Page 29 of Rebellious

That man. “I’m going to kick his ass.” Blood pumps through my veins, heating my cheeks and fueling my fury.

Turning around, I head back to the party, barging through the front door and leaving Drew behind. “Don’t get blood on my hoodie,” he shouts when I’m down the hall.

I don’t acknowledge his comment. There’s no point; I can’t promise there won’t be bloodshed. This behavior from Bennett deserves a smack, at minimum. Slamming the door to Bennett’s bedroom, I take a deep breath, noting most of the party noise is muted. This diva… Did he soundproof his room?

I shake my head. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that his stubbornness is going to kill him. With a quick look around, I notice his bed is empty and the bathroom light is on. I give no shits about his privacy and barge in without knocking.

Low and behold, I find the pain in my ass standing in front of the mirror with his shirt pulled up, a needle gripped in his hand.

Without a word, I hop up onto the counter. He stands there, just watching me.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

His jaw clenches. “You didn’t give me the chance.”

I snatch the syringe from his hand. “Bullshit. You could have told me you needed a shot.”

He snatches the medicine back. “Maybe it’s better this way.”

I fight off a smile. “Are you mocking me?”

His lip twitches. “I would never,” he lies.

“Yeah, you’re such a saint.” I nod to his stomach. “Want me to walk you through this?”

He rolls his eyes. “I know how to give myself an injection.”

“Okay, Mr. Know-It-All.” I fold my arms across my chest. “Then show me. You need to learn anyway since I won’t be around next semester.”

That stone jaw of his pulses with tension, and it splinters my heart. Tough love is hard to do, especially when I’ve seen how hard it is for him to tolerate needles. He was always the worst at flu shots. Whereas Drew and I could be bribed with gum and candy, Bennett would break out in cold sweats. His hands would tremble, but I would always hold them so no one saw. It was our little secret.

I slide closer, lifting one leg and locking my ankles around his back, pulling him to me. “Did you clean the site already?”

He nods, looking down at his abdomen, all defined hills of solid muscle.

“Pinch the area,” I instruct him softly, replacing his hand with mine and holding up his shirt.

He takes a breath, steadying himself, and then grasps the skin.

I nod in approval. “Now, uncap the needle.”

He groans and looks at the ceiling. “I lied to my father.”

I brush off his words. We need to focus. “Uncap the needle, Bennett.”

He drops the syringe on the counter and grabs my hands. “I lied. I applied to a few schools.”

“What?”

I try to pull away, but he grips me tighter, making sure I listen to everything he needs to say. “I needed options.”

“Bennett.” Oh my God.

He hurries to fill the panicked space between us. “I haven’t accepted anything yet, but Asp…”

My heart sinks… but Asp. He only uses those two words when he needs to break my heart. I hold my hands up. “Don’t tell me right now, okay?”

Bennett stares at me as if he’s debating whether to blurt the rest out anyway.

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