Page 30 of Send It

Colson

The events of last night play over and over in my head like a fucking nightmare.

The worst part of it all is that I fucking knew this shit would happen.

Jackson has given me the ick for years. When I first started talking to Brielle, she had mentioned something about an altercation with Jackson and one of her friends.

I never really knew whether or not to give what Brielle said any credit, but now I’m kicking myself for not listening. I know Reiss is too.

Lincoln spent the entire night upset and wouldn’t sleep in her room. I took her to one of the guest bedrooms and held her the entire night but it’s what she said after she finally spoke that broke me.

“Where were you?”

Had I come earlier like I originally planned, none of this shit would’ve happened. Instead, I got in my head about tonight and worried what would happen if I did something that made Reiss suspicious. It all blew up in my face because I think he is definitely suspicious after last night.

Lincoln turns over in the bed and blinks her eyes open, still bloodshot. My baggy t-shirt is the only thing clinging to her body, making my heart sink. I don’t like seeing her like this. I prefer her in my bed, wearing my clothes under different circumstances.

“You okay?” I ask, pulling her into my chest.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she says, completely distant. “I’m gonna go shower.”

She slips out from under the covers and pads off down the hall to her bathroom. I slip my shorts over my boxers and head downstairs to see if Reiss is here.

He is. It doesn’t look like he’s been to sleep at all. He sits at the island on a stool and looks completely stoic. Something is wrong.

“Hey,” I say, pulling out the stool next to him. “What happened? Why’d you just leave last night?”

He shakes his head, “I had some shit to take care of.”

“Like?”

Reiss slams his fist down on the granite and I jump, not expecting it. “Like that fucking asshole that almost raped my fucking sister last night.”

I don’t respond, because I’m pissed off too. I get the rage, I really do.

“If you hadn’t been up there,” he starts and then turns his eyes to mine. “What were you doing up there anyway?”

I sigh, “I had just gotten there. I thought I heard her yell so I went upstairs to check it out.”

But I’d have gone upstairs regardless.

“Thank you,” he says. “I should’ve listened to you. This is my fault.”

I blow out a breath, “It’s not your fault.”

“Thanks for trying to make me feel better but it is.”

I know him better than anyone and something is going on, something he’s not telling me.

“What’s going on, Reiss? And don’t try to bullshit me.”

“Mira is pregnant,” he states, looking down at his coffee mug. I feel my heart sink into my ass.

My shocked silence causes him to reel, “No, it’s… I mean, it’s not mine.”

Now I’m really confused.

“What is happening?” I say, running my hands back through my hair. “You got her pregnant?”

“No,” he quips. “Did you not hear what I just said?”

I begin to freak out, “All I heard is my best friend say that his girlfriend is pregnant.”

“But the baby isn’t mine,” he says. “She’s pregnant. We are not pregnant.”

I get irritated the more he speaks, “She cheated on you? I fucking knew she was no different than the rest of her family. Bunch of fucking cheaters. On the track and in the bedroom too apparently.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Reiss says, like he’s trying to defend her.

“The fuck you mean? You’ve been fucking her exclusively for two months.”

He purses his lips, like he’s about to let out a secret. “We haven’t slept together and Mira Tate is not my girlfriend.”

My mind is blown because my best friend hasn’t ever lied to me but I kind of feel like I don’t know anything right now.

“Why did you lie to me?” I ask.

He begins backpedaling, “I haven’t lied. You didn’t ask if Mira was my girlfriend. We haven’t really talked about it.”

“Well, we’re talking now.”

Reiss sighs, “I saw Mira at the track a few months ago crying behind Landon’s trailer.

I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and I couldn’t just leave her there.

She was nervous about telling her brother about the pregnancy because the father is one of his friends.

He took advantage of her one night when they were drunk. ”

I tilt my brows together, “What are you trying to say?”

“She needed a boyfriend so she could tell Landon that her boyfriend is the father.”

I all but gasp, “And you volunteered as tribute? What the fuck, Reiss?”

He shrugs, “It seemed like a good way to get in his head since he’s constantly fucking with my head.”

Oh my god.

“So you thought the perfect revenge was to tell him you fucked his sister?”

Reiss stands up, pouring himself another cup of coffee.

“Why didn’t she tell Landon about his friend? Sounds like he needs his ass kicked.”

Reiss shrugs, “I don’t know. The guy threatened her or something. I think she’s just trying to lay low until after Nationals, then she’s gonna tell him.”

“Does Landon know you hypothetically knocked up his sister? ”

Reiss nods, “She told him last night. He lost it.”

“Is that how you got that cut above your eyebrow?” I ask.

He nods, “Yup.”

I sit my cup down loudly on the counter and he laughs a little, “Don’t go getting all pissed off. It’s handled.”

“Doesn’t look like it is,” I say, motioning to his busted up eyebrow. “Does he look worse than you?”

Reiss scoffs, “Nah, man. I didn’t hit him. I’m the real winner here. He thinks his sister has my baby inside her. His head is so fucked right now it’s not even funny.”

I’m actually kind of surprised that he’s even worried about Landon like he is. It’s not like Reiss to stoop down to his level and pull some shit like that right before a big race.

“What are you gonna do when your dad finds out?” I ask, knowing damn well that daddy Bane isn’t going to take to it nicely hearing his son has the Tate’s daughter knocked up.

He shrugs, “It’ll be fine. Mira begged Landon not to tell anyone yet.”

“Had me fooled,” I admit. “I thought you really liked her.”

His smile fades and he looks down, “I do like her. She’s not like Landon, I meant that.”

“You wanna sign up for step daddy duties?”

Reiss shakes his head, “Nah, man. I knew what it was before I told her I’d do this. It’s not like that but I do consider her one of my friends. I care about what happens to her and the baby.”

“She won’t tell you who the father is?” I ask, pushing for more.

“Nope, everytime I try to bring it up she shoots me down. Says it’s not important and that she’s over it. Whatever happened isn’t good, man. I know her well enough now to know that.”

Lincoln walks down the stairs with her hair basically dripping from the shower, a giant sweatshirt on that must be Reiss’ and the baggiest sweatpants I’ve ever seen.

“To know what?” She asks and Reiss looks at me, silently begging me not to worry her with his drama.

“Nothing,” I say. “Are you alright?”

She sits down on the couch and pretty much melts into the cushion. “Yeah, Stas is on her way here. We’re going to watch movies and bed rot all day.”

“That’s fair,” I say and Reiss follows it up with a sharp nod.

“If that jackass tries to reach out to you, I want you to tell me about it,” Reiss says. “I don’t think he will because he can’t talk but if he texts you or anything, I wanna know about it.”

She pulls her hands into the sleeves of Reiss’ sweatshirt, “Why can’t he talk?”

“Because Colson broke his jaw.” Reiss winces, “And it’s wired shut.”

Lincoln’s eyes flash over to me and I can’t really read what’s behind them. Fear? Gratitude? I want to take her in my arms and pull her against my chest but I can’t with Reiss standing right there, and it’s killing me.