“Happens to the best of us,” Thor adds, grinning at Astrid. “Your cheeks are so red you look like you’re on fire, baby girl.”
I thump him,hard, in the arm. “Fuck off and leave my girl alone.”
“Not your girl yet,” he quips, backing away.
I flip him the bird, and he turns around, running to catch up with the others.
“That was so embarrassing.” Astrid leans her forehead against her locker.
A chuckle tumbles from my mouth. “If public declarations are the way to your heart, I can spout them all day long, beautiful.” I can’t help taking it further because humor has been seriously lacking all week. News of Joe’s accident sent shockwaves around school and the community. Everything’s been muted as we waited to hear his prognosis.
“That’s a surefire way to never get back in my good graces,” she says, slamming her locker shut.
After scooping up her bag, I fall into line beside her as we head to English, the only class we share together. “No public declarations of undying love. Got it.”
She rolls her eyes before taking a huge bite of maple cake. Her eyes close briefly, and she moans softly, and I want to grab her into the nearest empty room and smother her in kisses. But I’m trying to be good, giving her time to think about it, while I try everything to convince her to give me a second chance.
“I take it you heard the latest on Joe.”
She nods. “Renee told me. I’m glad he’s out of the woods but sad he’s in a coma and likely to be for some time. She said he’ll most likely be paralyzed from the waist down. He won’t ever play football again, and he can kiss his scholarship goodbye.”
“He should’ve thought about that before getting into his car drunk.” Not sure how reliable the intel is, but the most recent gossip says he was way over the limit and had drugs in his bloodstream too.
“He should have,” Astrid agrees before popping the last of the cake in her mouth. After swallowing, she looks around and lowers her voice. “It’s lucky for the guys he was smashed and his brakes failed. Otherwise, they might’ve been blamed for it.”
“They were given a warning, but I think that’s the end of it.” We all gave separate statements to Sheriff Longwood, butthe message was the same: Joe had taken Astrid upstairs when she wasn’t in a position to consent, and we walked in on him taking advantage of her. Doubt the sheriff would’ve overlooked the beating the guys gave him if there hadn’t been extenuating circumstances or so many witnesses. And Joe got off lightly because the guys wanted to teach him a lesson, not seriously injure him. A black eye and some cuts and bruises didn’t cause that accident.
“I hope so. I’d feel responsible if they were charged with anything.”
“It was not your fault, Astrid.”
She slows down, pressing her back to the wall and chewing on her lip. Worry creases her brow, and I know what’s coming before she says it. “If I hadn’t concocted a stupid plan, I wouldn’t have been in that room with Joe, and the guys wouldn’t have beaten him up. He wouldn’t have needed to leave in a hurry and driven home.”
“Do not take this on. He made the decision to drive. He only lives half a mile from Thor’s gaff, for fuck’s sake. He could easily have walked. And you don’t know he wouldn’t have gotten drunk, taken drugs, and still driven home even if what transpired between you didn’t happen.”
Throwing caution to the wind, I thread my fingers in hers, welcoming the comfort her warm, soft hands bring. “The accident is not your fault. It might not even be Joe’s. His brakes were faulty, and even if he’d been sober, he might still have lost control of the car and plowed into that tree.” I squeeze her hands. “It was an accident, and no one knows what might or might not have happened if things played out differently that night. Please don’t take this burden on. It’s not yours to shoulder.”
“Cal is right.”
I inwardly groan when Gwen’s annoying face appears in my line of sight. She’s sure changed her tune. All week she’s been whispering in Astrid’s ear about how I’m the anti-Christ or the devil or some shite. I’m starting to dislike Astrid’s best friend, which could be a problem seeing as she is herbest friend.
“I know you’re both right.” Astrid pushes off the wall. “I can’t help feeling guilty though.”
I want to remind her we still don’t know what Joe was up to in the room that night, but Astrid doesn’t want to think about it now. It’s like the accident has exonerated Joe in her mind. I will never understand the female brain. I feel bad for the guy if he ends up paralyzed and can’t play ball anymore. That’s literally my worst nightmare. But I still can’t forget how he tried to take advantage of the girl I’ve fallen for.
I’m at my locker at the end of the day, sorting through my books before I head to the changing room to get ready for the match, when Travis Garner approaches me with his minions. I’ve been expecting this. All week, tension has been high between the soccer and football teams because of Hemsworth. I knew it was only a matter of time before things escalated.
“What do you want?” I ask in a calm voice as I slam my locker shut and swing my duffel bag over my shoulder.
“You know what we want.” He cracks his knuckles as his teammates gather closer.
I bark out a laugh. “You have issues with my team, yet you confront me when I’m alone. That says it all.” Fucking cowards, the lot of them.
“Callan didn’t put the beatdown on Hemsworth,” Riley says as a few of my teammates come up behind me with the best timing.
“Joe is in a fucking coma because of you.” Garner steps right up to me with his nostrils flaring. “He’s not ever gonna play ball again. I know this started because of you and?—”
“Say one bad word about Astrid, and I’ll rearrange your fucking face.” I push up against him, my body pumped and primed.
