Page 86 of Unsteady

Sadie spins, her ear to her phone and a panicked look in her wide gray eyes as she takes me in—and for some reason, my presence seems to make her more upset. It feels like a kick to the gut. She spins away, marching in a little pattern as she continues to dial and redial someone.

Luc sighs, and nods towards me—like we're friends.

Which is fine, unless he’s sleeping with Sadie, and then I think I’d like to knock him on his ass.

He walks to stand next to me, about my height and build—an athlete through and through, which somehow makes me more infuriated with him, despite having never spoken to the man before.

Shoving a hand through his jet black hair, he cocks his head towards me, while I refuse to take my eyes off the pacing angry figure skater in front of us, wishing I could dosomething.

“Rhys, yeah?”

I nod, clenching my jaw a little while Freddy’s voice rings in my ears.Has trouble staying with skating partners and not sleeping with them. I think he and Sadie used to be a thing.

“Luc.” He looks over at Sadie again. Another possessive urge to rip his eyes out rolls through me, but I manage to hold onto my sanity. “This is ridiculous. She shouldn’t be this scared to miss practice.”

“What’s happening?”

He starts to speak, but stops.

Sadie shoves her phone into her back pocket and spins with a little shriek, kicking at the ground hard enough that both Luc and myself jump forward like we can stop her.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, suddenly feeling like I’m intruding and hating every second. It’s hard to swallow; harder not to reach for her.

“Rhys, please, I can’t do this with you right now.” She dismisses me, her hand waving as she curses and redials on her phone again. “Where is she?”

“Relax, Sadie—just miss the fucking practice,” Luc says as he steps closer to her and I feel a little sick. “He can’t—”

“Hecan. And it doesn’t matter—if I miss, then by the school standards I could lose my scholarship.”

Swallowing down the doubt aching against my skin, I step forward again, tightening my hand on the strap of my backpack. “Can I help?”

“Rhys.” She sighs, looking a little like a volcano about to erupt. “Please, I—”

“I know,” I cut her off, stepping closer until my shoulder lightly pushes Luc out of our little bubble. She starts to soften just under my gaze, enough that I dare to touch her, reaching out and grabbing her hand, rubbing circles into the skin of her palm. “Just tell me how I can help you, Gray. Fuck—I hate seeing you look like you’re about to panic.”

Growing bolder with her, I release her hand and grasp her chin lightly, tilting her eyes to mine, heart aching at the hopeless, frightened look in her eyes.

“Tell me.”

She melts into my hand and nods, and part of me—the very ridiculously male part of my brain wants to look at Luc now and smirk at him, display her in my arms as if to saySee? She’s only soft for me. I’m the one she comes to—not you. But I manage to keep my attention on her.

“My brothers are home from school—and my neighbor usually watches them.” I nod as she whispers everything to me, never letting go of my gentle grip on her chin. “A-and Aurora should be home, but she’s not answering her phone, and I can’t miss my practice—”

“You need me to get your brothers?” I nod. “And take them where?”

“It’s fine.” She jerks back, immediately defensive of the help being offered. “No, I just—”

“Sadie,” I say a little firmer, hardening my tone. “I know where your house is, I remember it. Where do I need to take them?”

Her eyes line with tears, but she doesn’t let one of them free as she nods to me. “Okay, yeah. Just… Can you bring them to the dorms? Rora’s probably napping between her classes. Just—yeah. I’ll give you her number and she can pick them up outside the dorms.”

I nod, and let her take my phone to input Aurora’s number. “Now, just go—”

She hesitates, even as Luc picks up her bag from the ground and waits for her. “Rhys—”

“I know…” I swallow down every word I want to say and offer her one of my masked smiles. “It changes nothing. Doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. Okay, Gray?”

She bites down on her lip hard, nodding her head even as her eyes refuse to stop scanning over my form. “Okay, Rhys.”

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