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.

It’s a private story on a social media site from a student, who I can only assume is on the team with Rhett.

It’s true. He quit this morning. We’re fucked.

Rearing back from Silas’s phone, I face forward, trying to hide my anxiety. “I won’t believe it until I hear the words come from his mouth.”

The classroom is slowly filling up, and Rhett isn’t anywhere in sight. My disappointment grows, my stomach cramping with the realization that he’s not coming, when the bell rings and Mrs. Patel practically comes running into the classroom.

“Sorry I’m late,” she calls, zooming toward her desk.

Alana scurries in after her, glaring at me sitting right next to Silas before she settles into a seat in the front of the row. Mrs. Patel frowns at Alana.

“Are you changing seats?”

“I can pay attention much better up here,” Alana says, loud enough for us to hear.

Whatever. I’m not even interested in Silas. I wish he wasn’t sitting next to me.

Mrs. Patel starts lecturing us about The Great Gatsby, and I realize I haven’t read a word of the book in days. I try to pay attention, but my focus keeps straying to the open door. I swear I see someone walk by that looks like Rhett.

Sitting up straighter, I keep my gaze focused on the hallway. A shadow appears and then I see Rhett’s head, peeking around the edge of the door.

He’s looking right at me.

Come out here,he mouths.

My gaze shifts to Mrs. Patel, who keeps talking like she’s never going to stop. I start tapping my foot on the floor, anxious to get out of here. I’m extra fidgety, to the point that the people sitting by me are sending me odd looks, and finally I can’t take it anymore. I shoot my arm into the air.

“Yes, Willow?”

“Do you mind if I go use the bathroom?” I paint on my best smile.

“Of course. Go right ahead.”

I leave my stuff behind except for my phone, slipping it into my jacket pocket. My gaze accidentally finds Silas and he’s watching me with a disappointed expression, which makes me think he saw Rhett outside waiting for me.

Well, too bad.

Within seconds of me leaving the classroom, Rhett appears at my side, grabbing my hand and jerking me into a janitorial closet. The scent of antiseptic and bleach is strong enough to make me wrinkle my nose and it’s so dark in here, my butt hits a rack just behind me.

“Rhett, why did you—”

He gathers me in my arms and kisses me, cutting off my protests. I immediately lose myself in his lips. His tongue. The thorough way he kisses me. He ends the kiss as abruptly as he started it, pulling away, raising his arm to pull on something.

A single bulb illuminates the closet, and I glance around before my gaze meets his. He looks very pleased with himself, which for whatever reason, irritates me.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been worrying about him all morning. Or because I haven’t heard from him and I’ve been quietly freaking out, thanks to all the outrageous stories spreading around the school.

Without warning, I give him a shove, and he goes stumbling backward, reaching out and bracing his hand on the wall to keep himself from falling into a giant garbage can full of mops and brooms.

“What the hell was that for?”

“I’ve been worried sick about you!” I take a deep breath, mentally telling myself to calm down. “Where have you been?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I just—” He snaps his lips shut and runs his hand through his already messy hair. I get the feeling he’s been doing that a lot today. “I had to get my shit straight first.”

“What happened? I’ve heard every story you can imagine. None of them I believe though.”

“What have you heard?” He frowns.

“That you’ve been expelled, that you punched Westscott, that you quit the football team. Those are the worst of the rumors spreading.”

He slowly shakes his head, scrubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t punch him, though I wanted to. And I definitely wasn’t expelled.”

“Did you quit the team?” My whisper is raspy, my throat closing up with fear. I noticed how he didn’t acknowledge that particular rumor.

Blowing out a harsh breath, Rhett grips the back of his neck with both hands, his elbow bumping into a bottle of cleaner and almost knocking it over. “Sometimes I’m too impulsive.”

“You quit?” Shock courses through me and my head goes fuzzy. “Oh my God, Rhett! Why would you do that?”

“I told Westscott I quit. Then I called my dad and he told me to go straight to Coach, which I did. I let him know what was going on.”

“What exactly is going on?”

“I don’t want to tell you.” He shakes his head. “Makes me too fucking mad still when I think about it.”

“Rhett.” I take a step closer to him, resting my hands on his chest as I stare into his eyes. “What did Westscott tell you?”

His mouth thins into a straight line, his lips almost disappearing, he looks so angry. “He didn’t have to tell me anything. I figured it out myself. He went to you, huh? Told you to stay away from me? Called you a distraction?”

I nod, swallowing hard. “Yes. He did.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know you that well,” I start, but he cuts me off.

“You know me pretty damn well, princess. We’ve gone way past the point of casual friends.”

“I know, I know.” I take a step back, my butt hitting the shelves again, making everything rattle. “I tried to stay away from you like Westscott told me to do, but I didn’t know how to tell you to leave me alone. Well, I tried but you were persistent.”

His smile returns, and it’s such a relief to see it. “When I want something, I go after it.”

“I know,” I whisper, smiling at him. The tension between us seems to dissipate, slowly but surely. “You can’t quit the team, Rhett. They need you and you need them.”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with the team. Or with me.” He winces. “I might get suspended.”

“Why?”

“I cursed at Westscott. Said I fucking quit before I stormed out of his office, and man, he didn’t like that. Plus, I talked back to him. I shouldn’t have done that, but the questions he asked me …” His voice drifts and he shakes his head. “He had no right to dig for that information. He’s crossed lines.”

“Will he get in trouble?” I think of what I told my parents and how I didn’t want Westscott to get fired.

“Maybe. I don’t know. The whole situation is a mess. My dad wants to meet with him. My parents are coming this afternoon and we’re all going to talk. I’m not sure what’s going to happen.” He grabs my hands, clasping them in his, interlocking our fingers. “You’re not a distraction, Willow. Not even close. If I stopped seeing you right now, I don’t think I’d be able to concentrate on anything else but you and how I could get you back.”

“You haven’t lost me.” I rise up on tiptoe, pressing my mouth to his in a soft kiss. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I need you in my life.” His voice is hoarse, as if it took a lot for him to say that. “I’ve never felt like this about a girl before. You’re the first.”

I throw myself at him, curling my arms around his neck, clinging to him. His arms come around my waist, pulling me even closer, and I kiss him with everything I’ve got. He returns the kiss with the same enthusiasm and we get a little carried away …

Until we practically fall into the shelves behind us, knocking a few cleaning supplies over.

“You need to get back to class,” he murmurs against my neck.

“I don’t want to.”

“You have to.” He pulls away slightly, slipping his fingers under my chin to tilt my face up, our gazes locking. “Gotta keep up that good girl image.”

I roll my eyes. “I should’ve never said anything like that.”

“Too late. You did.” He kisses my forehead. “Don’t listen to any of the rumors going around school. It’s all a bunch of lies. I’ll let you know what happens as soon as we get out of the meeting with Westscott.”

“Are you nervous?”

“A little,” he admits. “Dad told me to stay out of class today. Keep a low profile until we figure everything out.”

“That’s good advice.”

“I think so too.” He spins me around by my shoulders, reaching out to open the door. “Go back to class. Tell Silas hi from me.”

I glance over my shoulder. “You saw him sitting next to me?”

“Yeah.” His expression turns grim. “Tell that fucker to stay away from my girl.”

“I can’t say that.” I loved how he just called me his girl.

“You can’t? Fine, I’ll tell him then.” Rhett gives me a gentle shove and I exit the closet with him following after me. “Like I said, don’t listen to the rumors. People will be talking mad shit about me.”

“They already are.”

“Right. Only believe what you hear from me.” He hooks his arm around my neck and hauls me in close, kissing my cheek. “I’ll see you later?”

“Yes,” I whisper, smiling at him. “Text me.”

“I will.”

I watch him walk away from me, calling out, “Good luck!”

He flashes me that cocky smile. The one he gave me the first day I met him, out in front of the house. “With you on my side, I don’t need any luck.”

I smile, wishing I could tell him how I really feel, but this is way too soon. I can’t be in love with him already.

Can I?