Rebound

1.8

How fun.

"Let's walk this way," I began, just as Ben caught my eye from across the way, visibly cringed, then turned away.

I prayed to everything above that the girl with him wouldn't notice me, either, and they were answered. She turned away with Ben and they walked in the opposite direction of the quad.

Someone must've been looking over me, that was certain.

Eli's face began flashing on my screen the next moment.

"Hey guys I have to answer this. I'll just be a minute."

"Hello?"

"Elodie. Hey, how was moving in? Are you all settled?"

"Yeah, everything went good," I said, flushing as I remembered the steamy interlude I'd had with Matthew briefly, but Eli didn't let me languish in those thoughts for long.

"So, two things. First, I want you to know how sorry I am for what happened last night. It was totally uncalled for, and I was drunk but that's no excuse for how I acted. I was just so upset about Jay, about how easily he could get to you and I was so scared for you, Elodie. I couldn't protect you from it when I was away at school, and I beat myself up about that every single day."

"You don't have to blame yourself, Eli. It wasn't your fault. It was his. It's always been his fault."

"I know but I still could've done something to prevent it if I'd been there more, been less preoccupied with my own career, with V, if I'd been even a tiny bit less selfish and actually paid more attention, I would've seen that he'd started doing it to you, too."

"It wasn't like he suddenly started as soon as you left for college, Eli. It started way before that."

I'd never told him that before. He went stone silent on the other end.

"How long?"

"What?"

The guys started growing restless waiting for me on the phone. I held my hand up in a 'wait one minute' gesture.

"How long ago did it start?"

"Uh, I don't know, maybe when I turned ten?"

A string of curses fell out of my brother's mouth as I cringed, wishing I'd saved that little tidbit of information in my head and locked it up, not allowing anyone else to know about it.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't really feel like reliving it. It's my damage, not yours. You've got yours, and I've got mine."

He sighed, a heavy soul sound, and I mirrored it right back to him. He got it. He understood, just maybe not to the same degree that I did. Eli got pushes and shoves and scrapes to his back and maybe a punch or two to the face, but Jay wasn't his biological father. He was a stepdad to him, someone not blood related doing those horrible things to him.

For me, I had to sit in it everyday and question why my own flesh and blood would want to hurt me, constantly make me feel worthless and unworthy of love.

"I really want to talk to you, really sit down and have a conversation, if you'd be willing?"

"Yeah, I'd like that Eli. And I forgive you, by the way. I know why you acted the way you did, just don't do it again."

"Trust me, V made sure of that. She forced me to throw away all of our alcohol, even the fancy wine."

I laughed.

"Sounds like V."

"Speaking of Virginia, is she still with you and Matthew? Or did they leave already?"

"They left about fifteen minutes ago. Why, what's up?"

"Nothing too important, I just couldn't get ahold of Matthew earlier. There's some news I need to give him, and I'm not sure how he's going to take it."

"Oh? What kind of news?"

"Uh...well, I don't really know how to break it to him. The head coach pulled me into a huge meeting today which was why I wasn't there to help you unpack. They called almost every single big wig for the team to discuss Matthew and the steroids thing back in high school, when I planted them in his locker so I could get the spot at the college closer to home to keep an eye on you with Jay. Apparently even though his record is sealed from when he was a minor, someone leaked it and now they're concerned about his position and they called me in since I was the one who got him in trouble for it and the same person who recommended him for a spot on the team here."

"Oh, no. What are they thinking of doing? Benching him for a game or two?"

"No, Elodie. They're suspending him officially from the team for an entire season and conducting a full fledged investigation into him and I could be affected as well. I stuck to my same story when we were in high school because they didn't give me a chance to talk at all today, but I'm going to talk to Matthew and tell him that I'm going to come clean, even if it means losing my position. I was the reason he was out of a spot in college in Miami, anyway."

"You can't let him get kicked off for something you did. You need to make this right, Eli."

"I know. I will."

"Good. Well, let him know when they make it back," I told him, rejoining the others as we merged into a group of fellow freshmen and followed the flow towards the student center.

"I will. Be safe at school, Elodie, and know I'm always a phone call, or car ride away. Oh, and I had someone drop you a little surprise. You're welcome."

"A surprise, what?"

"Love you El."

"Love you too," I responded, just as a sleek white car that looked suspiciously like my own pulled up in the circular driveway of the student center.

Phoebe honked her horn twice and stuck her head out of the window.

"We're in college, bitches!"

I ran to my best friend just as the three guys at my back did the same, whooping and hollering while I tried my best to live in the moment.

My father was back and trying to get in touch with me, Matthew was in trouble with the team, and I was losing myself in someone I'd been in love with half my life, terrified that he could never return even a fraction of my own feelings, but if I denied the truth long enough, that we were just having fun, then maybe I could protect my heart for when it ultimately ended.

Apparently denial would be warring with Phoebe and Dorian for the best friend slot in my life going forward.

***

A/N:

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Next update tomorrow!

Until next time my lovely readers,
Kristen :)