“So, as long as no one finds out about the drugs,” he continues, yanking his cleats off, “your little secret is safe with me.”
I watch him for a moment longer, my eyes lingering on his muscles as he pulls his shirt up over his head and tosses it to the side. Scary as he may be, it’s undeniable that Heath is beyond hot. His abs are so defined I could use them as a washboard.
“All right then,” I say, forcing myself to look away before he catches me staring. “Stop trying to punish me for it, though. You’re just going to make me end up in the infirmary again.”
“Can’t make any promises,” he says, but he actually smiles as he looks at me. “We’ll see.”
Chapter Thirteen
“So, tomorrow night,” Rafael says without warning as soon as I enter the dorm, “my friends and I were going to get together for a movie or something. You in?”
I shut the door behind me and stand there for a moment without answering. He’s lying on his back on the bed, one leg crossed over the other, holding a magazine up over his face. My own bed is rumpled and unmade. I drop my bag by my feet and hobble over to it, wincing.
“Can’t,” I say, sinking down onto the bed with a sigh of relief.
I hear the rustle of pages as Rafael puts his magazine down. “What, do you have plans?” The sarcasm is so thick in his voice that I could practically drown in it.
“A date,” I tell him. “Six o’clock.”
“A date?” He screeches. “With who? Did you tell someone about—or—wait, how is that supposed to work?” He suddenly narrows his eyes at me. “If you’re stealing the only other gay boy at this school, then I’ll—”
“Don’t worry. Not about that, anyway.” I shake my head for a moment while Rafael waits impatiently for me to continue. “Olive. Olive was at practice, and she asked me on a date.”
Rafael is quiet for a long time. I squeeze my eyes shut, knowing what’s coming next.
“Alex,” he begins quietly, after what seems like an eternity. “Do. You. Realize. How. Much. SHIT you have put us in?” he bursts out, his voice raising to a volume that I’m surprised doesn’t rattle the windows.
“It was an accident.”
“How do you accidentally get a date with Jasper’s girl?” he snaps. “You’re going to get us both killed, Alex, I swear. I’m trying to help you, and it seems like you’re doing everything you can to ruin it!”
“I didn’t realize what she was asking,” I mumble. “I just said ‘yeah’.”
“You have to cancel,” he says after a moment of frantic pacing.
“I can’t,” I tell him, still lying dejectedly on my back in bed. “It’s not her fault. I’ll just go on the date and then tell her it’s not working out or something.”
“Sorry, that still doesn’t answer my question. Why can’t you cancel, again?” he demands.
“Because how would you feel?” I ask softly.
“What do you mean?” His footsteps approach my bed, so I open my eyes to see him looming over me.
“Everyone treats her like she’s Jasper’s property,” I say with a sigh. “She makes a date with another guy and he cancels the same day? No, that’ll be just as bad once she lashes out as Jasper over it. I’ll just go on the date with her.”
“So you’re going to get us killed to spare her feelings?” Rafael asks in disbelief.
“I won’t get us killed.” I turn over with my back to him, hunger pangs shooting up my stomach. I curl into a ball. “I don’t feel good, Rafael. Please let me sleep.”
He sighs, and to my astonishment, he actually does.
I don’t dare breathe until he’s gone for fear I jinx my good luck. Well … good comparatively.
I close my eyes as he walks out of the room. The door shuts quietly behind him. I really hope I don’t get killed over my date with Olive, because as much as I keep trying to claim I only accepted the offer because I don’t want to hurt her … I know that’s not the truth.
I accepted the date because I knew it would hurt Jasper.
I just hope whatever price I end up paying is worth it … because there will be a price.