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“I know what you did. I know what you’re doing. You talked to Willow Lancaster and told her to stay away from me, didn’t you? Did you try to make her feel guilty? Did you call her a distraction?”
My breathing is ragged, I’m so worked up. Just like he was only a few moments ago.
Westscott’s face turns bright red, his eyes bulging. The man is seriously pissed.
“She told you, didn’t she. I told her to keep quiet, and she went to you anyway and ratted me out. A girl like that can’t be trusted, Rhett—”
“She didn’t have to tell me. I figured it out on my own. Just now.” My voice drips with disgust and this time I do open the office door. I can see his assistant sitting at her desk just outside his office, along with other office staff getting ready to start their day, and I pause, saying loud enough for them to hear, “And you won’t have to worry about me anymore, because I fucking quit.”
I slam the door behind me, so hard the windows rattle and the ladies jump in their seats. I walk past them, nodding in their direction, muttering a half-hearted sorry before I bail out of the office. I don’t stop walking until I’m halfway across campus, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, nothing but expansive green lawn surrounding me. There still aren’t many people out here yet because it’s so damn early and I’ve already rocked my fucking world with a couple of shitty choice words for the headmaster.
Fuck me, what did I just do?
With shaky fingers, I pull my phone out of my jacket pocket and hit the first number on speed dial. When I hear the familiar voice in my ear, I briefly close my eyes, grateful he answered on the first ring.
“Dad? I think I’m in trouble.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Willow
By the time I’m headed to our English class, the rumors are running rampant around campus. Westscott and Rhett argued in Westscott’s office. Rhett screamed fuck you at him before leaving his office. They got into a fist fight and the headmaster is now sporting a black eye. Rhett quit the football team, quit Lancaster Prep in general.
I don’t know what to believe, but it’s the last rumor that has me the most worried. Rhett leaving Lancaster Prep, leaving the football team?
I feel somewhat responsible for that. Would he blame me? Is that why I haven’t heard from him? Is he in trouble? Did he actually hit Westscott?
No, he would never. He’s not dumb. But would he quit the football team? That’s the most important thing to him, hands down. It’s what he’s been working toward his entire life, so to throw it away by quitting the team, I just find it unbelievable.
What makes everything worse is there’s been nothing but silence on Rhett’s end. I haven’t heard from him since late last night, when we texted for a little bit. I sent him a text after Iris informed me of the rumors she’d heard, but he never responded.
I’m completely in the dark and I hate it.
The halls are abuzz with chatter, and I swear Rhett’s name is mentioned every other word. Mouths are moving and the rumors are growing, and I do my best to tune them out, but it’s difficult. Worry gnaws at me and I regret eating that pesto bagel for breakfast. It sits in my stomach like a lead weight, dragging me down.
When I enter the classroom, it’s mostly empty. The disappointment hits me like a punch to the jaw and I frown, glancing around the room like I might find Rhett sitting in the corner, waiting for me.
But he’s not here.
I settle into my desk and check my phone for about the hundredth time, but there’s no texts from anyone. Not even Iris. Sighing, I slip my phone into the front pocket of my backpack, my gaze jerking to the classroom door when I see someone standing there.
It’s Silas.
He enters the classroom, his gaze on me the entire time as he approaches. I brace myself, fully prepared to fight back because I just know he’s got something to say to me and I really don’t want to deal with him right now.
“Hey.” His voice is low, his gaze full of fake sympathy. “You doing okay?”
I smile brightly at him. “I’m great. Why do you ask?”
No one knows Rhett and I are together—and Silas definitely shouldn’t know.
“You’re … friends with Rhett Bennett. I heard he got expelled for punching Westscott in the face.” Silas settles into the desk next to mine, shaking his head. “So stupid.”
The rumor is so laughable that I do just that—laugh. And the way Silas is watching me, like I must’ve lost my mind or something, just has me laughing even harder. It takes me a bit to compose myself and once I do, I call him out.
“First, the story you’ve heard is just that—a story. Fictional. There is no way Rhett would punch our headmaster. He would never put his football career at risk like that,” I say with all the confidence in the world.
“He quit the team. I know that much is true.” Silas pulls his phone out of his pocket and taps at the screen, then holds it out for me to read.
