Page 327 of Releasing 10
“It’s all right, Hughie, I’ve got ya.” Wrapping his arms around my boyfriend, he dragged him off the boy bleeding on the floor. “He’s not worth it, lad.”
“Let me go, Gibs.” Never in my life had I seen Hugh so unhinged as he wrestled furiously against Thor’s hold, desperately trying to lunge at the boy pulling on his clothes. “I’m going to kill that prick.”
“Seriously, Pierce?” Thor demanded, struggling to restrain my boyfriend. “Are you that much of fucking turnout?”
“I’m really fucking sorry, Gibs,” the boy replied, toeing on his shoes before grabbing his jacket off the chair.
“Yeah, well, sorry doesn’t quite cut it, asshole,” Thor shot back angrily. “Not when you fuck a teammate’s girl in his own bed, you prick!”
“I am so fucking sorry, lads, but she was all over me,” the boy protested. “I mean it, Hughie, lad. She told me to have her.”
That seemed to register with Hugh, and I watched his shoulders sag in what looked like defeat. “Get him out of here, Gibs,” he whispered, sounding broken. “And send everyone home.” A deep shudder racked through my boyfriend when he said, “The party’s over.”
The boy didn’t need to be told twice and quickly bolted from the room, followed by Thor. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me, lad,” he said, glancing back at Hugh before closing the door and leaving us alone.
I braced myself for my boyfriend’s wrath, but it didn’t come.
Instead, he turned his back on me, gripped the windowsill, and stared out.
“Hugh.” Scrambling off the bed, I hurried toward him. “Please, please, please let me explain.”
“Put your clothes on, Liz.” He didn’t look at me when he spoke, choosing to stare out the window instead. “I can’t look at you right now.”
“I’m sorry,” I strangled out, chest heaving. “I’m so fucking sorry, Hugh. Please justtalkto me.”
“Put your clothes on, Liz.”
“Okay.” Sniffling, I hurried back to his bed and scrabbled to find my clothes. “I am sorry.”
Silence enveloped me.
“Hugh, I mean it.” My tears were falling at a rapid rate, as the seriousness of the situation started to hit me. “I don’t know what happened.”
He didn’t respond.
“Hugh, please!” Crying hard, I stepped into my underwear and pulled them up my legs. “Say something.”
He didn’t.
“It meant nothing, I swear. I, uh, I…I thought I was with you.” When I grabbed my dress off the bedroom floor, my gaze landed on a used condom. “Oh my fucking God!” My body shook violently, and I choked out a hoarse sob, while I quickly dressed myself. “What did I do?”
“You can stay here tonight if you don’t want to call your parents to come get you,” Hugh finally said. Straightening his shoulders, he blew out a breath and moved for the door. “I’m going to crash at Gibsie’s.”
“No, no, no, please don’t leave me,” I cried, rushing to intercept him, but it was too late. He was already out of the room and halfway down the stairs. “Hugh!”
“Wait,” I cried out, following my boyfriend outside in the middle of the night. “Hugh, please!”
“Go back inside, Liz,” he called over his shoulder as he stormed off in the opposite direction of both houses.
“Please, wait!” Running barefoot down the street, I caught up with him and grabbed his shirt. “No, Hugh, don’t go.” Catching onto his forearm with both hands, I cried hard and ugly when I tried to pull him to a stop. “Please don’t go.”
Always the gentleman, Hugh obliged and came to a stop, choosing not to drag me barefoot down the asphalt, even though I deserved it.
His entire frame was stiff, and he stared straight ahead in the darkness.
I was holding his arm, but he wasn’t giving an inch.
“Look at me.”
