Play The Part (Player Next Door Book 3)

18 | Feed Off My Lows

Thank you @_adanna_db for the poster! I love our last minute DMs when I realized I didn't have a version I could save down haha - you came through so quickly! :)

Chapter 18: Feed Off My Lows

*Luke's POV*

What a f*cking miserable day. I have Coach up my ass to work harder. My girlfriend is terrified of breathing in my direction right now. And that blackmailer is going to die.

I've had it with their sh*t.

I'm about to graduate and I still know nothing about this incel. Now I have Officer Patel's kid working on it. I can't trust the police and apparently I can't trust my friends either. So this scrawny freshman wunderkind is my new best friend.

We text daily. But blackmailer didn't print out that exchange, did they?

I smiled at the thought of the blackmailer reading those messages. Roneal may be a freshman, but I didn't keep my curses PG.

"Oh good, you're finally happy," Austin said, approaching me as I walked towards my car.

"Am I, Austin?" I fired back.

"Not when you say it like that, phew," Austin remarked, raising his hands as if I was trying to kill him.

He fell into step next to me and I knew he was itching to talk. We passed the empty spot where Millie parked her car. I could practically see the skid marks from when she tailed it out of school this afternoon. I hated the fact that I had to go to practice after that.

I shifted my sports bag to my other shoulder and saw Austin open his mouth to speak and then close it again.

"Go on."

Austin exhaled like he'd been holding in an entire supply of oxygen, "I just want to know what's going on because it's ruining everything and the story's not adding up, Luke. Cearra's saying you were talking to other girls when you started dating Millie. And I know you stopped talking to girls."

Cearra and Austin gossiping behind my back... I know it wasn't Austin who approached her. He does not gossip. She does. 

"Yeah."

"So how is this a topic?"

"Maybe I should've been celibate until I met Millie," I suggested, pulling my car keys from my pocket.

Austin scratched the back of his head, "I just don't think this is the time for your smart-ass comments."

"Austin, why don't you grab a lei and join Chad in his Hawaiian bliss?" I suggested, opening the door and aggressively throwing my bag into the back seat, "Why doesn't everyone just back the f*ck off?"

Austin's face looked visibly hurt. He stopped walking, "Chill out, Luke."

"Great advice, Austin," I said sarcastically, getting into my car and slamming it shut.

But not before I heard Austin say, "You have a habit of pushing people away when you need them most."

I saw Austin walk away in my rearview mirror and I looked down. I felt the rage build up inside me, mixing shame, sadness, anger and frustration. I was about to hit the wheel of my car when I looked up and saw some seniors watching me from outside.

They all feed off my lows. They love to watch the rise and then, inevitably, comes the takedown. People here have never been genuine.

I looked over at the empty passenger seat. I used to throw my bag there, but I got used to it being Millie's spot.