Page 98 of Steeling Her
“Misunderstanding? Are you kidding me?” I look down at my doe eyed sister. Scared by what could happen.
“Haley, wait outside,” we simultaneously order her. I meet his eyes once again. She stays where she is for a few more moments then picks up her feet to leave out the door. Both of us hold our stares. The door shuts and TJ launches verbally at me.
“Look, I get you’re pissed, but I have strong feelings for her, Nick. I always have. Ask your mom, she could read me like one of Ellie’s books.” He chuckles a little, but I remain stone cold.
“How long?” I swallow, knowing the answer based on an educated guess.
“Since we first met.” I blink in surprise. I thought it was just at the beginning of the college year. I step back out of his space. Putting distance between us. I scrub my face with my sweating hands.
Since they first met?
“You liked her since she was five?” I whisper to myself, trying to piece it all together.
“No,” he states firmly and I ball my fists. I may be fighting with my sister, but I will beat the shit out of him if he hurts her. That includes now. “Well, yes, but I’ve been in love with her since she was eight.” I almost feel like I’m having an outer body experience hearing all of this. TJ has never in his life said the word love, not even to his own parents. He doesn’t bother with them. So, hearing that right this second makes it all so surreal. He’s been in love with my sister for all of these years, and he’s never once said anything? Even when he went out with Kelly? Or those other girls?
“You’ve been in love with my sister all these fucking years, TJ, and yet you dated all those girls? You fucked around, and you’re telling me this now? Fuck this!” I spin around, really not caring what he does anymore. He’s lied to me all these years, and he expects me to be alright with it?Hell no!
“Fuck you, TJ! When you dump her, I’ll have to pick up the pieces while you throw your dick around again—”
“It’s not like that, Nick! Fuck! Will you just listen! I know we’re all fighting, but can you put that aside for five fucking minutes?” His finger points directly at me as he follows, but I couldn’t be bothered talking to him anymore. His hand grips my shoulder and pulls me back around to face him. “You’re not listening to me—”
“Get your hand off me TJ, or so help me God, I will do way worse to you than what I did to Ryan, I promise you.” I’m eyeing this guy, who practically was a brother to me, but now I don’t recognize him anymore. He’s lying straight to my face.
“Do your worst!” He snarls, and I get into his face, breathing like a dragon. I will ruin this bastard.
“No amount of broken bones or blood will show how betrayed I feel by you, TJ. You had many chances to tell me, but like I said, do what you fucking please. I’m not wasting my energy on you anymore. Because this”—I point back and forth between us—“is no longer the friendship we once had. I’m finished with you. You can go and fuck off and betray someone else with a sister you have an eye for.” I push him away from me to get some breathing room. I’m done with him and my sister, for the one millionth time today. They can both fuck off, especially Haley after the way she spoke to Carter. I’m not happy with her either.
I slam my door shut and decide it’s time to take a shower.
Chapter Twenty-Two
You Know Why I’m Here
Carter
Lecture after lecture, this day keeps dragging on. I have been scribbling down notes when they hint to learn this for the exams. I’m so bored, I want to get out of this lecture so bad because it’s the last one of the day.
Also, the fact that Nick is outside waiting for me might have a lot to do with my impatience and foot tapping that’s annoying the people around me.
Could you really blame me though? If you had the hottest guy you’ve ever met in your entire life waiting outside a classroom for you, you would totally be having a meltdown too. I’m exploding inside because I’m so excited yet so nervous—so, so nervous.
Smiling at the thought of seeing him and also at the fact that my last lecture of the day is finished, I bounce down the steps, my hair flying all over my face, and walk outside and look both ways for him. Seeing him leaning against the wall talking to a group of girls, my heart rate spikes.Is he interested in them?
I slowly and unsurely make my way towards him, and he instantly spots me like my movement caught his eye. He beams a smile my way and pushes himself off the wall to head towards me. The people around him part to move out of his way, And the girls admire him from behind and in front of him. Not that I can blame them; he looks like he was carved by God Himself. He looks like Adonis.
Reaching me, he smiles down at an awe struck me. “Hey, you ready?” He has a laptop in hand, with a notebook too.
“Yeah, I hope I wasn’t interrupting—”
“No, you weren’t, don’t worry,” he interrupts me and places an arm around my shoulders. “I’m glad you came out actually.” He laughs as we walk away from the group he was talking to. “They just started talking to me. I’ve never met them before.” He shrugs his shoulders. I feel a little uneasy with the stares I’m getting from them. It’s always like this when I’m around him. I get the glares. I mean, I know why, literally every girl in the campus chases after him and he doesn’t have the slightest notion at the magnitude of it.
I laugh at him and how clueless he is. Typical guy. “I’m really not surprised though,” I mutter to myself. He stops moving, making me stop. I turn on my heel to look up at him in the crowded hallway.
“Why?” he asks curiously. “I know girls like me and all, I’m not blind, but why does it not surprise you?” His left eyebrow quirks up, and I start to get butterflies in my stomach with the way he’s looking at me.
“You’re just a nice guy who’ll talk to anyone. You’re good looking, so of course you’d get approached by admirers . . . It’s bound to happen.” I laugh nervously because the look he’s giving me is making me weak at the knees. My breathing is short and hard, and I can’t do it properly with his eyes staring at me like that.
“I’m not interested in them though.” His grin makes me smile too. His perfect set of white teeth gleam in the full lighting. Anything he does at this point is hot. I’m nervous around him all the damn time. “I’m interested in you, however.” He steps inside my bubble so we’re chest to chest. “Very interested in you.” He leans down to me, whispering onto my lips.
