Page 5

Chapter 5

Alexis

I check my phone again. Blake still hasn’t answered.

A few feet away from me, two girls I recognize from being on the cheer squad whisper amongst themselves, shooting me sideways glances when they think I can’t see. I had to say both our names out loud when requesting the sign-up forms, and these girls clearly could not believe the Blake Taylor would ever settle for me.

To which I can only say, me neither.

“Excuse me? Hi,” I say to the energetic girl manning the stand—I think her name is Paris. “Would it be okay if I take these and get them back to you later? I have to go to class.”

“Of course!” she beams, and for a task so dull her smile must be fake. “Just make sure you have them turned in by tomorrow at noon.”

“Thank you.”

I press the forms between the pages of a textbook and stuff the book inside my backpack, practically sprinting away from those girls and their hurtful whispers. I may not have heard every word, but I heard enough.

The Media a hug, a touch. But Blake keeps a firm foot away, his hands tensing at his side. I’m not sure if that makes things better.

“No, I’m—you intervened in time.”

He points to my wrist. “Can I?”

I lift it and can barely keep from flinching as he gently holds my hand, inspecting the wrist like he’s a doctor. “Doesn’t look broken, but you can expect some serious bruising—we should probably ice it right away. I don’t think we need to go to the emergency room, but you and Alissa should keep an eye on it, make sure it doesn’t get worse.”

“You know a lot about injuries,” I say quietly.

“Yeah, I get hurt a lot on the ice, so it’s good to know when something’s just a bruise or something more serious. I was also a rowdy kid, climbing things I shouldn’t climb, exploring places I should have stayed far away from.” He places my hand against my chest, right over my heart. “Keep it there, it’ll help the swelling. Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

We walk in silence along the cobble-stoned paths, past the Arts building and through the quiet streets just beyond. Winter is fast approaching; the trees have lost their bright orange leaves, which lay rotting on the ground, and the wind cuts through the layers under my coat. It’s those things I focus on as we make our way to the run-down dormitories. The silence between us isn’t heavy, or uncomfortable, like most silences are. Though I can feel the question on Blake’s mind right up until he asks it.

“Has he done this before? Bothering you like this?”

His voice is quiet, almost unsure. Like he’s afraid I will fall apart if he speaks any louder. To be fair, I probably look like it.

“This is the first time he’s laid hands on me since it began,” I say. “But there were letters, and weeks where he’d follow me every day and I couldn’t leave my dorm. Gifts he’d leave outside my door. I’ve tried to make it stop, but according to the school board there's never enough reason to step in. The police gave him a restraining order, but he ignores it, and it doesn’t get enforced.”

“That’s…horrifying.” Blake’s brows knit in thought. “Send me your schedule. I’ll walk with you to and from class so that son of a bitch can’t come anywhere near you again.”

I shake my head. “You’re very sweet, but you have a life, too. Other things to do and prioritize.”

“There is nothing that matters more than this,” Blake says, his tone so decisive it leaves me no room to question it. “You’re my girlfriend now, Alexis. It’s my job to make you feel safe.”

I shoot him a look. “We both know that title means nothing.”

“It means something to me.” He stops walking to look at me, his expression dead serious. It’s a side of Blake I haven’t seen before, and it gives me a pause. “I mean it, Alexis. As long as we’re together, I will do everything I can to keep you safe and happy. If that means I have to keep watch outside your door or walk you places, so be it.” The corner of his mouth curls a little. “Though, I’m sure I could protect you even better if I keep watch from your bed.”

The wink he follows it up with lets me know it’s a lighthearted joke, meant only to make me smile. And for a moment it does.

“You must really want to be captain, if you’re willing to do all this.”

Conflict passes through his gaze. “I do. But this isn’t about that. I like you, and we’re going to spend months joined at the hip pretending to be a couple. I want us to be—I don’t know, good. Like you at least don’t resent spending time with me.”

A small laugh ripples from my chest. “Blake Taylor, are you saying you want to be my friend?”

“If I get to be so lucky,” he says. “Now let’s hurry up and get to your dorm before you can use my balls to ice your wrist.”