Tory’s POV
” Rya, I’m not going to ask if you’re okay because I know you’re not,” he said softly and I stopped crying so I could blow my nose in the toilet paper.
” Go away!” I said after blowing my nose.
“I couldn’t tell you myself,” he said weakly.
” What?”
” I knew about Rex and Isabella”
Rage filled me as he said those words, I opened the stall and came out glaring at him. He seemed startled by how I looked but I didn’t care.
” Why didn’t you tell me?! How could you keep that from me? How could you!”
” Because I didn’t want to be the one to cause you pain. The kind of pain you’re feeling right now – I didn’t want to be the one to instill it.”
I looked at him and saw so much emotion in his eyes, he wasn’t lying. I knew that me saying he only brought me pain hurt him a lot and I immediately understood why he didn’t tell me. I really would’ve blamed Nate for it all.
” I’m sorry Rya, I just want to be the one that makes you happy”
” I feel awful, like my heart’s bleeding. I-I’ve loved Rex for so long, I’ve always thought that we were gonna be together but… Now he just turns out to be a dick overnight?” I said as I passed my hand through my hair and looked at my make up smudged face.
I could hear the excited screams outside and I knew that people had started spinning the wheel. I wasn’t in the mood to go back in there, I needed to go home. Nate will drive me home and I’ll just try to move on from this breakup. The irony of being dumped on a Date-A-Thon hit me so hard that I had no joy in me.
” There some things I need to tell you about Rex” Nate said pulling me out of my thoughts.
” Like what?”
” Like the fact that….” Nate paused and looked at me.
” Tell me, I can handle it.”
” Rex isn’t a good guy”
” Yeah, no kidding,” I said sarcastically as I washed my face and brought out a napkin I keep in my small bag to wipe my face.
” You don’t understand, he’s… Like one of Big D’s men”
” What?” I said this time around, genuinely surprised.
” And he’s also my half-brother,” Nate said delicately and my head spinned, my heartbeat probably raced five times faster, I was speechless! He’s Nate’s half what?!
” How did you know this?” I managed to ask as I looked away from him and swallowed hard.
” That day when I went to get my mom from them. It was all revealed to me, I didn’t tell you -”
” – because you didn’t want to make me feel bad,” I said closing my eyes at what an idiot I’d been. I made Nate feel guilty to do something that he should be normally able to do like my friend and he’s been holding it in all this while – just because he didn’t want me to blame him for the sadness that would form in me – which I would’ve done.
” Thanks, but I don’t want you to ever do that again. I don’t want you to feel like I’m gonna blame you for my misfortunes. That was the old Tory, the new me – me right now, she’s a lot less stupid.”
” Okay,” he said looking at me studiously.
” I can’t stay here though. Please take me home.”
” Okay,” he simply said again before he started to leave with me following him.
Immediately I got out, I saw everyone going about their dating business, some were still spinning the wheel. A brunette girl was being held by the hands by a guy I suppose is her date. She smiled excitedly as she held unto the boy and they made their way past us to go have fun wherever they pleased in the event center.
” This place is too Happy for me – everyone is,” I said.
” Tory, there you are!” Rachel said as she made her way to me, with a senior standing behind her. He was from the baseball team and was actually not bad. I sighed that I couldn’t be part of the whole thing.
” What happened?” She asked.
” Rex broke up with me so I’m going home”
” No no no no you’re not!” She protested.
” What’s your problem? Do you think I have time for this?” I said, feeling a little vexed.
” You organized this, so at least spin the wheel, who knows? The guy you get might be the person to lift your spirit” she argued.
” Besides, Mr. Jenkins is worried about you,” Joanne said, startling me, I didn’t realize that she was behind me with her date.
” Zach?” Nate asked in surprise.
” Yeah, whatever is going with Tory’s face is slowing down my chances of being kissed or getting laid” he whined and I laughed slightly.
” See? You’re laughing a little. Rex breaking up with you shouldn’t have to shatter your world.”
” Fine,” I said, but couldn’t find the wheel for oakwood high students.
” Where’s the wheel?” I asked and looked around.
” It’s at the back, let’s go” Joanne said holding my hand as she pulled me to the back of the platform.
” Oh come on!” Zach whined.
” Shut up it’s only gonna be for a while,” Nate said looking irritated as he followed me.
” Here we go! Spin it” Rachel urged. Her date didn’t seem to care that we were low key wasting he and Rachel’s time together.
” Here goes nothing,” I said before I spun the wheel, I didn’t apply much energy so it spun weakly and landed on Trent.
” Yeah, that’s been a little of a hitch, every time it lands on someone who’s already been selected you have to spin again.”
” Ugh! This is a waste of time”
” Just do it Tory!”
” Fine Joanne, I’ll get to it so you love birds can go.”
I spun the wheel again this time applying more energy and hoping it’ll turn out to be someone nice but it stopped at Troas this time, it would’ve been so much better if it stopped on Nate’s name since he’s was next to Troas. Immediately I saw it I scoffed and turned away.
” I’m outta here,” I said as I started to leave.
” Wait!” Zach said and I turned around and looked at him, completely uninterested in him trying to talk me into dating Troas for a day.
” you might wanna look again,” Joanne said and I looked at the wheel, it fell on Nate’s name.
” Which one of you tilted it a little?” I asked with a glare and they all laughed.
” Tory, we didn’t do anything, it moved a little” Rachel said with a smirk, I looked at Nate and he just stared at me blankly.
” Do you wanna do this?” I finally asked as he placed his hands in his pocket and said, “Only if you want to.”
” Fine, but take me home. We’ll be dating at home – a typical boring date.” I said and he sighed before he nodded and said ” let’s go”
*************
When we got home, Nate pulled over and I got down from the car. I had been thinking the whole way home and I made up my mind that I was done with boys – Nate included.
As I stood in front of my door, ready to enter I could tell Nate was behind me. Ugh! How am I gonna tell him that I just want to be alone and I probably never wanna see him again?!
I know it’s not he’s fault Rex broke up with me but I just can’t deal with any of the things that have happened, I have to tell him to leave me alone.
” Nate…” I started and he scoffed as he put his hands in his pocket and looked at the ground.
” I know what you’re going to say Tory but don’t you dare -”
” Nate I can’t handle this okay”
” I know, you want to be done with guys – I figured you’d want that okay?! I’ve spent weeks thinking what you’d do when you found out about Rex but I can’t let you shut me out. Please don’t do this” he begged as he removed his hands from his pocket and held my hands.
I removed it and looked away from him. Looking at him reminding me of my feelings for him – feelings that could make me review my decision. I can’t let myself fall in love with Nate only for him to break up with me – everyone knows Nate can’t stay long in a relationship, he either hooks up or dates for two weeks.
” I’ve made up my mind,” I said before I stole a glance at him, he looked perfect in the t-shirt that fitted him so well that I could literally make out his muscly body. He was looking at me with so much pain in his eyes, so I looked away.
” Fine,” he said in defeat and I looked at him.
” But at least give me something to hold on to Rya – before you banish me from your life. It isn’t fair that you want me out of your life because of someone else’s crime and you know it” he said desperately.
” What do you want?” I asked folding my arms and trying not to show him how much it hurt me to see him this way.
He held my face with his hands, rubbing my cheeks softly with his thumbs as he stared into my eyes.
” For fuck’s sake Rya…. let me kiss you. Let me kiss you just this once and I’ll stay out of your way if that’s what you want”
T-thats what he wants? He wants to k-kiss me?!