The Revenge You Seek by Tracy Lorraine
Kane
"Did you know?" I ask, throwing my bag at the wall in the living room as I stare at the three assholes sitting around the dining table stuffing their faces with dinner.
The bag hits with a thud leaving a dark mark on the wall before crashing to the floor. But it doesn't make me feel any better.
Right now, nothing aside from getting my hands on her will go anywhere near making me feel any better.
Okay, maybe landing a punch on Luca's smug fucking face like I've been holding myself back from for the past fucking three hours might do something.
The three of them stare at me as if I've sprouted another head.
"Know what?" Devin finally asks.
"Did you know she was here?"
"She?" Ezra asks, his brows drawing together. “Wh—"
"Holy shit," Devin interrupts, clearly having a light bulb moment. "No fucking way. She's not?" His eyes are so wide, I wonder if they're about to pop out.
I stumble back on aching legs until my calves hit the couch and I drop down, lowering my head into my hands as three confused sets of eyes drill into me.
"She's here like… she goes here now?" Ezra asks, obviously up to speed on the situation.
"She was in my class, so I'm assuming so," I mutter into my palms.
Silence echoes around the room as they wait to see my reaction to this and also try to figure out what to say.
Scarlett Hunter has been a touchy subject for me for… a long time and they all try to avoid talking about her at all costs because they never know how I'm going to react—and nor do I.
"So…" Devin says inquisitively, testing the water. "What happens now? You're… you're staying, right?"
I drag my head from my hands and meet his concerned stare. Out of everyone, he knows just how hard I've worked to make this happen, which means only he really understands just how much I would be throwing away if I were to turn my back on it—on her.
"Of course I'm fucking staying," I bark. "I haven’t gone through everything I have for her to ruin everything.”
“O-okay good,” he stutters while the twins look at me bemused.
“It’s nothing,” I say with a wave of my hand but we all know it’s a lie.
To get here, I had to have the help of their father and we all know that Victor Harris' help comes with a serious cost.
"You want some food, man?" Ellis finally asks. "There's plenty of leftovers."
"Yeah, that would be awesome. Thank you."
Him and Ezra collect up their plates and disappear into the kitchen while I make my way over to the table.
Devin pushes a bottle of beer toward me but I decline. I need to start taking shit seriously so that I can prove my worth to the team and show them that Luca is wrong, that they need me to help take them all the way this year.
They had an incredible season last year but it's all up in the air with a new team hitting the field this season. Just one person can change the dynamics of a team, and I fear that if we fuck it up this year, then the blame is going to be entirely placed on me.
"Did you talk to her?" he asks, pushing the remaining food around on his plate.
"Yeah… kind of. She's… she's different, man. I don't know." I slump down in my chair as I picture her in my mind. "She was so skinny, tired."
"You think something happened?"
I shrug. "She wouldn't have given up Columbia without a fight."
I might not have known Letty well for a lot of years, but she was dreaming of that place before most of us even knew what a college was. It was her ultimate dream.
So the fact she's here right now raises huge questions.
"Something bad must have happened," he muses, mirroring my thoughts. "You hear of girls getting attacked and shit all the time, dropping out and—"
"Really?" I ask him, turning to stare at the side of his face.
"Sorry, I was just saying."
"Well don't." I've already got enough images racing through my mind as to the reason she could be here. Him adding more—or encouraging the ones I already have—isn't helpful.
"Here. Enjoy," Ellis says with a smile, sliding a plate over. The scent of the tomatoey Bolognese assaults my senses and my mouth starts watering.
"You perfected anything else yet?" I ask him, knowing this is the only dish he ever cooks.
“Nope, I’m a one-dish kinda man.”
I shake my head at him as Ezra calls something about not being a one-woman man from the kitchen.
“You need to talk to her. Put all this shit behind you and move on.”
My fork pauses halfway to my lips.
“Wait… you're fucking serious?"
"Bro, I know, I get it. But don't you think it's time to let it all go? You're both here, starting over. Just…" He trails off, not really needing to say the words out loud.
But while he does understand. He has been beside me through it all, he suffered some of the same loss I did, it doesn't run as deep for him as it does for me. And no matter how hard I might want to walk away, to do what he just suggested, I know I'm not going to be able to.
I'm not going to be able to watch her walk around, embarking on her new life and stay on the sidelines. I already know that it's not going to happen while we're here together.
"Yeah, I know." I shovel Ellis's Bolognese into my mouth and savor the flavors for a second, it's the perfect distraction, although it doesn't last very long.
"You're not even listening right now, are you?"
"Of course I am."
"Sure. That little issue aside, how's it feel to finally be a college student?"
"I'm sure it'll be great if I ever manage to drag my head out of the past," I mutter.
"You didn't hear a word of your classes, did you?"
"One or two. It's all online. I'll figure it all out. Things can only get better, right? I mean, the girl I hate is in my classes, the captain of the team hates me and wants me gone. It's a pretty solid start to my college career."
"Dude, you're so fucked." He laughs, slapping me on the back.
I'm glad my life amuses someone.
Once I've finished eating, I begrudgingly agree to clean up the kitchen before shutting myself in my room to attempt to fix the tiny issue that is me fucking up all four of my classes only two days into the semester.
Dropping onto my bed, I flip my laptop open and log into the college website so I can locate the class notes from today.
My head spins as I read through everything, but my mind keeps dipping in and out and taking me back to that auditorium where she was sitting beside me.
I start to wonder what she's doing right now?
Is she in the dorms, or does she have a house with friends?
I sit bolt upright. Does she live with him?
My heart begins to race as I think about the familiarity between them when she rushed into his arms at the first opportunity earlier. He was waiting for her to finish class, that much was obvious.
I knew they were friends in high school, but I never saw any evidence they were any more than that. If I had, then our games might have been even more brutal if I had any suspicion he'd touched her.
Did she move here for him?
It's that thought and the image of her in his arms that has me dumping my laptop on the end of the bed and jumping up. I might have had our session this morning followed by a hardcore practice but the only way I'm going to expel the energy that's twitching at my muscles is to get up and move.
Pulling on a black hoodie, I shove my feet back into my sneakers and head out of the house, popping my AirPods in, I pull the front door closed behind me and take off.
It's dark out now and I have no clue where I'm going but I don't really give a shit. I'll find my way back eventually. All I know is that I need to at least try to outrun some of my demons and attempt to get my head together before it all starts again in the morning.
I smile as my muscles start burning.
This right here is something I have control over. The rest of my life, not so much, it seems. But this, my body, this is all me.
I push harder, sweat beginning to stick my hoodie to my skin as I move.
My feet pound against the sidewalk as I eat up the miles.
I don't realize where I've ended up until the bright lights of the campus coffee sign come into view.
I look around, seeing all the unfamiliar buildings but knowing exactly where I am.
Is she here somewhere?
I spin around looking at all the lights in the surrounding dorm room buildings.
My fist clench as I imagine her looking down at me right now.
My eyes flick around in an attempt to search her out.
"Where are you, Princess?" I whisper to myself like a complete psycho. "You can only hide for so long.”
