Page 74 of Call the Shots
His gaze hardened but his smile remained. “What? You like June?” he taunted. “You think you have a chance with her? You wouldn’t be in the same fucking astral plane if I didn’t accidentally put you in the same dorm. You think she’d take a two-second look at you in the real world?”
That was enough. I learned what I came for. June was right all along, and it wasn’t a surprise having that confirmed. I’d known for a while. I’d just been in denial over it, hoping against reason. Taking out my frustration on her because of it.
Fuck, I felt sick.
“Don’t you walk away from me—” Xavier threatened, following me to the outside gardens.
“I don’t want to do anything I’ll regret,” I said. “We’re family and?—”
“We’re not fucking family, Bear,” Xavier hissed, and I turned back to see him, spitting every word. “Your dad married my mom, that’s the extent of how we know each other.”
“You know why I transferred? Because I thought you and I could?—”
“You transferred because you’re a moron who trusted the wrong person and now your dick is on the fucking internet!”
“You’re a fucking asshole.”
“And you’re a roach in her dorm,” he retorted, dripping venom. “If she wanted to make Gangbang June come true, you’d be the guy cleaning up afterwards?—”
His words stuttered when I swung my fist, a clean hit to the jaw. Xavier crashed into the wall of the art school. People poured out from the event, his friends racing over to see if he needed help.
I ground my back teeth. “I told you what would happen if you called her that again.”
The noise returned, everyone panicking over him, and I left, hands shoved in my pockets. Xavier screamed threats but I didn’t bother looking back.
I just kept walking.
I didn’t stopuntil I came to my dorm. There wasn’t peace and quiet to be found. Fridge and Montoya were in the kitchen with June, baking something. June had her blonde hair twisted in a bun, flour smeared up her arms while she rolled dough on the counter. Seeing her was as big of a punch as the one I gave Xavier, and I passed by with barely a nod.
“We’re making treat bags for professors!” Montoya said cheerfully.
“And dishes for you to clean,” June added.
I threw a thumbs-up sign and closed my door behind me. My call sent me to his voicemail, same as always.
“This is Warren Hodges. Leave a message.”
I shifted my stance, trying to figure out what to say to my dad but I couldn’t come up with anything. In the end, I cut the call short and laid on my bed. I had a gaming session with my cousins later but until then, I grabbed my Boston Bulldogs cap from the nightstand, trying to push down the emptiness that swallowed me whole.
There were voices in the kitchen.
“Montoya?” June asked, her voice low.
“Yeah?”
“Go talk to Bear.”
“What? Why?”
There was silence but I had no doubt June was gesturing to the door. Before Montoya’s knock finished, I caught the hat midair. “I’m fine, Montoya.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” I caught it again. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
CHAPTER 29
JUNE
