"Hi, Sheldon."
And there was Matt's normal greeting, odd and filled with excitement.
I caught Leah eyeing Bryce up and down and remarked, "He's not a baboon that's going to pound his chest and whip out his dick. Stop hoping."
Raz and Matt spit out their beer. Bryce and Corrigan watched me. They both knew there was more to come. Leah's cheeks flared in anger. "You are one of the most vile, disgusting—"
I stepped forward. Leah didn't back up, but her eyes widened. I saw a tiny bit of fear as she glowered back at me.
"I am not like you. I'm not sleeping my way through an entire fraternity house. And I don't like you, so whenever you come up to me or my friends, you need to remember that we'll be having this conversation every single time."
I stepped back, and Leah opened her mouth, but I interjected, "And you're right. I am a vile person, but I don't care. I'm better at this game than you."
Everyone waited, but Leah stood there in silence. Then she tore through the crowd.
I didn't feel triumphant. I didn't feel anything, but when I looked at Corrigan and Bryce's knowing looks, I snapped, "What? She asked for that."
Corrigan slid off of Bryce's back and nodded. "Uh huh. Because no other girl has ever looked at Bryce. That's awful."
"Shut up."
Matt and Raz chose not to comment.
Bryce injected, "I get when you come out swinging, but you weren't backed into a corner there. What's with you? She didn't say anything before you laid into her."
Corrigan moved forward. "Were you looking for a victim, and it happened to be her? You did it yesterday too. And you did it to Grace."
"You're still pissed about what I said about Grace?"
"No," Corrigan replied. "I'm worried about you. Is this about your issues with killing that guy? Is all this stuff coming out because Bryce is back in town? The last time he was here was when it all went down. I thought you dealt with that crap, Sheldon. I'm disappointed in you."
It took a second before his words sunk in, but then—
Bryce whirled to him and pushed him back. Corrigan fell a few steps but ignored his best friend. His eyes were glued to mine, and just for a second, I felt the world fall away. Then I heard his words again.
'I'm disappointed in you.'
My stomach clenched, and I lunged at him.
Bryce caught me, but I tried to crawl over him.
"You—dick!" I tried to hit him. I could almost reach him. I squirmed over Bryce's shoulder, but he grunted and wrapped a tighter arm around me. When I kicked him in the groin, Bryce gasped and heaved a breath. His arms went lax for a moment, and I was free.
Corrigan fell back another step.
I barreled into him. He went down and I fell on top of him. I punched his jaw and heaved back for another hit. Corrigan stayed there, but Bryce caught my arm and yanked me back in the air. He lifted me, cradling me against his chest as he pinned my arms and legs.
I struggled but couldn't move.
I snarled, "Is that what you think? I've got issues? If anyone should have issues, it's you. He almost killed you, remember?! He stabbed you. You were in the hospital—"
"Enough!" Bryce growled and shoved through the crowd. "Move!"
Then, he carried me out of the house and past the watching crowd.
CHAPTER FIVE
We drove home in silence. When Bryce wheeled into the garage, he turned off the engine, but we both stayed in our seats. Then he took a deep breath. "What is going on between you and Corrigan?"
I shrugged and moved to get out of the car. Bryce reached out and hauled me back.
"What?" I glared and shoved off his hand. I got out and stormed into the house only to curse when I heard the doorbell ring.
"Not funny!" I shouted and ignored it to go into the kitchen. As I opened the fridge and reached for a beer, Bryce asked as he turned the corner, "What's not funny?"
I ignored him, opened the beer, and tipped my head back for a long drink.
And the doorbell rang again.
Bryce looked towards it. "What the hell?"
"I thought that was you."
"I'm having flashbacks to Mena and her dumbass brother," Bryce grumbled as he left to answer it.
I heard Grace's voice and groaned. I was fast losing friends, but I could win this one back. I pushed off the corner, beer in hand, but stopped when I met her in the doorway.
She wore a yellow sweater over plain blue jeans. As she ran a nervous hand through her thin hair, I swallowed. Grace was scared. It was my fault. There was no question about that. She was strong about everything except Corrigan, and I'd trampled on that without even meaning to do it.
My impulsive behavior was not sensitive sometimes.
"I am an awful homosapien," I blurted out.
Grace frowned and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Homosapien? I'm here because of class. I'm sorry that…why are you awful?"
"Because I told our class that you had feelings for Corrigan. I don't even know if you really do, and I opened my mouth without thinking. I'm sorry, Grace. I really am."
"Oh." She looked taken aback. "I'm here because I overreacted. You're right. I do have feelings for Corrigan, and I should be able to talk about them, at least with you because you're one of my best friends. But you're also his best friend and I never wanted to put you in the middle, but I you already knew about my feelings…and I just didn't know what to say." Her voice trailed off for a moment. "I'm sorry that I ran out of class. And I'm sorry that I haven't called to see how you've been doing since Bryce got back, but I wasn't sure if he was back. Although, I guess I know he is now since he opened the door…" Then she looked around.
"He's probably watching football downstairs or something. Don't worry about it."
"Oh." Grace didn't look reassured, but she moved to perch on a counter stool. "He's…I'd forgotten what Bryce Scout is like in person."
I laughed as I remembered Bryce's flashback about Mena.
"What?" Grace was confused.
I shrugged. "It's nothing. I—just—Bryce mentioned Mena and I remembered how she used to feel the same thing. I think she was scared of him."
Grace shifted to get comfortable on the stool. "He's not the friendliest person. He was okay towards the end, but he only tolerated me. I knew that. But, still, seeing him again—he's not the friendliest guy."
And there was Matt's normal greeting, odd and filled with excitement.
I caught Leah eyeing Bryce up and down and remarked, "He's not a baboon that's going to pound his chest and whip out his dick. Stop hoping."
Raz and Matt spit out their beer. Bryce and Corrigan watched me. They both knew there was more to come. Leah's cheeks flared in anger. "You are one of the most vile, disgusting—"
I stepped forward. Leah didn't back up, but her eyes widened. I saw a tiny bit of fear as she glowered back at me.
"I am not like you. I'm not sleeping my way through an entire fraternity house. And I don't like you, so whenever you come up to me or my friends, you need to remember that we'll be having this conversation every single time."
I stepped back, and Leah opened her mouth, but I interjected, "And you're right. I am a vile person, but I don't care. I'm better at this game than you."
Everyone waited, but Leah stood there in silence. Then she tore through the crowd.
I didn't feel triumphant. I didn't feel anything, but when I looked at Corrigan and Bryce's knowing looks, I snapped, "What? She asked for that."
Corrigan slid off of Bryce's back and nodded. "Uh huh. Because no other girl has ever looked at Bryce. That's awful."
"Shut up."
Matt and Raz chose not to comment.
Bryce injected, "I get when you come out swinging, but you weren't backed into a corner there. What's with you? She didn't say anything before you laid into her."
Corrigan moved forward. "Were you looking for a victim, and it happened to be her? You did it yesterday too. And you did it to Grace."
"You're still pissed about what I said about Grace?"
"No," Corrigan replied. "I'm worried about you. Is this about your issues with killing that guy? Is all this stuff coming out because Bryce is back in town? The last time he was here was when it all went down. I thought you dealt with that crap, Sheldon. I'm disappointed in you."
It took a second before his words sunk in, but then—
Bryce whirled to him and pushed him back. Corrigan fell a few steps but ignored his best friend. His eyes were glued to mine, and just for a second, I felt the world fall away. Then I heard his words again.
'I'm disappointed in you.'
My stomach clenched, and I lunged at him.
Bryce caught me, but I tried to crawl over him.
"You—dick!" I tried to hit him. I could almost reach him. I squirmed over Bryce's shoulder, but he grunted and wrapped a tighter arm around me. When I kicked him in the groin, Bryce gasped and heaved a breath. His arms went lax for a moment, and I was free.
Corrigan fell back another step.
I barreled into him. He went down and I fell on top of him. I punched his jaw and heaved back for another hit. Corrigan stayed there, but Bryce caught my arm and yanked me back in the air. He lifted me, cradling me against his chest as he pinned my arms and legs.
I struggled but couldn't move.
I snarled, "Is that what you think? I've got issues? If anyone should have issues, it's you. He almost killed you, remember?! He stabbed you. You were in the hospital—"
"Enough!" Bryce growled and shoved through the crowd. "Move!"
Then, he carried me out of the house and past the watching crowd.
CHAPTER FIVE
We drove home in silence. When Bryce wheeled into the garage, he turned off the engine, but we both stayed in our seats. Then he took a deep breath. "What is going on between you and Corrigan?"
I shrugged and moved to get out of the car. Bryce reached out and hauled me back.
"What?" I glared and shoved off his hand. I got out and stormed into the house only to curse when I heard the doorbell ring.
"Not funny!" I shouted and ignored it to go into the kitchen. As I opened the fridge and reached for a beer, Bryce asked as he turned the corner, "What's not funny?"
I ignored him, opened the beer, and tipped my head back for a long drink.
And the doorbell rang again.
Bryce looked towards it. "What the hell?"
"I thought that was you."
"I'm having flashbacks to Mena and her dumbass brother," Bryce grumbled as he left to answer it.
I heard Grace's voice and groaned. I was fast losing friends, but I could win this one back. I pushed off the corner, beer in hand, but stopped when I met her in the doorway.
She wore a yellow sweater over plain blue jeans. As she ran a nervous hand through her thin hair, I swallowed. Grace was scared. It was my fault. There was no question about that. She was strong about everything except Corrigan, and I'd trampled on that without even meaning to do it.
My impulsive behavior was not sensitive sometimes.
"I am an awful homosapien," I blurted out.
Grace frowned and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Homosapien? I'm here because of class. I'm sorry that…why are you awful?"
"Because I told our class that you had feelings for Corrigan. I don't even know if you really do, and I opened my mouth without thinking. I'm sorry, Grace. I really am."
"Oh." She looked taken aback. "I'm here because I overreacted. You're right. I do have feelings for Corrigan, and I should be able to talk about them, at least with you because you're one of my best friends. But you're also his best friend and I never wanted to put you in the middle, but I you already knew about my feelings…and I just didn't know what to say." Her voice trailed off for a moment. "I'm sorry that I ran out of class. And I'm sorry that I haven't called to see how you've been doing since Bryce got back, but I wasn't sure if he was back. Although, I guess I know he is now since he opened the door…" Then she looked around.
"He's probably watching football downstairs or something. Don't worry about it."
"Oh." Grace didn't look reassured, but she moved to perch on a counter stool. "He's…I'd forgotten what Bryce Scout is like in person."
I laughed as I remembered Bryce's flashback about Mena.
"What?" Grace was confused.
I shrugged. "It's nothing. I—just—Bryce mentioned Mena and I remembered how she used to feel the same thing. I think she was scared of him."
Grace shifted to get comfortable on the stool. "He's not the friendliest person. He was okay towards the end, but he only tolerated me. I knew that. But, still, seeing him again—he's not the friendliest guy."
