Page 105 of The Pass Protection
“I’m not sure you’re in the best position to ask for favors.”
“Grant, I’m not fucking joking. I need you to sit in that spot, remain calm, and let me tell you everything. No interjecting with rude comments or asking me a thousand questions. It’s hard for me, okay?”
“All right, Addy. I’m not making any promises, but I’ll try.”
Bringing my to-go cup to my lips, I savor the burn of the rich, dark roast as it coats my tongue before traveling down my throat, warming the path as it goes.
“There’s been a rift between us since last school year, and I know it’s my fault. I hate how our relationship has started to deteriorate. I always assumed it would be inevitable, but I thought it would be when you found a wife and you’d start doing things with her family instead of ours. Little did I know that I’d be the one to find someone and fuck everything up.”
“Ad—”
“Grant, please.” He nods reluctantly. “When you and Dad came to visit, you both met Chad. I should’ve listened to you then andbelieved everything you said. You’ll never know how deeply sorry I am for listening to a boy I’d just met over my best friend.”
For the next ten minutes, I shared with Grant all of the problems that came from my relationship with Chad. I leave out some of the details. There are just some things a brother doesn’t need to know, like his sister with a handful of pills, because that version of me is long gone. Even with the events from last night, I know deep down I’m not that scared girl looking for a way out.
Anger seeped from Grant, and a few times, he stood from the couch and paced the room. His hands stayed clenched at his sides the entire time, his nose flared, and he muttered indecipherable words. When I shared what happened last night, he threw his remote. I never realized Grant had such an anger issue. Maybe he should have played defense so he could hit more things.
“I’ll kill him,” he roars from where he’s burning a path in his carpet. “I’m not kidding. I’ll fly to Arizona right now, find the small dick motherfucker, and I’ll kill him.”
“Okay, bro.” I roll my eyes. “You and Crew won’t be killing anyone. I’ll handle it.”
“You’ll handle it? It’s been a year, Addy. A year of this asshole tormenting you, forcing you to change your plans, and leaving you scared of your own shadow. The buck stops now.” He’s right, I know he is, but I’m scared of the repercussions. “Why do you have that look on your face?”
“Because I’m scared of what will happen.” He shakes his head, and I can tell he doesn’t understand. “What if they can’t prove any of the incidents, and I look like the girl who cried wolf? What if they drag you and Dad into the mix? That kind of negative press isn’t good for either of you, not when Dad’s facing shit from his loss, and you’re looking to be hired on.”
“Who gives a shit about us? I know Dad would feel the exact same way. You come first, Ads. No job is more important than your safety, so stop using us as an excuse. Let’s talk to someone to see if you have enough evidence. The university has a ton of lawyers on retainer. Let me figure out what we need to do to stop this guy. Maybe even threatening to go public or bring attention to the dean at Arizona will cause him to back off. But let me handle that.”
Silence falls over the room as we both process the information overload. My forehead rests against my knees as the urge to curl up and fall asleep hits me. Emotional baggage is heavy, and when you unload the piles of trauma it can feel like a weight is being released, freeing you, while also feeling completely drained as all of the sensations course through your body, leaving you on an adrenaline crash.
“I love him, Grant.” Nostrils flare, and his eyes turn into slits as he glares at me. “I’m in love with Crew. It’s not something we planned, but it was inevitable.”
“Inevitable? Do you hear yourself?” Leaning forward, he places his elbows on his knees and stares at me. “You spent the last twenty minutes talking about how you thought you were in love with a guy who was playing mind games on you. Then you transfer schools without telling anyone and move in with my teammates after I casually brought up that some of my friends were looking for a place to live. You’re here for five minutes and fall in love again. Do you even know what love is?”
“It’s not whatever game you’re playing with Savannah. And I didn’t jump straight into bed with him as if he was a complete stranger, fuck you very much.” It’s my turn to get angry as I feel my body heat rise from my blood boiling.
“You were at the same party I was at last Christmas. You witnessed my time spent with Crew. Anyone with eyes could see that there waschemistry with us, but I was in a relationship with a piece of shit. I friend-zoned him so fast his head spun. When I came here, I had no idea he was one of my roommates. It’s not like I had this grand plan to move here and trick your teammate into falling for me.
“I wanted to fight it. I tried, but you can’t fight love, Grant. It happened, and I was the one who told him we had to keep it a secret. It was my idea to hide us from the world. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me. And you definitely have no right to be mad at JP and Tyler—they knew nothing.”
“Bullshit. There’s no way those two didn’t know about you two.”
I shake my head, pushing a loose strand of hair from my face. “They really didn’t. I heard them talking about it last night. The guys are just as pissed as you are.”
“I don’t think they’re just as pissed.”
“You know what I mean.” He nods as the conversation lulls. I watch as he processes all of the information shared today.
Grant stands and makes his way around the sectional. I watch as he goes into the kitchen and grabs his phone. His thumbs fly over the keys as he types before scanning the screen. Walking over to the fridge, he holds open the door.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m hungover as fuck and then all of that”—he waves his hand around the air in a circular motion—“I could use a sports drink. Want one?”
“Please, red if you’ve got one.”
“Saved the cough syrup flavor just for you.” He tosses me the bottle as he takes his place back on the couch, his nose glued to his phone. Whatever he’s reading must be intriguing.
Twisting open the orange cap, I take a long chug of the red liquid as I savor the fruity drink.
“Okay, I’ve got an idea.” It turns out that Grant was reading information on legal proceedings and ways to improve my security measures until things with Chad end.
