Page 97 of Talk Nerdy To Me
Chapter 29
BRITT
“What the hell happened to your hand?” is a very startling question to hear when you think you’re alone in the copying room.
I whirl around to find Base’s stare on my cast, lips parted like he’s not finished asking that question.
“I fell and it was stepped on by mistake,” I tell him dismissively as I try to hide it a little behind me.
I’m not entirely sure about the lie Dane told him; I’m just glad he agreed not to tell anyone the truth. Even I know everyone will misplace blame, and it seems like a lot of trouble for my own personal decision.
“Krysta cool?” Sticks asks as he pokes his head in. “She’s not answering any calls.”
“Krysta decided she wasn’t much of a road-trip groupie, and she’s happily deep-sea fishing with the local rowing team to see if that’s her new kind of man,” Ruby says as she pushes into the room. “Don’t take it personally.”
Sticks’s smile falls a little, and I almost want to tell him that’s a lie. But Ruby’s the one lying, and that feels like a betrayal to her. I really don’t understand people, but since my brother is lying to spare Base, per my request, I have no right to judge.
Things really can get complicated fast.
“I see the party is in the copy room,” Harley says as she needles her way through, eyes my cast quickly, and moves along.
“Who stepped on your hand?” Base pries, trying to move closer. “And when? Is that why you really left? Because I find it hard to believe you left because you got your period, and your brother just happened to be close by. I thought maybe he’d just shown up and snatched you because he’s way too overbearing like that. Hard to tell, since you haven’t answered your phone.”
Dane is a terrible liar. Why would he use my period in his lie? He can’t even handle me mentioning my menstrual cycle. He physically cringes every time I have to bring it up.
Base finally shakes his head when I stutter, and he closes his eyes almost as though he’s mad, while scrubbing a hand over his face. I’ve never been good at lying.
“I didn’t want you to miss your important stuff. Crowd control isn’t managed well there. It’s a minor fracture,” I ramble on.
Sticks looks horrified. Base isn’t even looking at me.
“Dane was there because he was worried it might get ugly with so much going on in one night,” I finally confess on a very nervous breath.
Base just keeps his head turned, as Harley exhales harshly.
“It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Let’s not make it a bigger deal than it has to be,” Harley says, even though I overheard her using her fierce tone when she called the club first thing this morning when she saw my cast.
“You said you’d be ready twenty minutes ago. Can we please get out of here?” Ruby asks Harley.
“So that’s why the cold shoulder the past two days?” Base asks me, cutting between them as they both dart a glance at me on their way through the door.
“I sent texts,” I tell him as I start walking out.
“Very limited words on the texts. Something you were instructed to do?” he asks as he follows me.
“No. I’ve just been thinking, and I assumed we’d talk face to face eventually.”
“Eventually is here. Why didn’t you tell me you got hurt?” he asks as he lifts my cast in his hand.
“That’s not what I wanted to talk about,” I say as I turn to face him.
His eyebrows go up, and I exhale heavily as I stop in front of him.
“I think it’s best if you and I stay friends,” I tell him, causing a lot of surprise to form in his eyes. “You’re leaving in a few months, and you won’t have sex with me because you don’t think I’m emotionally capable of losing my virginity without feelings. But the truth is, I don’t want those feelings. I’m too young to risk falling in love. You and I have very different life courses, life experiences, social circles, and life plans.”
His expressions shut down completely as he backs against the railing.
“It could have been fun, but it was already getting complicated because we know too many of the same people. I’ve looked over all the lists I’ve made, and we aren’t a good statistic for a probable future.”
