Page 81 of Weak Side

My heart completely descended to my feet, and my lungs burned for oxygen. It took entirely too long for me to suck in a sharp breath, and when I did, it felt like a punch to my lower stomach. My hand immediately went to it, and I wanted to double over, but instead, I spoke with conviction.

“No, you’re not,” I argued, looking him up and down and spying his fancy leather shoes and nicely pressed suit. Even his cane looked expensive, and it was a slap to the face. With every hardship my mother and I had faced, every late bill or red notice taped to our door, I blamed him. And to see this man, standing in front of me, with his expensive taste and eyes set on Theo, I refused to believe it.

“I am,” he whispered gently.

“He is, Claire.”

Although Theo’s agreement was smooth and steady, it still made me jump. My eyes were beginning to gloss over as I stared at him with confusion.

My voice broke in all the wrong spots as surprise pulled me into the deep end. “You knew?”

I suddenly understood what real betrayal felt like.

It didn’t feel this potent when Chad had cheated on me. It didn’t feel this potent when Chad had threatened me, either. It didn’t even feel this potent when my mother had used the money I’d given her for something other than her bills.

This is what real heartbreak feels like.

“So, what?” I asked, my question teetering between anger and pain. Theo took a step toward me, but I stepped one back. “Is that how you got on a spot on his team? Was I some kind of trade or something? Lead him to me, and you get your dream?” I turned to Tom. “What do you even want from me? To come crawling back like my mother and I didn’t suffer from your departure?”

“Wait, what?” I’d never heard panic like I’d just heard come from Theo’s mouth. “You were not some kind of trade, Claire. I’d give up every last one of my dreams for you.”

Emotions were flooding me, and I would have been lying if I said I was adapted to deal with them. I hid from the hard stuff. I compartmentalized problems and feelings like they had no real ties to one another, but standing here, looking at two sets of eyes who were waiting for me to say something, I learned that I had two very serious problems on my hands and a few more waiting for me on the other side.

My fingers dug into my temples, and I cursed. “Ugh!” I pushed past both men and held my hand out to Theo. “Give me the dorm key.”

Theo reached into his pocket and handed me the key, staying in the exact spot that I’d left him. I rushed inside the room and slammed the door behind me. I was only in there for thirty seconds, and when I came back out, both men were glowering down the hall, apparently on the same playing field, and neither one of them looked over at me.

“Please move,” I said, trying my hardest to keep it together until I was alone. Tom scooted over, just far enough that I could slip between him and Theo, but again, he didn’t look over at me.

Theo did, though.

I felt him without even looking. I was overflowing with hurt and confusion, and if I thought I could stand there and look over at him as he stood beside a man who was apparently as shallow as they came, I would, but I knew the second I caught his eye, I’d feel the cut.

So, instead, I brushed past and ignored my name falling from his lips. I headed straight to the end of the hall with my car keys digging into the palm of my hand, helping me focus on the physical pain instead of the way my heart was slipping away.

“Claire, please. Just wait!”

“Oh now, come on. It was never supposed to last, Wolf.” My neck snapped at the sound of Chad’s voice, and I slammed on the brakes before I crashed head on. “Are you done messing around with him and ready to stop playing the game?”

My blood pressure shot through the roof, and I glossed over the thought of jamming my keys into Chad’s glasses to shatter them.

“You know what?” I said, surprised at how level my voice was. Chad’s eyebrows hitched upward at the bitterness coming from my mouth. He was still sporting the suit I saw him in at the masquerade party minus the girl hanging off his arm like an ornament. “I am done with the game.”

Chad’s smirk was as haughty as they came, and the power I felt while looking at the relief on his features was enough to leave a trail of fire behind as I left. But that power turned to something else entirely as I looked over my shoulder and saw Theo standing there, looking as tormented as they came. The smile that I watched for on the ice when he’d search the crowd for me had disappeared, and instead, his lips were flattened with the tiniest frown lines edged along his smooth face. His square jaw was slack, and his hands were down by his sides, and even though it felt like I’d reached inside my chest and pulled out my own heart, I allowed the hurt and betrayal of all three men in the hallway to back my next words.

“I’m done with all the games.” I made sure to stare right at Theo with my next sentiment. “We were never supposed to last anyway, right?” I briefly moved over to Tom, who was part of the reason why Theo and I even started our stupid fake relationship.

A moment later, I brushed past Chad, unable to care about his threat and blackmailing scheme. I suddenly didn’t care about anything anymore.

His hand landed on my arm at the last second, and I all but bared my teeth. My palm that had the tiniest drop of blood on it from my keys digging against my skin slapped over his wrist.

“Hands off.” I paused at the sound of Tom’s voice that vibrated with anger. “Now.”

Chad pulled back in confusion. He had no idea who Tom was to me.Was he truly my father?Regardless, Chad didn’t remove his hand. In fact, his grip got tighter.

“I will break your arm in half.” Theo was closer now, and the way goosebumps rushed to my skin didn’t go unnoticed by Chad. His eyes snapped to mine, and it was obvious he wasn’t happy, but before anything else could happen, I slipped my thumb underneath his fingers and peeled them back one by one.

Then, I descended down the stairs of Dorothy Hall and didn’t look back.

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