Page 62 of Chokehold
I punch my head again before shooting to my feet and walking down the street without direction. Well, that’s not true. I wipe tears from my eyes and dig my phone out of my pocket. Cole texted me an address and a time.
Gritting my teeth, I crush the phone in my hand and glance at the setting sun in the distance. A myriad of orange, pink, and purple streaks paint the sky. I shouldn’t let him chase me again. Why the hell should I play his games? My thoughts drift, and I bury my hands in my pockets.
With my eyes on my scuffed Chucks, I walk with my head down, kicking up rocks. I wonder what he’s doing now. Is he hiding under his bed again? I overheard his mom talking to my dad about it, who grumbled under his breath. It was the first time I wanted to bang my dad’s head against the wall. But I didn’t give it much thought back then. Dad was Dad, and I was used to his eye rolls and dismissive sighs. I never thought it was something…more.
After sliding my phone back out, I bring up Mia’s number.
Music drifts through the open window of a red sedan as my steps slow. I press the phone to my head, watching it drive past.
Mia answers on the third ring. “Blaise, where did you go? You ran out of the house and…” Her voice drifts into the distance as I watch a bird dip sideways in the mild breeze. “Blaise?”
I hang up, then lower my phone by my side.
I feel nothing for Mia. In fact, I could break up with her now and not care. What do I make of that? On the one hand, it’s safe.She can’t hurt me by slamming doors in my face. No, this storm inside me belongs solely to my infuriating stepbrother, as if he has laid a damn claim on my emotions.
I’ve lost my fucking compass.
Blowing out a tired sigh, I cut my gaze from the sky. Fuck this. I’ll give him one more fucking chance. Maybe it’s better to hurt than feel nothing at all? If he wants to cut me wide open with his games of hide and seek, who am I to stop him? It’s not like I have a choice.
I kick a rock before running a hand down my face. What am I doing?
My conflicting thoughts war the whole way there. Once I reach the abandoned train bridge, as per his instructions, I lean my elbows on the rusty railing and gaze out over the water. Undercurrents ripple the surface as the sun dips behind the fir trees in the distance.
The longer I wait, the more the burn in my chest intensifies. I clench my jaw and fix my gaze on the horizon.
He will show.
Hehasto show.
But he doesn’t.
Soon, darkness settles over the river, and the silvery moon rises in the sky, reflecting off the glassy surface. In the distance, a chorus of bird caws echoes off the water. I dip my chin to my chest and breathe through the throb behind my ribcage.
He shut the door on me again.
I’m done.
So fucking done.
He wants me to back off? Fine. He can have his damn wish. I don’t even know why the hell I tried to build a bridge in the first place. He confounds me.
“Blaise?” a voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I look up to see Jackson approach me on the bridge. “What are you doing here?” he asks.
His dark jeans hang low on his hips, and a sliver of skin shows when he scratches the back of his neck.
“I could ask you the same,” I reply, straightening up and leaning an elbow against the railing.
He chuckles and shrugs as he steps closer. I’ll admit that he’s a good-looking guy, and his red backward cap adds to his allure. The girls flock to him like flies to a pile of shit. But he’s not Cole, and that thought pisses me the fuck off.
“I got kicked off the football team,” he says, leaning beside me against the railing. “My dad didn’t take the news well.” He peers at me sideways, and I make no secret of studying his face. Why the fuck am I so hung up on Cole? I feel nothing for Mia and can’t even muster a spark of interest in Jackson.
“It’s fine,” he says, looking out across the water.
“You can punch me if you want,” I reply, and he looks back at me. “It might make you feel better.”
We stare at each other for a beat, and then he chuckles.
“Why are you here?” he asks.
