CODY
My edginess had no limit. Neither did my jealous insecurity. Blake was talking to Skylar again and too close. Much too close. Like it wasn’t bad enough he’d had her all weekend, while I was stuck in my house waiting for her to call me back.
I joined them at her locker, wrapped a possessive arm around her. She’d been pulling away from me, physically and emotionally. She’d shift slightly when I touched her, and she didn’t return any of my affection. All through lunch she watched me like she wanted to say something but wouldn’t. A thousand emotions played with my head until one horrifying thought slammed into my chest—she was going to leave me. No. I couldn’t even think about it.
“Blake.” My terse greeting was met with challenging eyes. Ones I held with the same disdain.
“You missed a great weekend.” His expression softened as he turned to Skylar making the knot in my gut tighten. “Ms. Skylar is quite the laser tag queen.”
Skylar’s cheeks flushed under his stare. “My dad’s trained me well.”
“Chugger has a huge piece of land. I bet you you’d be killer at paint ball.” His smile deepened and was the final end to my wavering patience.
“Like she wants to be surrounded by a bunch of drunks with weapons.” My harsh sarcasm didn’t deter him but made Skylar tense under my arm.
“Skylar’s a big girl. She doesn’t need you making choices for her.” His voice was so calm; it masked the storm that would come from his next words. “Besides. I don’t recall you minding so much when Lindsay played with us. But, then again, that was before your long, dark, ride home this summer, wasn’t it?”
Adrenaline pumped into my bloodstream. With only two feet between us, I took a step forward, every muscle ready. “Don’t say another word.”
Blake didn’t flinch. He closed the gap, and we stood nose to nose. The air was saturated with violence. I longed to hit him. He was itching to hit me.
But, instead of contact, he backed away with his arms in the air like a man surrendering. “You better check that temper of yours, St. James. People will start to think you’re a bully.” He winked at Skylar and my hand curled. “Whenever you’re up for some fun, you just let me know.”
He walked away, but the fury wouldn’t leave with him. I had to hit something, do something now. I felt the rage spread, just like it had after they left me weeping on the bathroom floor, and after I saw the dollar bills fall out of Lindsay’s locker.
I raked a hand through my hair and paced, but the pounding fury wouldn’t stop.
“Cody?” Skylar’s simple touch seared my skin.
I was going to lose it and right in front of her. I held my breath, fought for some kind of control. “You should get to class. Don’t you have a test?” I wanted her to leave, but she didn’t. She just stood there, waiting for me to fall apart. “Skylar, I need some space. Please.” I focused on sucking air and blowing it out.
“What is happening to you?” Her plea was my undoing.
My body was pure anger. It beat at my lungs, pulsed in my throat and my target became the one person I swore I’d never hurt. “I am so sick of everyone thinking Blake’s a god, okay? I’m sick of you eating with him and acting like he isn’t scum. I’m sick that you spent the weekend with him and didn’t return my calls. You want to know what’s bothering me? Fine. You are. I’ve given everything up for you! And you can’t even give me the courtesy of leaving me alone when I ask you to.”
I slammed my palms on the locker, bent over and blew out a breath with the last of my rage. As soon as it had its release, I wanted to pull back every word, lock them away and beg her forgiveness.
“I’m sorry.” Her words sliced me open because they were shaky and so wrapped in hurt that a thousand apologies wouldn’t make a dent.
I stepped forward and she backed away, her hand raised in a warning to stay back.
“Skylar, wait. I didn’t mean any of that.”
She kept walking backwards.
“Skylar.”
Nothing.
I stared until she disappeared, moving only when Henry walked up to me. I’d barely recognized him at first. Long gone were the glasses, and he must have bought out The Buckle. His life was on the fast track, while mine was spiraling out of control. But that was Blake’s game—making others rise to glory or tumble off the pedestal. He was the puppet master.
Eyebrows pinched, the hard line of Henry’s mouth said I was about to get an earful. “Are you trying to hurt her?”
I eyed his expensive clothes and the highlighted tips in his hair. Thought about how he set me up with Lindsay’s naked picture. “Don’t lecture me. You sold out.”
He crossed his arms. “Yeah? Like you last year? Like when you lied to Principal Rayburn about Blake cheating? When you let me take the fall so Blake could compete at state?”
Shame mixed with my already unsteady emotions. He must have seen it because he took an aggressive step forward.
“Where was all this conviction then? Or am I not blond enough for you?”
Once again, fury blinded me and, before I could register my actions, I had his shirt in my fist and his back against the locker.
Henry was inches shorter than I was and weighed as much as a feather, but his eyes carried the fierceness of a warrior. “What are you going to do? Beat me up like you did that poor sucker last week?”
His words stunned me out of my combative haze. I released him, backed away and tried to still my shaking hands.
He pulled his shirt straight and picked up the books he’d dropped in our shuffle. “I saw an opportunity and took it. Just like you. And a hundred Lindsays won’t change the fact that you sold out too.”
*
I was finishing my warm-up mile when Coach called my name. “Cody. My office, now.” The team snickered as I jogged off the track.
My neck muscles were wound so tight I could barely move them. Skylar, Blake, Henry. I was a sizzling pot of aggressive energy with nowhere to release.
I shut the door to Coach’s office and stood opposite his desk with my hands laced behind my back.
“I’m going to give captain to Blake today. I just wanted to let you know.”
No, no, no! Fire pounded in my ears and burned down my cheeks and back. “Please, Coach, give me another chance.”
“How many chances do you think you get? First, you skip school, then you attack Blake during practice. Next, you’re suspended for fighting and miss the biggest individual event of the season.” His fist pounded the desk. “You could have won.”
I flinched at his words. At my own regret. I’d lost the respect of the team, the school and my coaches. I was losing Skylar, too.
“I heard this was about a girl, Blake’s ex.” He shook his head. “It’s bad form to date a teammate’s ex, Cody, and this is why. Combine teenage hormones with jealousy, and they become a raging inferno that ruins any chances for victory.”
My head dropped. Would the lies ever stop? “Sir, I promise, this isn’t about a girl. It’s about me freeing myself from Blake’s control.”
He placed his elbows on the desk and leaned forward. “If that’s the case, then why are you the one going around punching everyone and getting suspended?”
Because I’m an idiot who played right into Blake’s manipulative hands.
“It won’t happen again, sir. You have my word.”
“Your word doesn’t mean a whole lot right now.”
The weight of his comment ripped through my heart, sliding down to take root among my growing list of failures. How did I even respond to that?
Forcing myself to stand straight, I met his eyes. “I will respect your decision even if I don’t agree with it.” Even if it tore apart my last shred of hope.
Coach paused, watching me with skepticism. His fingers stroked his chin, but he didn’t respond, simply pointed to the door to excuse me.
I won every match that afternoon, and at the end when Coach pulled us in for our dismissal, I braced myself for the announcement he warned was coming. Only it never came. Instead, we were released to the lockers with a reminder that Saturday’s match would be our hardest this season, and he expected every one of us in this gym to be giving one hundred percent the rest of the week.
I hung back while the others jogged to the locker room, my eyes searching Coach’s for an explanation.
“Don’t make me regret this decision,” was all he said before walking off.
I sucked in air, closed my eyes and exhaled a current of relief and gratitude.
Finally, a victory.