Despite missing our captain, we claimed a narrow win against Coleridge last night, two-one. The one goal I let slip past was because I was distracted thinking about how on edge he sounded on the phone earlier. But when I called after getting home to give him and Hannah the play-by-play of the game, he was back to his usual self.
That doesn’t stop me from worrying about him. I saw the way his father backhanded him after the game against Macquarie, and though Noah tried to downplay it, I really wish I could be there for him this weekend when he tells his family about us.
Hannah’s been messaging me since they got there, reassuring me that besides being strained and awkward, things have been fine so far, but she can feel the tension brewing between the two men. I only hope it doesn’t result in either her or Noah getting hurt.
Something just feels off. I can’t put my finger on it, but I have a bad feeling in my gut that I can’t shake. Being three states away and unable to do anything if things go bad only intensifies the anxiety.
I’m tempted to tell Hannah not to let Noah out of her sight,in case the pressure gets too much for him and he decides to self-harm, but I don’t want her asking questions, and I can’t betray his trust. He promised me he hasn’t done it since after our last game against Coleridge, and I have to trust he’ll call me if he gets to that point.
Needing to take my mind off Noah and desperate to get away from the estrogen-fest in my bathroom, I decide to check in on Theo.
He’s been lying low since the acid incident, and I’ve been so caught up in Noah that I haven’t followed up with helping him figure out what he’s going to do.
“Beer?” he asks when I follow him into the kitchen.
The house is quiet. His dad’s playing golf with Luca Whitfield’s father, and his mum and Jade are over at mine.
I shake my head. “I’m driving the girls later.”
He shrugs, passing me a can of Coke before leaning his hip against the bench and swigging his beer.
I take a seat on one of the bar stools across from him.
“What’s been happening?”
“I’ve been in Sydney for job interviews,” he says.
My eyes widen. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. Nothing like an intense trip to make you take stock of your life and realise you’re a loser.”
I narrow my eyes. “You’re not a loser.”
He huffs a self-deprecating laugh. “Thanks, but I’ve spent the last four years partying and fucking, and while it hasn’t affected my genius, it has fucked with my self-worth.”
It seems this weekend is the weekend for life-changing admissions and realisations.
“Shit, man. I’m sorry.”
Theo takes another sip of his beer. “It’s time for me to grow up. I can’t do that living in Beckford.”
“Fair. For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing.”
His lips tip in a grin. “What’s going on with you, anyway?”
My stomach dips as my thoughts drift to Noah. “Not much.”
His shrewd gaze assesses me. “Come on, Kincaid. If I’m giving up the party scene, I need to live vicariously through someone. Who’s hooking up with who? You found that special someone yet?”
“I don’t know,” I mumble, suddenly wishing I had that beer.
Theo’s like a basset hound with a scent. “Who is he or she?”
“No one.”
“Is it someone I know?” he presses.
I say nothing, playing with the rim of my can. Theo may have opened up to me about his life, but even if I wanted to tell him about Noah, it’s not my secret to tell.
