Page 15 of Safe (King’s Heart #1)

Grant

Landon has been absent for a few days now.

This is good.

I don’t know what happened to him, but maybe whatever it is just did my job for me. And maybe he won’t come back. And I feel… fine with that.

It’s what I need.

But I do wish the edginess I’ve been trapped under would go away. Each day he’s gone, I’ve been even more of an asshole than usual. Snapping at everyone who talks to me. Eyes constantly searching the halls for his brown curls to pop up so I can torment him into leaving again.

Coach has been on my ass at practice too, and if I’m being honest, I have been playing like shit. Like right now, as I throw a wild pass to Richardson that goes way over his head.

I can hear Coach groan from the sideline. “Come on, Caldwell! Get your head in the game! We play Cranston Prep this Friday!”

“Sorry, Coach,” I grit out between my clenched teeth.

Unfortunately, the rest of practice goes pretty much the same, and Coach is fuming. He has everyone run laps until some of the guys puke, then dismisses us.

I’m in a shit mood as I speed walk ahead of everyone to the locker room. That’s right when Jackass from the other day decides to jog up next to me.

“Hey, man,” he says breathlessly.

“What?” I bark.

“Um, I’m really sorry about the other day… again.”

I don’t say anything to that as we make it inside and to the lockers, ripping mine open and shucking off my sweaty shirt.

Javi walks up next to me, eyeing my aggressive movements before nodding at Jackass. “What’s up, Cam?”

Oh, yeah. Cam. That sounds familiar.

Cam nods back and then returns his attention to me. “I just got something that I thought maybe you’d want to see.”

I raise an eyebrow at him as Javi gives him a curious glance too. Cam takes his phone out of the bag he has slung over his shoulder, tapping the screen a few times and turning it for us to see.

My stomach instantly drops. And I don’t even understand why. I’m filled with dread and something else. Sympathy? Sadness?

Javi doesn’t quite understand what he’s looking at. He scrunches his face, searching the photo until all the pieces click into place for him, making him raise his brow and let out a low whistle.

I’m silent.

Cam speaks again. “I was thinking maybe we could?—”

I cut him off with my hand in the air. I know where he’s going with this. “Let me think,” I say.

This could be exactly what I need. The nail in the coffin.

But… I really don’t want to. And that both surprises and annoys me.

Why? Why have I forgotten my goal? The whole reason that he needs to go.

I can’t be empathetic right now—I’m trying to survive .

And yes, it has crossed my mind that the only reason I feel like shit the last few days is because he’s not here. And I don’t know what that means.

But it doesn’t really matter. There are bigger problems at play than me being in a bad mood about my pet’s absence.

About Landon’s absence.

I turn to my locker, grabbing my wallet and pulling out a hundred dollar bill then handing it to Cam. “Do it.”

Javi sighs heavily and covers his face with his hands while Cam smiles like a fucking idiot and bounces away from us.

I keep getting dressed, deciding to skip the showers so I can go to my dorm and just be alone.

Javi leans toward me, whispering, “Bro, you don’t think that’s a little much?”

I refuse to look at him, bending down to pull on my shoes. “I don’t give a fuck.”

That’s not completely true. It’s not that I don’t, it’s that I can’t .

He shakes his head. “Just so you know, if you ever did that to me, I’d never forgive you.”

I slam my locker closed and throw my bag over my shoulder. “Good.”