Crossing Boundaries

Chapter 26

Reece

Riding in the car with Lance, he was dropping me off at school while the bus waited for us on the school grounds.

Today marked the away game, the Riverside Ravens against the Silvercrest Stallions, and even though I no longer played, having been the star QB last year, Coach had asked me to stand in just in case anything happened to Nick.

"So, what are you going to do about Yara?" Lance questioned me.

After I had dropped Lorna off,I returned home to find Lance there. He tried his usual teasing and annoying me with brotherly banter, but I wasn't in the mood for it. He quickly picked up on my sour mood, and so he grabbed us two beers and asked if I wanted to talk about it.

Confiding  in him, I laid everything bare, from Yara's situation to the complexities involving Nick and Lorna. I recounted our rooftop kiss, to which he just grinned and said he was already aware. His playful grin lingered longer on his face..

I went on, sharing the moment of my intense jealousy that had driven me to push Lorna against the lockers and forcefully kiss her. Lance responded with a teasing tone, "Some girls like that," and laughed afterward.

I shot him a sideways glance and retorted, "Not when you scare the shit out of her by punching the locker beside her head." I felt the need to clarify that my actions were fueled by frustration after witnessing Nick kiss her in front of the entire school. I continued, explaining it was a choice between wanting to physically harm  Nick or to punish Lorna with my mouth., "Okay, that sounds so wrong, but you know what I mean..."

A chuckle escaped him at my explanation, and I found myself sharing in the laughter.

He admitted that he would likely have felt and acted the same way if he were in my shoes.

"It's hard not to," he remarked. "Lorna is a babe, and she's beautiful. She's the perfect package."

Sounds like I should be worried about you too, bro!"

He counters with a sly grin, "Well, if you don't stop fooling around and get your act together, maybe I'll snatch her away from the lot of you." His smirk grows wider.

I shoot him a stern look, my irritation apparent. "As if she would want you..." I retorted, rolling my eyes at his boldness.

I remained silent, causing him to pause his teasing. He then transitioned into expressing his own distaste for Yara. He described her as an irritating and overly attached dog, highlighting how weird it was that her dad was pushing for our relationship.

Listening to him, I began to think to have the same sentiment..Yara's behavior in Spain was different, as was her demeanor when we were alone. Yet, in the presence of others, especially Lorna, she underwent a transformation that unsettled me. Her disregard for Lorna's feelings and her consistent snarky comments directed at her didn't sit well with me.

It was a relief to finally talk about it openly. I had mentioned bits and pieces of what was happening to Connor and Austin. They knew I was jealous of Lorna being with Nick; I mean, it wasn't hard to miss. With my constant teasing and playful interactions with her, my feelings were pretty transparent.

Lance turned out to be a attentive listener, and it felt refreshing to engage in a sincere conversation with him rather than our usual banter.

But being Lance he didn't forget to add in that I was an idiot for not confessing to her sooner and also questioned what if she chooses Nick...

Admitting to him that I didn't have the answer to that. If that's truly what she wants, I guess I'll have to give them my blessing and simply be there for her as a friend.