Page 76 of North

Flash. My feet pounding against the gym floor as I run, the noise chasing me, the walls tilting and spinning as if the whole world is mocking me. The ache so sharp, it feels like I might shatter.

“I have to get out of here,” I say, grabbing my purse from the table and my coat off the back of a stool.

The table goes silent for a beat, the surrounding sounds muted as the spotlight is on me.

Flash, flash, flash.

North reaches for me but I jerk back, shaking my head. Shock flickers in his eyes, his jaw tightening. “What’s going on?”

I take a moment to hold on to the hurt, but it’s ebbing away. All my years of wisdom since that fateful day long ago have taught me about the true nature of men. I open up and let the anger fill me. “I guess I didn’t find it quite so funny that people bet on my life.”

“Your life?” North asks in confusion. “It was just a joke. It was—”

“Not fucking funny,” I yell at him.

I look at the table, seeing the shock on everyone’s faces and then their awkward glances at one another.

Atlas clears his throat, looking genuinely contrite. “We didn’t mean any harm. It was just a dumb joke, you know?”

I stare at him mutely, the tightness in my chest gripping harder. The laughter and camaraderie so comfortingmoments ago now feel like a spotlight, too bright and too focused on me, and now I’m embarrassed.

“Farren,” Rafferty says, so very cautiously as he takes a step toward me. “What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry… I need some air,” I mumble and head for the exit. The crowd is thick and I have to elbow and nudge people out of the way, but soon enough I’m in the cold January night where I take deep gulping breaths.

“Farren.” I turn to see North there, the worry on his face etched so deep, I’m not sure it will ever come out. “You have got to tell me what’s going on.” He throws his thumb over his shoulder toward the door. “You have to know that was all in good fun, right?”

I step back, his words only making the rage burn hotter. “Good fun? So, what—this is all just a game to you?”

North jerks slightly from not just the accusation I threw at him, but the bitterness in my voice. His brows knit together, confusion flickering across his face. “Farren, no. That’s not what I meant.”

But I can’t hear him over the rushing in my ears, the familiar weight of humiliation pressing down on me. My mind spirals back to that awful night in high school—the whispered laughs, the cruel words, the way I felt when I realized I was a pawn in someone else’s game.

“You should’ve told me,” I snap, my voice low but trembling with anger. “If this was just some joke to you,you should’ve told me.”

“Hold on,” North says, his voice sharpening. “That’s not what this is.”

“Oh, really?” I say. “Because it sure feels like it.”

“Farren, you’re blowing this out of proportion,” he says, his response tinged with frustration. “It was a stupid bet between the guys. It had nothing to do with how I feel about you.”

“How do I know that?” I shoot back, my voice rising. “How do I know this isn’t just some conquest for you? Another notch on your belt?”

North’s face hardens, his jaw clenching. “You really think that little of me?”

I falter, his words cutting deeper than expected. “I don’t know what to think.”

“Then maybe you should figure it out,” he says, his voice cold now. “Because I can’t keep proving myself to you if you’re always going to assume the worst.”

Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them back, refusing to break down here. “This was a mistake,” I say, my voice shaking. “I knew it from the start. I tried to tell you.”

“You haven’t told me shit,” he snaps, righteous anger causing his face to flush. “You just tell me what you can and can’t give, and then something mysteriously sets you off and you’re ready to throw it all away? Real fucking mature.”

“Hey,” Rafferty calls from behind, stepping out the door and walking toward us. “Everything okay?”

North throws his hands out but I’m shaking my head. “No. It’s not okay. I’m going home.”

“I’ll give you a ride,” North says.

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