Page 76 of Glad You Exist

“Listen. Hunter didn’t hurt me, and it didn’t happen on school property.”

“Didn’t hurt—?” A row of expletives shoots out of my mouth before I can stop it, making her chuckle through the tears pooling in her eyes.

Have they not heard of emotional distress? And I was the one who pulled him off of her.

Yes, fuck, he hurt her. I should have been in that office.

This time, she reaches for me, her hand on my cheek, making me look at her.

“But your mom fought it. She said that there needed to be punishment for his behavior, or it could lead to other student athletes taking advantage of female students because they let Hunter get away with it. She used a bunch of legal jargon that I would not be able to repeat.”

Liz leans back but she tucks my hand in between hers. She faces me, her cheek resting on the leather seat while her eyes roam my face. “You should have seen the look your mom gave Coach Wilde when she said that. He looked like he wanted to pee his pants. Basically, he had no choice but to suspend Hunter for two games and put him on probation for the rest of the season. He’s a junior so it will affect him since he’s gunning to replace Kyle after he graduates.”

I exhale a long sigh of relief. Well, that’s something, at least.

I scan her face, her exhaustion evident. I bet it wasn’t easy for Liz to be subjected to that. Especially without her mom there with her.

“Are you okay, El?”

She wipes the moisture from her eyes. “I don’t know. I feel like I am, but I know I’m not.”

Grabbing her phone from under her thigh, I realize she has left my hand to rest there. I pull it away not needing the extra temptation to take more than she can give right now.

“I should call my brother”—she looks out the window and I feel the distance she starts putting between us before she even finishes her sentence—“to come pick me up.”

“El.”

I’ve always thought of myself as a person who stays and fights.

While Liz…she’s the type to fight long enough to say her piece then flee and right now, she’s due for a good run.

I can practically hear her thoughts like they’re my own. She’s trying to figure out a way to tell me she wants to be left alone but I’m determined to get past those walls she keeps putting back up. I have to reaffirm my intentions to her, so she knows she doesn’t need to fall back on that option anymore.

“I need you to look at me. Can you do that? Please.”

I hear the rasp in my voice and cringe.

Liz glances back at me and I see the panic setting back in. She doesn’t want to offend me, but the fear is so palpable in her gaze that I know I have to find a way for her to let me back in.

“You want to go home?”

She bites her lip, making me falter for a bit but when she nods her head tentatively like she’s unsure if that’s what she wants. I strengthen my resolve.

“Because your house, your room is your safe space?”

Liz’s eyes widen for a bit with the knowledge that I truly understand her. Then her gaze softens and her answering firm nod is all the push I need as I reach for her hands.

“Do you think that maybe…” I look down at our joined hands and lace my fingers through hers. “I can be your refuge instead?”

Her breath catches and our gazes meet. The air between us practically crackles.

I feel my chest tighten from the intensity in her eyes.

Breaking the connection, I let go of one of her hands.

I turn the thermostat down again to cool myself off and also as an added measure to keep me from kissing her like I desperately want to.

“Brad.”

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