Page 82 of Phoenix

“No. Nora. Stop. Seriously.” He is pulling back against me, and I assume he’s just playing because no one really wants to get thrown into a pool. But they laugh afterward.

“Come on, you big baby. Lighten up because you’re getting your ass in that pool with me.” I give him a big tug and we move toward the pool.

“No! No! Nora! NO!” he shouts through the air and grabs my arm, pushing me back so I let go of him. I lose my footing and tumble back to the ground. His voice boomed so loudly, I literally felt it echo off my skin.

My palms are on fire from catching myself on the concrete and I stare up at him in shock.

Everyone is silent and Amelia is on her feet in a second, moving toward us.

He’s shaking, pacing like a caged animal before sliding his hands into his hair and tugging before he looks my way. “Nora...”

He steps toward me to help me up and I scurry back, shaking my head. “No. Don’t come near me.”

“Case...” Amelia says, as she approaches my side and bends to see if I’m okay.

“I’m sorry, Nora. I’m sorry. Amelia, tell Cadence I love her. I have to go.”

And just like that...he takes off, jogging from the pool area and into the main building and presumably out to his truck.

When he’s finally out of sight, I let the tears and a heaving breath leave my body.

“Oh my God. What was that?” I say, with my hand to my chest.

Grayson moved in record time from the grill to the pool to check on Cadence, then to Amelia and I, all the while glancing in the direction Case went.

“What happened?” he asks, helping me up.

“Your friend is an asshole. That’s what happened. He screamed at me for trying to PLAY with him, Grayson. I don’t let anyone shout at me. And then he pushed me away and I fell.” I wipe my eyes. “In front of all these, people. Jesus.”

“What? Case wouldn’t put his hands on you. Ever.”

“No. He yelled, yes, but he was just trying to get me to let go of him. I lost my balance. He didn’t actually push me to the ground.” I check my palms and they are a bit scratched but mostly okay.

“What led up to it? I don’t understand,” Amelia says.

“He seemed so off. I wanted to make him lighten up a bit. I was going to push him into the pool and he freaked out on me.”

Grayson steps back a pace. “Aw, fuck.”

“What? What was so wrong about that?” I ask.

“Grayson? You should go talk to him because he made my best friend cry, and I kind of want to punch him in his face right now,” Amelia adds, pulling me in for a hug.

“Nora,” Grayson says, “Fuck, I’m going to go check on him. See what the fuck is going on his head.”

“I’ll make sure everything is okay out here, but tell him he’s on my shit list, Gray. I mean it,” Amelia says, before checking my palms again. “We should clean these.”

Grayson just nods then jogs toward the main building, leaving me in a state of shock, confusion, and anger.

Case

The breathing techniques aren’t working. Nothing is fucking working. There isn’t a breathing technique to fix “fucking asshole.”

I shouted at her. In front of everyone. I made her cry. I hurt her.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I am pacing the men’s locker room in the clubhouse, with both hands locked behind my head, trying to temper the anxiety attack that is brewing under the surface.

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