shakes his head, trying to deny it, but I won’t stop, not now that words are spilling out, and I think I’m glad to say them. Perhaps I shouldn’t have waited so long to have this conversation with him.
“Maybe we worked before, but we grew apart,” I say, keeping my voice low. “You want me to be someone I’m not, and when I didn’t give you what you wanted, you looked to someone else. Whether or not you actually penetrated her vagina is irrelevant. Eventually you would have gone all the way anyway—with lots of girls, probably—until I found out. I can’t…I just can’t let that go.”
“Please, Sugar.” His hand is on my arm, tugging, and my half-empty red slushie spills to the ground.
He barely notices.
I pull back from him and he shakes his head and rakes a hand through his hair, pacing around me, slicing his hands through the air to emphasize his point. “I just need you with me, supporting me. I need a full-time girlfriend. After we graduate, I’ll be on the road and I want you with me.”
I’m not his main groupie! But I don’t say that. I want to keep this civil.
“You need someone to pat your head and tell you how awesome you are.”
He stops and scowls, his lips tightening. “That’s mean. I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
I pick up my empty drink cup and tuck it inside my backpack. At least I’m not going to litter. “Have a nice life, Bennett. Truly.”
“Don’t say that.” He walks back to me and grabs my elbow, his grip tighter than it should be, and I look down at his strong, tanned hand, the one that’s cupped my face a hundred times. My eyes linger on the silver infinity ring on his finger, the one I bought him for his birthday. His gaze follows mine and he loosens his grip. “Shit. I’m sorry if I hurt you.” He caresses my arms and grabs my hand. “And the ring? I still wear it, Sugar. I still love you and I’m just trying to prove it. I want to work this thing out—”
“Let her go.” The low male voice comes from behind me and we both turn.
Z.
His face is hard as granite, his body coiled and tense as he stares at our joined hand.
Bennett gives him a once-over and stiffens beside me. “Move on, dude. This doesn’t concern you.”
Somehow in the middle of this, I find it funny that Bennett doesn’t recognize him right away. He isn’t a hockey guy.
Lightning goes off in Z’s grey eyes. Stormy and swirling with anger, they blaze as they bounce from me to Bennett. Two quick strides and he’s right in front of us. “She happens to be with me, so in fact, yeah, it does concern me.”
I let go of Bennett’s hand and close my lids briefly, part of me angry with Bennett for putting me in this position and the other side of me pissed at Z for throwing our “relationship” in his face.
Bennett inhales sharply. He’s puffed up now, ready to tangle, and his face is as hard as Z’s as he looks from me to him.
They face off, and for the first time, I see that they’re almost the same height with Bennett being about two inches shorter at six four. If they did tangle, it might be interesting, except Bennett only works out to look good, whereas Z does it so he can squash his opponent.
I see the moment Bennett figures out who Z is. He gets a surprised look on his face and then glares at me. “So this is who you’re seeing and why you’ve been avoiding me? Some jock?”
I inhale a deep breath and pick up my book bag. My gaze sweeps over them. “I’m avoiding you because there’s no point.”
They both turn to look at me, and I move fast, gliding past Z. I pause in front of him and want to say something, but I can’t. Not here, not now.
I take a step back from Z, annoyed, and Bennett gets a look of triumph on his face until I point my finger at him. “Don’t put your hands on me again.”
Bennett pales. “I’m sorry—”
I don’t even wait for the rest.
I stalk off.
I haven’t gone ten steps when I feel Z next to me, and I don’t make it easy for him. I’m moving at a fast pace, trying to get to class and get myself as far from him as I