The Nerdy Twin ✔️

Chapter Twelve

HENRY'S POV

I walked out of the school doors feeling like I was leaving a military training camp. The first week of senior year had been draining both physically and mentally. I had to deal with the pressure of my final year of highschool, the crush I had on Willow and its repercussions from my brother.

When Matthew cornered me in the hallway I had been going to the library to give Willow the poster she had requested I help her with. We didn't share any classes so it was the only place I could find her since she didn't eat lunch at the cafeteria.

I could have easily stood up to Matthew but that would have brought more problems than resolutions. He'd have ratted me out to our mom who would have made my life more of a living hell than it already was. Willow standing up for me had been sexy as hell and I appreciated it but she had honestly made things worse. My brother hated not getting his way and now that Willow had made it blatantly clear that she wanted nothing to do with him, he would do everything to make sure that since he couldn't have her, no one else could either.

Willow was beautiful, kind, sexy and feisty but was she worth the lashing out my brother would unleash on me? Was my crush on her really worth it?

"Look who finally showed, it's the freak. Where's your little bodyguard huh?"Matthew yelled at me just before I got to my car.

He was leaning on the driver's side of my jeep. I wanted to shove him off but I bit my tongue before I said something to make him angrier.

"She may have protected you earlier but she will not be around forever. Mark my words Matthias, you will regret the humiliation I suffered today in the hands of your little girlfriend."He sneered getting off my car.

"You're lucky I have practice otherwise you would be having a conversation with my fists. Make sure these are done by tomorrow."He demanded shoving his books into my stomach knocking the breath out of me.

He shoved past me, his shoulder hitting mine forcefully making me stumble backwards. I stabilized myself just in time before I fell on my ass. I quickly composed myself before unlocking my car and getting in. Matthew had always been a dick but Willow's threats had rubbed off him negatively which meant I would be on the receiving end of his wrath for a while.

When I got home instead of going to my room I made a detour for the home gym Matthew had my parents install for him. I didn't even bother with boxing gloves just went directly to the punching bag at the corner of the room. I had so much pent up anger and frustration that I needed to let out. After the first ten hits, I stopped counting and the pain in my knuckles stopped registering so I kept on and on. Faces appeared in my head and I kept imagining it was them I was beating up. My parents, Matthew, but one particular face had me stopping just in time before I could dismantle their beautiful face, Willow.

I dropped to the floor landing on my knees head clutched in my hands and that's when the pain registered. Not the one in my arms, I could care less about physical pain. No it was the one in my heart because everyday for the longest time, it had become apparent to me that I was completely alone yet for the first time in years Willow had made me feel different by defending me from my brother. I hadn't asked her to do that, I would have preferred if she didn't but the fact that she did without me even asking or us being friends touched something in me.

When she had asked me to help her design the poster and call a truce between us, I hadn't thought much of it. We were doing it for the sake of the arcade. But then at school she started greeting me and smiling at me whenever we passed each other which confused me even more. I didn't know that anyone had noticed but of course Matthew had. Willow was his girl after all, according to him anyway. I may have liked Willow, even had a slight crush on the melanin goddess but would I dare go up against my brother for her?