Page 45 of The Comeback

“I love Abby.” His statement slams me in the gut releasing a strange anger that spreads through my limbs until my arm is itching to swing at him.

He actually has the audacity to laugh at me as he shakes his head, but there’s a bitter edge to it. “Not in the way that’s making steam come out of your ears. She’s one of my best friends, and I won’t let you hurt her. Again.”

So he knows the story of our past. Not surprising if they’re that close. “You’re not like…into her?” I have to ask the question in spite of his words. Even though everything inside me tightens up at the thought maybe it would be better if he was. She’d be better off with him and away from me and my messed up family.

His eyes drift up to the ceiling and I spot the lie. “It doesn’t matter if I am. She’s never returned those feelings, and she’s never going to.” There’s steel in his gaze when he brings it back to me. “She does have feelings for you, though, and I’m not going to stand by and watch you destroy her.”

I slump back in my seat in defeat, swiping a hand through my hair. “I can’t…I don’t…I don’t want her involved in this situation. I care about her too much.” I point to my bruised eye. He doesn’t need to know the details. Most of my teammates don’t even know where this came from. They assumed I got in a fight and I went along with it. After a year of brushing off their offers of help and avoiding their sympathetic looks, I’ve gotten good at lying to them. Not something to be proud of.

“You at least owe her the truth. She thinks it’s her. She’s the most amazing freaking human and she thinks she’s unlovable. All because of a bunch of stupid high school bullshit that you instigated.”

I let him throw the blame down at my feet. It’s a constant weight on my shoulders, but I deserve it. My scalp is burning I’m tugging my hair so hard.

I drag my head away from my hands to meet his piercing blue eyes. They’re pinched at the corners as he stares me down. I’m pretty good at intimidating opponents on and off the ice, but not him. He doesn’t waver. “She’s better off without me.”

His hot breath washes across my face as he leans in to get right up in my face. “Then you better fucking man up and tell her the reasons. You broke her heart before. Don’t do it again. At the very least you owe her the truth.”

The chair clatters to the ground he stands up so fast storming off.

The din of voices in the big hall quiets at his showy departure. I slump back in my seat and squeeze my eyes shut to avoid the attention and to generally block out the world. Asshole is right. I am the problem, and I need to fix this.

I knew we’d both get burned if I let myself give in to the temptation, but I did it anyway, and now look where I am.

Chapter 35

Abby

Roughbarkdigsintomy palm as I skid to a halt slamming my hand into the leafless maple that towers near the entrance to Montgomery Hall.

Five years vanish in the span of seconds and it’s like I’m back there again. Back to that ugly industrial hallway with the turquoise and orange painted lockers. Back to the last time he made me feel like this. The time I swore off jocks in general and that asshole in particular.

I can't believe I fell for it again. I'm losing the battle with the angry tears that are doing their best to escape. How did I let this happen? I swore I would never let a guy make me feel that way again. And here I am right back in the same place as I was in Junior year of high school, and thanks to the same guy no less.

My stomach is churning as I climb the big stone steps that lead to Bennett High. An elbow lands in my side causing me to stumble as a couple of the jocks goof off shoving each other with zero regard for the other students trying to get through the heavy front door.

Instead of a sorry, there's a chuckle from the guy who slammed into me. I'm nobody in this place, which is fine by me. Invisibility lends a certain amount of protection in high school. I've got my small group of music nerds that I hang out with, and try to avoid the other elements.

My fingers tighten around the worn black notebook I've got clutched to my chest as I pass through the front doors scanning the crowd for any of my friends. There's safety in numbers.

I glance at the piece of paper in my hands with a sigh. Locker 278. Fine. I can do this. Progress through the crowd of students catching up after summer break is slow. There are lots of hugs, air kisses, and loud laughter.

I'm staring down at the piece of paper again when I hear a voice that sounds familiar. Deeper, sure, but there's something to the tone that tickles a place in my heart, taking me back a few years. I miss those carefree days of childhood when summers were spent running around in the sun playing tag and hopping from yard to yard.

It can't possibly be him, right? I haven't heard from him in two years. Not since that last day. My hand strays up to my lips as if I can feel the kiss lingering there still. But then he left. He changed schools and we lost contact. I did try at first. We texted a few times. I offered to meet him, but he got more and more distant. Fading into the past with those childish games we used to play.

I finally drag together the courage to look up. My eyes have to travel up a lot farther than they used to but when I make it past the thick thighs encased in denim, and ripples of new muscles lining his athletic body I make it to the face. Same chocolate brown eyes peering out of a more chiseled face. His jawline looks sharper, and there's something in his eyes I don't recognize. The shadows in their depths are deeper, darker. But it's him. Here.

My heart pounds and my head is swirling as I step toward him. "Bastian!"

His eyes widen in surprise for a brief moment before they harden. "Are you talking to me?"

I pull back a bit, confused. Does he not recognize me? I haven't changed that much. "Bastian, it's me, Abby." My lips curve in a tentative smile. I'm a little unsure now after the lukewarm reception.

His eyes are cold. "Ah yeah. You're that music nerd from Solomon. Can I help you with something?"

His words are like a blow to the stomach leaving me breathless as if all the air has been sucked from my lungs.

"I just thought..." The words falter on my tongue.

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