“That’s fucking stupid. He doesn’t need to better himself. He’s already the most loyal guy I’ve ever met. How could he possibly better himself?”
“I know that,” I murmur, “but in his mind, he’s not enough. I think he needs this more than any of us know.”
He shakes his head and falls back inside his mind. “Tully’s going to take this hard.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“How was she?”
“It’s not good,” I tell him with a cringe. “She didn’t let anyone in. I’m going to message her later and go back after school, but I doubt she’ll let me in. She’s pretty cut up.”
“Damn,” he sighs, squeezing my thighs. “How could he just leave without saying goodbye?”
I shrug my shoulders and shake my head, honestly wishing I had the answers to give him. “I don’t know, maybe he didn’t want to face it or risk having you talk him out of it.”
His head drops once again and I reach forward and lift his chin, forcing his eyes back to mine. “I did some googling this morning and boot camp only lasts for a few months then he gets a little bit of leave before having to attend more training. Hopefully, he’ll come home during that time and you can sort shit out.”
“Trust me, when I see him next, it won’t be for a sit down chat.”
“Yeah, I had a feeling about that.”
“How could I not? This is going to tear Tully apart. She told him that she was in love with him and he repays her by fucking off to fight at war. Tully is going to spend every fucking day wondering if he’s still breathing, and if God forbid anything happens to him, she’ll spend the rest of her life blaming herself.”
I sink into him, hating that he’s right. No matter what, Tully’s mind will never leave him. I can only imagine how hard it’s going to be if and when he gets deployed. Damn, and to think this guy could be my flesh and blood.
A deep sigh pulls from me. “I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I don’t know how to make you feel better.”
A soft breath comes from him and it almost sounds like a chuckle. “You’re already doing it, Spitfire.”
I nod into his chest, feeling like he couldn’t be more wrong when I peer up to the school to find it completely deserted. The front doors are closed and not a single student can be seen wandering around. “Why don’t we just get out of here?”
“No,” he tells me. “You can’t be missing school like that, and besides, I want to see the look on Alyssa’s face when she realizes that we know.”
The mention of her name has the purple cased phone burning in my pocket. “Yeah, I really want to put that bitch in her place.”
“Come on, then,” he tells me, reaching across and opening the door. “Let’s get this day over and done with.”
I couldn’t agree more.
We clamber out of the car and walk up to the front doors, hand in hand and definitely taking our time. We stop by our lockers and Noah makes sure to give me a big kiss before he strides down the hallway in the opposite direction.
Before I know it, lunch has rolled around and I’m strolling into the cafeteria, despite the fact that I’m supposed to be heading to Miss Jamison’s classroom to serve my lunchtime detention. Like hell that will be happening.
Hands find my waist before they trail down and take hold of my hand, lacing fingers with mine. “How’s your day going?” Noah murmurs, pressing himself into my back.
I lean back into him, loving the satisfaction that one tiny move brings. “Could be better,” I tell him. “You?”
“Fucking shit.”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “I thought that much.”
“You,” comes a voice, forcing both our eyes to the left to see Aiden. “Where the fuck is my girl? I haven’t seen her all day.”
“Home,” I tell him. “We got a bit of…news this morning. You should probably head over there this afternoon. She could use some cheering up.”
“What kind of news?” he questions as his brows draw down in concern.
Noah quickly glances around. “Not here,” he says, not wanting to discuss Rivers out in public despite knowing that the whole school will probably find out all about it and it’ll be all they can talk about within a couple of days. I mean, learning that Rivers no longer attends this school; that’s sure to have the gossip flowing.
Aiden nods, respectfully letting the topic go despite not understanding why Noah doesn’t want to talk about it. Aiden is quickly becoming a great friend, but it’ll take a lot for Noah to willingly discuss Rivers in front of him. That’s pack conversation only.
“Showtime,” Noah says beside me, nodding towards the door of the cafeteria, watching as Alyssa makes her way inside. “You ready for this?”