem at hand. AKA, selling my soul to the devil to appease his parents and maintain the protection he’s apparently been supplying without my knowledge.
Rolling my tongue over my teeth, I drink in the sight of Everest at my feet, knowing it’ll be the first and only time I get to enjoy it.
Maybe that makes me a bitch or a sadist, but I defy any woman to witness the downfall of her rival and not feel the slightest twinge of pride.
However, it’s quickly chased away by the fact that I simply feel sorry for him.
Apparently, so does Thiago.
“Come on, Meg. Put the poor guy out of his misery. He looks pathetic.” His voice sounds through my computer speakers.
I press my lips together to withhold a grin as Everest’s shoulders slump even further, as if he’s attempting to be swallowed by the floor.
Yeah, maybe I should have given him a heads up that there is, in fact, a third observer present.
“Fine,” I roll my eyes. “Consider this my agreement to play along for one semester only. You have until Christmas break to sort out whatever shit your parents are blackmailing you with, or find another girl to take my place.” Everest blinks up at me, relief washing over his features.
He nods, accepting my terms. I glance away from his raw expression, figuring Everest has been vulnerable enough for one night.
Just then, a man in a helmet and biker gear appears to hand me the box of takeout over Everest’s head like it’s a normal delivery for him.
The smell alone is almost enough to take out my knees.
“I'll see you in the morning,” I vaguely call back to Everest, my foot already kicking the door shut. I don’t hear movement right away, and I figure Everest needs a moment to compose himself before heading back to his frat house, overflowing with meat-head jocks and enough girls for them all to share.
It’s no wonder his parents want to control who he’s seen with in the media.
I hope Everest is skipping back home, freaking elated that I’ve agreed to this farce for the next three months and buying him time to get his affairs in order.
Then I’m done with it all. The team, the bargains.
Come New Year, I’m going to know exactly who I am and what I want. Mark my words.