Chapter 3Is It My Turn Now?

“You’re being completely unreasonable,” Nate spat, before storming off.

I stood there for a long time, the disappointment in his eyes feeling like a physical wound. Finally, I turned and walked in the opposite direction.

From inseparable companions to bitter strangers. It had only taken a year.

I went to class alone, I ate in the dining hall alone. And everywhere I looked, I saw Nate doting on Sera. He walked her to class, saved her a seat at lunch, and whispered secrets to her as they strolled across the quad. We were technically in the same orientation group, but we were locked in a cold war.

Thankfully, my transfer paperwork finally went through. I was almost free.

On my way to the department office to pick up my final documents, I heard voices coming from behind the decorative pond near the administration building.

Behind a large rock formation, a group of tall, muscular guys from the basketball team had cornered Sera.

“Hey, are you for real with that whole mute act?” one of them sneered. “Is Nate into broken girls or something? That’s just gross.”

Another one stepped closer, his voice menacing. “Tell us what that prick is afraid of. Spill, and we’ll let you go.”

I recognized the jerseys. My roommate had told me that Nate had gotten into a nasty argument with some guys during a pickup basketball game a few days ago. It looked like they were holding a grudge.

Sera looked around frantically, her eyes wide with terror. When she spotted me, she rushed forward and grabbed my sleeve.

I flinched, instinctively shaking her hand off.

I hadn’t pushed her hard, but she stumbled backward with theatrical grace and fell straight into the shallow pond.

There were two loud splashes.

One was Sera.

The other was Nate.

I stood frozen as he vaulted over a bench and dove into the water without a second of hesitation. He scooped her into his arms, his face a mask of fury as he glared at me.

“Ava, what the hell is wrong with you? You’ve become a monster! Sera doesn’t know anything about our problems! If you have an issue, take it up with me. Don’t you dare bully her!”

He automatically cast me as the villain. The injustice of it all sent a surge of hot rage through me.

“Get your facts straight, Nate,” I shot back. “I have everything I need. Why would I waste my time bullying a ‘mute’? What’s in it for me?”

I glanced around. The basketball players had vanished the second Nate appeared.

I took a breath and tried to explain. “The people hassling her were the guys you pissed off on the court. If you don’t believe me, ask her yourself!”

Sera coughed weakly, her pale face looking even more fragile and soaked. Her eyes, rimmed with red, were heartbreakingly pitiful. She didn’t say a word. She just cried, looking at me with pure terror.

I almost laughed at the sheer absurdity of it.

But Nate saw it as proof. He stepped in front of her, shielding her from me. “Ava, apologize to Sera. Now.”

My vision narrowed. I barely recognized the cold, harsh man standing in front of me.

“Why should I apologize? It wasn’t my fault. This girl is a manipulative liar who frames people…”

CRACK.

The slap sent my head snapping to the side. The sting on my cheek was nothing compared to the shock. Before the pain even fully registered, my own hand flew up, and I struck him back with every ounce of strength I had.

My palm throbbed. I stared at Nate’s stunned, silent face, a red handprint blooming on his cheek. My heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest. Just when I thought I couldn’t be more disappointed, he found a new way to shatter me.

“Nate, we’ve known each other our entire lives. You’ve always protected me. And now you hit me? For her?” My voice cracked. “You’re the one who’s lost his damn mind!”

I turned my glare on Sera. “And you. Keep up your act. Sooner or later, you’ll choke on your own lies. You pathetic, manipulative, fraud.”

I spat the words out, one by one. I couldn’t stand to be there a second longer. I turned and ran.

Behind me, Nate just stood there, staring at his own trembling hand. The hand that had just struck the person he once claimed to love more than anyone in the world.