PART 2–CHAPTER 135
LUKE
I leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, Josh pacing back and forth, barely registering in my head. My temples throbbed, the pressure building until it felt like my skull might explode.
A relentless replay filled my mind: Jess, falling. Jess, hitting the ground. Her limp body crumpled at the bottom of those damn stairs.
Josh finally stopped pacing, pulling his phone away from his
ear.
“Yeah. She fell. No, she wasn’t drinking. It was an accident. I’m not drunk!” His tone cut through the haze in my head, and I almost wished I hadn’t heard it. There was a pause, a silence that felt heavy enough to crush me, before he muttered, “Fine. I’ll see you tonight.”
He hung up with a heavy sigh and slumped into the chair beside me, his hand landing on my shoulder.
“It’s nobody’s fault, Luke,” he said, his voice flat, like he was trying to convince himself as much as me. “She lost her balance and fell. I saw it. You saw it. Hell, even Courtney saw it. She’s going to be fine.”
Fine.
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That word was a fucking joke.
“If we hadn’t had that fight…” I spoke slowly. She wouldn’t have. felt like she needed to get out of there. It is my fault. It’s all my fault.”
Josh exhaled loudly, running a hand through his hair as he looked at the exit. I followed his gaze, and photographers were already camped out there. Fuck.
“California’s youngest linebackers leave the club with police and an ambulance,” I growled, “They’ll have a field day with that one.“–
Josh grimaced, leaning back in his chair, his head tilted toward the ceiling like he was praying for this nightmare to end. “My agent’s going to have a rough day tomorrow. Fuck.” He groaned, rubbing his face with his hands like that would somehow erase what had just happened.
At least his agent was a stocky, no–nonsense guy who knew how to navigate a scandal. Mine? Mine was a snake wrapped in a designer suit, just waiting for the chaos to capitalize on.
But I didn’t give a damn about PR crises right now. Jess. She was all that mattered to me.
I needed to know if she was okay. I needed to see her, to hear from a doctor that she would walk out of here, whole and healthy, so I could stop this goddamn feeling gnawing at my insides like a ravenous beast.
“She’s strong, you know,” Josh said quietly after a moment, trying to reassure me. “She’ll pull through this.”
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PART 2–CHAPTER 135
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I nodded, but å storm brewed inside me. Jess might be strong, but she wouldn’t have been in that situation if it weren’t for me. I’d pushed her too far.
I was the one who drove her to the edge of those steps.
I couldn’t get that image out of my head. And now? Now, I was left in this hellish waiting room.
“I can’t believe I let this happen,” I muttered, leaning forward and burying my face in my hands.
Josh stayed silent, knowing there was nothing he could say to fix this.
I must have fallen asleep because the footsteps snapped me out of it altogether. I looked up, my stomach tightening instantly as I saw them–Josh’s parents walking in, followed closely by my parents.
Great.
Just fucking great.
Josh was already on his feet, talking to his mom, but I stayed seated, feeling a lump in my throat.
My father pinned me with a stare–hard lines carved into hist face as he stormed towards me. My mother trailed behind him, her hands wringing nervously in front of her.
“You chose football,” my father barked the moment he was close enough, his voice cutting through the quiet room like a whip. “And now, look at you. You’re on the verge of ruining your future! And now Jessica’s! What is wrong with you,
son? I
PART 2 CHAPTER 135
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thought you were better than this!”
I clenched my jaw, feeling a wave of heat rising in my chest, my muscles tensing at his words.
My mother shifted uncomfortably beside him, her eyes darting nervously to the floor. She always did that–shrunk into herself whenever my father raised his voice.
I wanted to snap back, to tell him to shut the fuck up, but the look on my mother’s face kept me silent. It would only make things worse for her if I fought back.
My father wasn’t done. He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing, the disappointment practically dripping from his voice. “You are done ruining this girl’s life. They are like family to us! We’ve been patient, but I promised them I’d ensure you stayed away from her before you ruin her, too!
His words hit like a punch to the gut, my stomach twisting with a sickening mix of guilt and rage. I knew what he was saying; maybe he was right about Jess. Maybe I wasn’t good enough, but that doesn’t mean I need to stand here and fucking take it from him of all people.
Something inside me snapped. My heart pounded, the anger burning hotter and hotter until I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Ruin her?” I hissed, my voice low but shaking with fury. “Like you ruined Mom? Like you ruined her face not even a few months ago?”
The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. The room went silent. I could feel every eye on me, the weight of what I’d just said crashing down around us. It was too late now.
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The truth was out. I can’t take it back.
My father froze, his face paling, his mouth opening and closing like he was trying to form words but couldn’t. My mother, still standing just a few feet away, gasped softly, her hand flying to her mouth as she looked at me in shock.
Josh’s parents exchanged uneasy glances, and Josh stood there, wide–eyed, not sure what to do or say. Of course, he knew everything, but he clearly never told his parents. I knew I could trust him, and he proved it.
“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” my father finally spat, his voice shaking now, not with anger, but with something else. Fear, maybe. “That’s between your mother and me. Don’t you dare-”
“Don’t I dare?” I cut him off, standing now, my fists clenched at my sides.
“You think I don’t know? Do you think I didn’t see it? All those times, you swore you’d never hurt her again, and yet you did. Over and over.”
He took a step toward me, but I didn’t back down, meeting his gaze head–on. My mother made a slightly choked sound, her eyes pleading with me to stop, but I couldn’t. Not now. Not after everything.
“You have no right to talk about ruining lives,” I continued, my. voice trembling with the force of holding back my rage. “Not after what you’ve done to her. To us. To me.”
No one spoke.
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Even Josh stayed quiet, his eyes darting between us, unsure of what the hell to do.
My father’s face hardened, his hands curling into fists, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he raised his fist, and I flinched, ready to take it…
PART 2 CHAPTER 136
