Page 36 of Unloved

It’s weird enough that I stop, watching him from the doorway for a moment. He’s got headphones in, blaring loud enough that he doesn’t hear me in the room, and he bobs around as he makes his coffee.

“The music thing is new,” Bennett says, making me jump four feet into the air.

“You know,” I say with a sneer, “for such a big guy, you’re silent. It would be nice to let people know you’re walking around. Get a heavier footstep.”

The goalie only chuckles once, then moves past me into the kitchen to start his usual morning breakfast rituals. Rhys sees him, clocking me in the corner, and blushes, pulling out his headphones.

“Hey,” he says sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“For dancing in your own kitchen?” I press a hand to my chest. “Apology accepted.”

Rhys hovers awkwardly as the machine finishes his coffee—my mouth is watering. It’s a nice, fancy machine that either Bennett or Rhys contributed to the house, nothing I could afford myself. Too anxious to ask them how to use it, I usually wait until someone’s making coffee and request a cup.

Surprisingly, that system has worked for years now.

“Well,” Rhys sighs. “I need to…”

He points upstairs and trots off, not bothering with anything else. Which isn’t like him—Rhys thrives in our group, happy around everyone and always the brightest star of us all. Holden and I might bring the laughs and good times, but Rhys is thegoodfriend. Kind, smiling, always happy. Golden.

Now his face looks a little pale, light dimmed as he heads upstairs to close himself back up in his room—the new normal, it seems.

I wait until I hear his door click shut before asking Bennett, “Have you talked to him?”

“Yes.”

I roll my eyes. “I mean, about how he’s doing? Something seems… off.”

Bennett clenches his fist, almost breaking the egg in his hand prematurely. He pulls his shoulders back and shifts his neck toward his shoulder, like a quick twitch of muscle. A sign he’s uncomfortable or upset. Clearing his throat, the hulking goalie continues to make breakfast.

“He won’t talk to me,” he huffs.

“But you’re his best friend.”

I don’t mean it as a reprimand, nor a call out. It’s my own helplessness, of feeling disconnected from Rhys, that’s bleeding into my tone.

Our entire group feels like it’s half fractured. Bennett seems more distant than usual. Rhys is floundering, something clearly wrong that he won’t admit to or ask for help with.

Giving up on talking to either of them, I run back upstairs to shower and change before my dreaded class schedule for Fridays.

Mostly, the one taught by the woman who hurt me most.

Being there every other day, listening to her lecture, is a certain kind of hell for me. Seeing Carmen alone is enough of a trigger, but I’m also torn between wanting to tune her out completely and needing to listen to what she says so I can pass the course this time.

Still, as much as I hate biology, I can’t help the slight excitement I feel going to the class because it means I get to see Ro outside of tutoring.

I already like her, want to be a friend to her. I’ve never really felt comfortable around a girl enough to want to be her friend, but this feels warm and safe. I want to see her around, more than tutoring. And… I think it could be good for her, too.

CHAPTER 14Ro

“I tried.”

Sadie huffs into the phone. “Ro, please, please,please, don’t let him do this to you.”

“He’s not.” I shake my head, doodling a bit as I try to distract myself. “It’s my fault. I just… I don’t know what he wants.”

“It’s not your fault,” Sadie says. There’s a slam in the background. Then I can hear the little giggles and squeals in the back that let me know she’s picked up the boys from school, and I feel guilty using her any more than this. She’s already stretched too thin.

“I know.” I clear my throat a little before calling brightly, “Hey, Oliver. Hey, Liam.”

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