Overtime (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 12

-Tanner-

I want to be every little thing that you want, that you need, that you breathe.

I walk back from my lunch with Taylor and my buddy, Sean. He’s a basketball player and stands at 6’4, a full five inches taller than me. Taylor’s even shorter and the difference between him and Sean is actually comical.

Sean’s talking about the score of some game that went on last night. I’m not necessarily paying attention.

We stop at my locker as I switch out my books. I’ve got English, Spanish, and Pre-Calc, and then the heaven that is dismissal. It doesn’t help that I got six hours of sleep and this day seems to be going by absurdly slow.

Taylor and Sean go into some conversation about player stats. A hand taps against the back of my locker door. Brinley’s older brother smiles at me.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he questions.

I look back hesitantly to the other two. They’re both staring at Holden with confused stares.

A list of things run through my head. Maybe he’s coming over to kick my ass after hearing about me and Brinley dancing? Or-even worse-he heard about what happened afterwards. I could be dead in a matter of minutes if so. It was weeks ago, and Holden doesn’t come off as a super intimidating guy. We’re about the same height and he’s not super muscular. But I know he’s not afraid to go at it with someone who fucks with Brinley.

And you did, dumbass.

I push the thought away. I can’t seem to get the whole thing out of head. Every time it comes up in my mind, my guilt deepens. Her face was absolutely heartbroken. I’d never seen Brinley so depressed.

"Uh, yeah," I say, shutting my locker. He gives me a smug smile. He and Brinley have the same smile. Except I’m not scared when Brinley does it.

I follow him to the end of the hallway in the Art wing. He leans back against one of the classroom doors.

"So I heard what happened," he starts, staring straight at me.

My eyes almost pop out.

There goes your life. All because you acted like an idiot.

"Look, I was being a total dumbass and-"

He frowns at me. "What?" he asks, cutting me off. "I’m talking about what happened at the store."

I take a deep breath. Thank God.

He grins. "Unless there’s something I should be worried about."

I shake my head and decide to save that for another time. Nothing that needs to be relived at this moment.

"I heard one of your friends has his eye on Brinley," Holden tells me.

More than one, actually,

I think. Any of the guys who’ve seen her have a thing for her. Probably not the best thing to be telling an older brother though.

"Noah, right?" Holden asks.

I’m reminded of the rage I felt watching Noah flirt with her. And she did the same. I saw her little smirks and eyelash bats. Exactly what she used to do with me. Up until that party.

She can do so much better that Noah.

"How did you find out?" I implore.

He smiles. "I have my ways."

"I guess he does," I reply.

Holden nods. "You like her, don’t you?"

Part of me just wants to tell him. He’s a guy; he’d get it. But another part is reluctant. I saw the way he stared me down when I took her out to dinner. If I admitted it, I could get a fist down my throat. But he looks calm enough right now, as if he doesn’t necessarily care.