Selfie(19)

“I’m going to do that in our room, too,” Rimmel agreed and pulled away from Romeo.

Romeo looked at me. “Just put your stuff by the door. I’ll load it into the car for you.”

“Thanks.”

Trent leaned forward and reached behind me, his arm brushing against my bare shoulder. “I’ll toss this for you.” He stepped toward the trashcan.

As he did, I caught a flash of blue material in his hand.

“No,” I gasped.

Surprised, he turned. “It’s ruined.”

I glanced down at the shirt in his hand. Braeden’s shirt. The one he wrapped around my foot to help stop the bleeding.

“It seems silly to throw away a perfectly good shirt.” What a lame thing to say.

Trent shrugged. “B said to toss it.”

I should have just let him throw it away.

But I couldn’t. It felt like I was losing something. Something I wasn’t ready to let go of.

“Since when do I listen to anything that moron says?” I quipped and made a face. Trent smiled. I reached for the shirt, and he let me have it. “It’s his Wolf Pack shirt. I feel bad I got blood all over it. I’ll try to get it out, and if it doesn’t, then I’ll toss it.”

I tucked the shirt beneath my arm and left the room, feeling like I needed to run but unable because of my stupid foot.

That was the last time I attempted to clean up after myself—especially when it was posted I shouldn’t.

I was moving so slow that Rimmel slowed her pace on her way and glanced at me with worry in her eyes. “Maybe we should have had that checked out.”

I waved away her worry. “I’m fine. Besides, we don’t have time to sit at the doctor’s office. We have a plane to catch.”

She didn’t seem convinced. I smiled reassuringly. “If it looks bad when we get back to campus, I’ll go to the clinic, okay?”

That seemed to make her feel better, and she nodded. “Okay.”

Her concern suddenly choked me up. The well-meaning, honest way she looked at me like she truly cared.

It made me feel small.

Guilty.

Tears pressed against the backs of my eyes and I pulled in a shaky breath.

“Ivy?” Rimmel took a step forward.

I laughed it off and fought for control. “Don’t mind me. I think I have the spring break blues. All this sun and sand has been so awesome that going back to classes and cool weather is making me depressed.”

“Can’t say I’m all that excited about going back, either,” Rimmel admitted. Just by the drop in her voice, I knew this was something she had yet to tell anyone.

All thoughts of myself fled—it was a relief—and I focused on her. The past two semesters had been rough on her. More than rough. She’d been pushed so many times to her breaking point, yet she stood here still. It left me wondering what it was that kept her from snapping.

“If you ever want to talk, I’m here for you,” I told her earnestly. “You know that, right?”

Rimmel smiled. “Yeah, I do. Thanks, Ivy.”

I nodded. Once again, guilt assaulted me. Here I was feeling sorry for myself about choices I made… about actions I took. Basically, damage I did to my own life. Yet there were people like Rimmel who were dealing with fallout from things she had no part in creating.

Romeo came around the corner and we both looked up. His blue gaze latched onto Rimmel, and it was like he saw exactly what was going on inside her. Like he saw past her skin, beneath the smile. It was like he knew.

“I’m afraid I have bad news,” he intoned.

Rimmel stiffened immediately and so did I.

“What now?” I groaned. “Please tell me they didn’t let him out of the loony bin early for extra-psychotic behavior.”

God, that was just what everyone didn’t need.

Romeo shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s worse.”

“What is it?” Rimmel asked, worried. “Is it your arm?”

“Murphy is getting fat.”

It took a minute for the stupid sentence to sink through the horrendous thoughts Rimmel and I were both having.

Several silent beats later, we looked at each other and Rimmel snorted. I laughed.

“You call that an emergency?” I snickered.

Rimmel smacked him in the middle.

“Feline obesity is a very serious issue.” How the hell did he keep a straight face when he said this crap?

“I take it your mother has taken a liking to my cat and is feeding him a million treats a day?” Rimmel asked.

Romeo draped an arm across her shoulders. “Yes, I didn’t think it was possible anyone could feed our cat more than you, but Mom’s managed it.”

Rimmel giggled. “I can’t wait to see him.”