Chapter 21

“That’s it! You’ve got it! Focus! Move, move, move!” Coach Larson yelled to us guys out on the court.

Yeah. On it, Coach. But it’s hard to focus when I know why everyone’s staring at me today!

I hadn’t been too worried when Izzy explained why she was probably going to the office, but the office didn’t have grounds to spread it around school. Someone else had done that. By the time lunch hit, the rumors about me and Izzy were rampant.

There’d been no shutting this one down. And honestly, no point in it. Izzy was going to start sitting out of dance this week, which would only be proof. What really pissed me off was how fast everyone was willing to believe it. It was Izzy. Her reputation deserved some doubt on the topic before there was proof.

But mine doesn’t.I groaned internally at the thought, hating that mine affected her so much now. I hadn’t even gotten to see her since everything came out. Mr. Johnston swiped my phone when I tried to message her earlier, and I felt like a dick for missing her and the others at lunch. The counselor’s timing seriously sucked. Even Coach had caught me after hearing the rumor break out…

“Get it together, Pierce! Stress about it later!” Coach yelled. “Hustle and watch your teammates. See who’s open. I need your head in this practice!”

Later my ass…Not with all the stares, not when everything suddenly felt so much more real. Not even basketball could save my sanity today.

By the time I made it to the showers, I’d swear I could feel every pair of eyes boring in my back. It was driving me crazy, but I knew it was all in my head. The guys still understood the concept of creepy, no matter how much they were dying to ask.

I shuddered, unable to shake the feeling. Suddenly desperate for air. Or space. Room to even think. I rushed to finish what had to be the fastest shower of my life.

Back in the locker room, I caught movement near the doors and saw David slipping outside. Weird. I’d thought for sure I was the first one out of the showers.

I blew it off, heading over to the row with my stuff. What did I care if someone wanted to get out of here early? I should’ve thought of it myself. Maybe I still can if I hurry. But before I could even open my locker, I heard something around the corner.

I glanced over to see who else had skipped the showers, but whoever it was had their head ducked inside their locker.

“You okay, man?” Jet called out.

Zane’s head jerked up, catching me watching, and both our eyes narrowed into dark looks, the hatred between us filling the small room.

“Fuck off and mind your business, Pierce,” Zane snapped, slamming the locker shut to follow David outside.

Yeah, I hate you, too.

“What was that about?” Jet asked. “You know Izzy would be pissed if she found out you were trying to pick another fight with Zane.”

“He’d deserve it for what he fucking did to you,” I ground out.

“Yeah, well, he got benched the rest of the season for that. I’m serious, though.”

“I know.” I waved him off. “I didn’t even know he was out here.”

“Okay…cuz it really looked like you were in a hurry to get out here for something.” Jet gave me a doubtful look, and I shook my head.

“No, I just had to get out of the showers.”

“Why?”

“Don’t ask, man.” I didn’t feel like going into the weird rationalizations of my mind right now.

Jet shrugged and headed over to his locker to change. I’d just finished pulling on my clothes when some of the guys started to trickle in. So much for getting out of here. I grabbed my sneakers and sat down on a nearby bench, hoping that I could get them on fast enough to avoid an interrogation.

“So, is it true, man?” Kyle asked not a moment after I sat down.

My jaw clenched as I stifled a groan, and I bent to pull on one of my shoes. “Is what true?” I feigned ignorance, pushing the irritation from my tone, for the guys at least.

“You know what I’m talking about. It’s all over school. You. Izzy. Pregnant. What’s the deal?”

I let my foot drop back to the floor, my shoelaces still untied, and looked up at the small group of guys that had had mine and Jet’s backs for years. Every one of them waiting for a response. I sighed. “Yeah. It’s true.”

Corey gaped while Noah exclaimed loud enough for the whole fucking locker room to hear. “I can’t believe it! We were hoping it was just a rumor. It is Izzy, after all.”

“Yeah, but it’s also me, right?” I grated before exchanging a look with Jet, daring him to argue.

“Bro…”

I shook my head. “Whatever. It’s not a rumor.”

Shouts and groans erupted from my crew. “Bro, how could you be so stupid? Mateo asked once the commotion died down. “Carrying around condoms is one of the main purposes of a wallet.”

“It’s not like we planned on it,” I snapped. “It happened too fast for me to really even think about it.”

“It happened too fast, huh?” Mateo smirked as he nudged Kyle in the arm.

“Not what I meant, and you’d be an expert on things happening too fast, wouldn’t you?” I retorted, bringing into play a rumor from junior year when Mateo had managed to score a senior.

He scowled and started grabbing his clothes from his locker. “I still say she exaggerated.”

“You’re not gonna quit basketball over this, are you?” Noah asked next, and I scowled.

“I think I can manage to still play ball even though my girlfriend’s pregnant.”

“Just checking, man. I’d hate to see you lose focus over this. Scouts will pick up on that, even if you’ve got more talent than anyone else on the team. I mean, you haven’t officially signed with anyone yet.”

“So, are y’all gonna take care of the situation?” Kyle asked more seriously then.

By his tone, we all knew what he meant. I shot him a look of disgust and went back to putting on my shoes.

“Hey, someone had to ask,” he grumbled.

“We were all thinking it,” Corey defended.

“Well, most of the guys have been wondering why Tucker Pierce decided to settle on one chick when just about every girl on the Ridge drools over him like fucking candy. I guess now we’ve got our answer,” Noah commented, running his comb through his already perfect hair.

A rush of anger flared through me, and I stood, snatching my bag from the floor. Like hell they have an answer. They didn’t have a clue about anything.

“Fuck off,” I spat, glowering as I stormed out the doors, pushing so hard they slammed into the outside wall as I left. Before the doors closed, I heard Jet say, “Y’all are all idiots.”

“Oh, come on, Ems. It wasn’t anything personal,” I begged as I headed down the hall with Emma to my locker. “We didn’t tell anyone about it.”

“I don’t see how I’m not supposed to take it personally. I really thought that we were close. Not in y’all’s main group close, but still close. Enough that you could trust me. I didn’t tell anyone when Izzy mentioned she and Tucker were fighting. Why would I do it about this? Which, yeah, I know, it’s like two entirely different scales, but damn it. Really, I thought we were close enough to share things like that.” Emma huffed, the hurt clear in her features gutting my middle. I hated that we’d let her down. Because she was right. She was a good friend. She was awesome. She just wasn’t one of the core.

I pursed my lips and released a frustrated breath. “Emma, please.” I tried again. “You are a good friend, and it has nothing to do with not trusting you.”

“Then what is it? I’d really like to know so that the next time there’s some big secret, I’ll know why I’m not in the loop.”

“I’m sorry, Emma,” Izzy chimed in, overhearing us as we reached my locker. “It was me, really. I just wanted to keep it under wraps for a while. The more people that knew, the easier it was for one of us to slip up and let the news out. Not on purpose, of course. It’s just that…” She made a face. “Tucker and I wanted to hold off on the drama as long as possible. And I really haven’t even known that long if it helps.”

“Kind of.” She looked at Izzy for a few seconds before her frown relaxed into an understanding smile. “And yeah, I guess I can see where you were coming from.”

“Thanks.” Izzy smiled while I sighed in relief.

“Yeah, it sucked having you mad at me.”

“Well, I’m still annoyed, but I’ll get over it.” Emma looked down at her watch. “I’ve got to run to my locker. I’ll see you in class, Annie. Later, Izzy.”

“Later,” we replied, digging through our lockers once she walked off.

“So, how was dance class today?” I asked cautiously, forgetting to ask in all the chaos of the rumors at lunch.

Izzy closed her locker door and leaned her head against the red, chipped metal, a look of emotional exhaustion across her face. “Horrible. I had to sit up in the bleachers and watch the whole time. Ms. Teiger didn’t call attention to me or anything, but everyone was still watching. I couldn’t even try to pass it off as being sick or hurt for a few days thanks to all those rumors starting up. I don’t even know how they knew,” she said in exasperation. “I’m not showing enough, and the office can’t tell.”

I frowned. She had a point. “Well, someone started it. I wonder who.”

“Does it really matter? It’s out now. There’s no going back,” Izzy said as we headed down the hall.

“I guess not…” But I was still skeptical. “Are you going to hang out at Tucker’s today before the game or do you have practice with Leo?”

“No practice on game days, remember? Plus, I’ve still got some stuff to tell Tucker.”

“It’s killing me that you won’t tell me,” I complained. Izzy had been so ecstatic earlier. It had to be good.

“Later. I promise. I want to tell Tucker first.”

“Okay. Fine. I get it. But as soon as you get home.”

“Deal.”

We shared a grin, walking slowly, neither of us thrilled about going to another class after such a long day. But when we reached the main split in the hall where we would have to separate, a group of girls chatting nearby looked away with nervous glances.

I frowned, prepared to pull Izzy away from any more drama, until I saw a flip of strawberry blonde waves at the center of the group.

“Oh, I know…” Lisa dragged out the word. “I couldn’t believe it either at first, but trust me. It’s true!”

My eyebrow raised.

“How do you know? It’s probably just a rumor,” Bev countered.

A triumphant gleam touched Lisa’s eyes. “Because I saw it. This morning in the parking lot. Her stomach is not flat under that top. She had her hand pressed against her middle, and you could so tell.”

My eyes shot to Izzy, feeling her stiffen by my side.

“Maybe she’s just getting fat? It’s not like she’s in athletics like Annie,” someone argued.

“But she does dance,” another chimed in. “And she’s pretty hardcore about it.”

“Look, I swear,” Lisa insisted. “I even heard her tell Jet that she felt the baby move. She’s definitely pregnant. The office even called her in.”

Izzy cringed, turning pale, and I realized this must have been her big news. And I just bet this bitch couldn’t wait to run her mouth off about it. My eyes narrowed, turning back to Lisa just as Trisha walked up with an exaggerated eye roll.

“All this coming from the girl who faked a pregnancy to try to get Tucker in her clutches.”

Thank you! I knew I liked Trisha.

“Please.” Lisa flipped her hair again. “That was just to try to save him from her. I knew she was bad news. And now look. I could never understand why Tucker decided to stay with her. Miss too-good-for-any-guy-ever. I bet she’s just been drooling over him all these years, waiting for him to bother to notice her, or even just take pity on her. I mean, at least I wasn’t desperate enough to try to trap him into a relationship by getting myself knocked up. I would never do that to him.”

“No, you’d just fake it,” Trisha cut her off again.

“To save him.” Lisa sneered. “I’d never do it for real. Tucker had too big of a future to be stuck with an unwanted baby. He could never be happy like that. If she really loved him, she would’ve known that.”

I watched as Izzy’s shocked stare turned into one of pure pain, and every protective sister instinct I had came flaring out with my claws. Lisa had now gone too far. Making people think Izzy trapped Tucker? Like the baby was on purpose?

Yeah. I was done.

“Izzy, why don’t you go on to class?”

“What? No, Annie, it’s fine. Lisa’s just jealous. I know that.”

Yeah, but those words still left a mark, and I’m not letting it go.

“Go ahead, Izzy,” I directed, my tone leaving no room to argue.

I waited for Izzy to leave, and before I could move, Lisa glanced past Trisha’s shoulder with an evil smirk. My vision went red.

The crowd spread back as I stormed forward, and Trisha stepped aside with her own smirk when she saw the look on my face. Lisa flinched and pressed herself back into the wall as I cornered her in.

“What the hell is your problem?!” I growled. “Have you seriously not learned your lesson yet? You’re inconsequential. Not even anywhere near Tucker’s radar. He doesn’t give a damn about you. Now shut your ugly jealous mouth before I have to shut it for you.”

Her eyes widened with fear. “Like you’d do anything.”

I leaned in, making sure the promise in my threat was clear as I whispered, “Try me.”

Lisa swallowed. “Get suspended for fighting and those top universities won’t care if you’re valedictorian.”

I shrugged. Like I cared. I wasn’t leaving Izzy. Or Jet. And who would put Tucker in his place if I was gone? “You’re missing my point, Lisa. I will do anything to protect my sister and my friends. So, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll back off and leave Tucker and Izzy alone.”

“You can’t stop people from gossiping.”

“No, maybe not, but you know as well as I do that my group has more than enough pull here on the Ridge to make your life miserable. Now, back off and shut up or I’ll make sure you regret it.”

It was just Lisa. Don’t let her get to you. You know she’s just jealous, and she wouldn’t even know how Tucker feels about any of this.

I took a deep breath, centering myself. I didn’t feel like crying for once. That was a good thing. Lisa’s words had just really shaken me. There was no way she could know how Tucker felt about the baby.

But what if she does? What if she didn’t make it up? What if she heard it from someone else, someone who would know? We don’t run in totally different circles. Could Tucker feel trapped in this relationship with me? Did I just assume he wants the baby as much as I do? Am I forcing him?

My pace slowed under the onslaught of new thoughts, the crowded halls around me fading.

I know he loves me. He told me that before we knew I was pregnant, but he hasn’t said much about the baby or even our futures since we found out.

What if he only agreed to keep her because he felt obligated? Tucker doesn’t back away from responsibility, but what if he really does want out? I don’t want to trap him, but I don’t know how I’d make it through all this without him…

I came to a stop, the weight of my thoughts crushing, and I clutched a fist to my chest, trying to remember how to focus and breathe.

“Why is it that, every time I find you alone, you seem upset?”

I shuddered as Zane’s voice crept over me, bringing me back, and my eyes widened when I realized we were basically alone in the nearly deserted hall.

“I’m not upset. I’ve just got a lot on my mind, and I’ve got to get to class,” I said quickly, taking a step, but I’d barely put my foot down when Zane slid in front of me, wearing the same charming smile he’d had the last time he’d cornered me.

It made me sick to my stomach. Out of all the times he’d thrown nauseating winks and smiles in my direction the last several months, why did he choose this moment to bug me? Right in the middle of my heart crippling realizations.

“Hang on. Don’t rush off.”

I considered turning around, just being late to class, but I knew he’d likely just follow. “What do you want, Zane?” I sighed in defeat. At least there were enough classrooms nearby for people to hear this time if something went wrong.

He frowned. “You always sound so frustrated. I just wanted to find out if you’ve thought about what I said the last time I caught you in the hall.”

I mentally rolled my eyes. “No, not really. I try not to bask over our conversations. What did you ask me that time again?”

The muscle in his jaw clenched as something hardened in his eyes. “Not funny, Izzy. You know I want you back. I can tell you’re not happy with Tucker. Not like you were with me.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Zane.” Could he seriously not have heard yet? And doesn’t he know that it’s probably the other way around? That I’m the one who’s making Tucker unhappy?

He gave me a scrutinizing look, his patience obviously starting to wear. “Maybe not, but I still can’t figure out why you’d choose to stay with him when you could come back to me.”

“Didn’t you just go on a date with Larissa? How about you go back to that?”

Zane rolled his eyes. “That was fucking, not dating. Thought it might make you jealous. Seems like I might have been right.”

I nearly gagged, choosing not to respond to that comment. He’ll just ignore or twist anything I say around, anyway.

Debating on what to say so I could try to get away, I flinched backwards as his hand raised, and flashbacks from that night last summer flew through my mind. I knew all too well how hard that hand could come down, and I wasn’t the only one to worry about this time. Instinctively, my hand flew to my stomach.

My breath returned when Zane chuckled, and I realized with a ripple of relief that he hadn’t been planning to hit me. Instead, his fingers wrapped in a few strands of my hair. He looked down to where my hand pressed against the slight bulge under my top, and his eyes flashed in angered disbelief before he graced me with a disgusted smirk.

“I guess that’s my answer.” But he said it a little too smugly, as if I’d just assured him that I’d be back with him in a heartbeat otherwise.

Nerves firmly intact, I stood still as Zane ran his fingers down through the dark, silky strands of my hair, but when he went as far as to tuck a lock behind my ear, I shuddered at the touch.

“At least I know it’s not mine,” he said before he turned, disappearing into a classroom on my right.