Page 42 of Never Have I Ever
Fuck this. I close my eyes and try to calm myself down. I can’t get expelled. I need that money.
He laughs. “You know, I can be so kind. She’ll be screaming underneath me in no time. She won’t even see it coming.”
That’s it. I can’t fucking stand here and listen to this bullshit. I stride towards him, but Aiden beats me to it, pinning him against the wall. “Say that again. I dare you.”
“Aiden, what the fuck.” I pull him off of Ben. He doesn’t have money like my parents do. He can’t get out of this.
“I’m not going to let that asshole say that shit.”
I don’t know whether to thank him or punch him. He stood up for Rosie, but he also risked his future here.
I turn to look at Ben, and he’s got a scowl on his face, breathing hard. “You stay away from Rosie, or I will fucking kill you myself.”
“Fuck you,” he spits out. “That bitch isn’t worth it,” he says before he and the other two dicks, who follow him around, leave the gym.
“What the fuck was that?” I ask Aiden once they’re gone.
He shakes his head. “I hate motherfuckers who speak about women like that,” he says, running a towel down his face and cleaning up the sweat.
“You could have gotten suspended. Or expelled,” I tell him.
He breathes out like he just realized that. “Fuck.”
My phone lights up on the bench beside me, and I pick it up.
Brent: I’m here.
“I’ve got to go,” I say, looking up at Aiden. “Are you going to be ok?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “Go. It’s fine.” He stands up from the bench, walking over to the treadmills. “I’m gonna do lower body. Calm myself down.”
I nod, pick up the duffle bag, and walk out the door. Telling Aiden about Rosalie was a mistake, even if he protected her from that asshole. I needed a second opinion, but I didn’t need someone else to cockblock me. I’ve been doing that just fine. I know I can’t go there with her, I know that, but now he’s suggesting I stay away from her completely? I can’t do that.
No matter how hard it is for me to keep things friendly between us, I want to keep seeing her; I want to help her.
I see Brent leaning against the wall outside the gym. He’s looking around, panicking while he’s got a joint in his hand. He’s paranoid; I can see it in his face, the way he keeps looking around him. If he doesn’t calm down, he’s going to call attention to himself.
The closer I get to him, the more I can smell it. The smell hits me like a brick, and I tense. I hate the smell of pot, and it’s everywhere I turn. He sees me approaching and walks toward me.
He lifts his head in greeting when he approaches me, but he keeps looking behind his shoulder.
“Could you be any more obvious?” I snap between clenched teeth. I take it out of my duffle bag and hand it to him.
In a second, there’s a waft of cash shoved in my hand as he hurries away.
I start to count the cash, making sure he didn’t stiff me this time.
“Hey…oh.”
My head snaps up at the familiar voice. She’s walking away. Her head is down as her feet rush away from me. I don’t give a fuck about the money right now. I shove it inside the bag and head towards her.
“Hey, wait up.”
She looks behind her shoulder and stops at the sight of me. She slowly turns around as I get closer to her.
“Hi,” I breathe out when I get to her. “Were you running away from me, angel?”
“Hey,” she says quietly. “I’m sorry I interrupted you. I didn’t…” She tucks her hair behind her hair before leaning in. She's on her toes and still can't reach me. I'm taller than her, so I give her a hand and lean down until her mouth is resting next to my ear. “Was that a drug deal?” she asks.
