“Stop it, you didn’t. Bryce says you should give those guys up to the police. He says-”
“I’m not gonna do that.”
“Why not?”
I loosen my grip on his hand. “Because, that’s not how things work. You should know that.”
“What?” He sits up, pulling his hand free. “Are you telling me you’re going to still be friends with them?”
“They’ve never been my friends. Just people who help me move shit. I need the money.”
“Evan, you can’t seriously-”
I stand up. “We’re up to our eyeballs in debt, Nate. We’re fucking drowning and it’s up to me to keep us afloat.”
“I can help, I can-”
“No. Your stepdad already paid my fucking hospital bill when you’re the one who got hurt trying to protect me. I won’t let that happen again.”
“Evan.”
“Just … rest, Nate. Get better.”
“Where are you going?”
“I just need to … I don’t know.”
He looks so disappointed. But looking at him lying there, I’m thinking about his stepdad grilling me in the waiting room, asking me about my intentions, telling me Nate’s fucking in love with me. I’m not good enough for him. I’ve let him go before. After the initial sting last time, he let me go pretty easily. I’m sure he can do it again.
Nathan
It was so hard to stop myself from shaking while I laid in bed last night. My wrist throbbed under the cast. I kept forgetting about it, trying to turn over before realizing I had a cast on. I tried not to catastrophize, but it was hard not to.
Evan was right about how ignorant I am. I didn’t even consider the possibility of what happened last night, not even after Evan came home that night with a bruise under his eye and a swollen nose.
My stomach roils at the memory of those guys jumping him. Standing there like an idiot, not knowing what to do, how to help him.
The way they snarled at the thought of him having a boyfriend. No wonder he’s so hung up on how he feels about men.
I want more than ever to protect him, but I can’t just wave a magic wand and fix everything for him. I know that now.
After spending the night at my mom and Bryce’s house, I head back to the frat to face the music. Mom tried to get me to stay another day, but Bryce told her I needed to own up to my responsibilities.
“He’s capable, Pamela, let him go and be a man.”
I’m not sure if that was supposed to make me feel kind of proud, but it did.
It’s not easy to let myself in with the key with only one working hand. I have the use of my fingers, but with the cast covering most of my hand as well as my wrist, it’s still tricky trying to do things that used to be automatic.
I’m still struggling with the door when someone opens it on the other side. I stumble forward.
“Nathan, where have-” Priestley cuts himself off when he sees my wrist. “Please tell me you don’t have a cast on your arm right now.”
“Um … I don’t have a cast on my arm?”
“What the hell happened?”
Ben and a few of the other guys come out from the kitchen, hearing the raised voices and someone trying to get into the house.
