Page 42 of All That Glitters

I walk into my dorm and try to keep a level head when I hear Nash playing a game in the living room. His favorite pastime is pushing my buttons, but I don’t think I can handle that today. I might snap, which as much as I’m craving a fight, wouldn’t be good.

His eyes widen when he sees me. I head to my room to change first, since I’m drenched from the rain. I’d like to lie down on my bed and not leave it for the rest of the night, maybe longer, but I need an ice pack more than I need solitude. My knee is getting worse the longer I’m on it. Stretching out in the booth helped, but not enough to stave off the pain entirely. So I put on dry clothes, then reenter the living area.

“How long did you practice for?” Nash asks as I head to the freezer.

“A while,” I grunt.

I pull out the ice pack, then limp over to the other side of the couch, where I sprawl out. A hiss escapes me when the weight of the ice settles on my tender knee.

“I told you not to push yourself so much,” Nash says, setting aside his game controller. “You look awful.”

“Thanks,” I reply back in monotone.

“Did you eat? There’s leftover pizza in the fridge.”

“I ate before coming here, but thanks,” I say, a little more genuine this time.

The tension in my muscles starts to ease once I relax into the couch. I scrub my hands over my face, trying to calm down.

“Is it that bad? Are you going to have to sit out tomorrow?”

I sigh. “No, it’s just sore. I think if I stay off it as much as possible until the game, I’ll be fine.”

“Then why do you look so despondent?”

I raise my brows at his word choice. “Since when do you use words like despondent?”

“Are English majors the only ones allowed to use big words? I’m smart.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t,” I reply wryly. “Is your change in diction by chance due to your recent interaction with Paisley?”

Paisley may not be a literature concentration like Marigold and me, but she loves words. I’m sure she let Nash know his were lacking in their conversation.

“Is your poor attitude by chance due to a recent interaction with Red?”

I frown at his retort.

“If I leave you alone, will you leave me alone?” I ask.

He laughs. “Not a chance. You can ask whatever you want about Paisley. She’s just a Yankee girl who stole my hat, then berated me for a half hour. Red is the love of your life.”

“Is that what happened after I left the party? Last I saw, you two were dancing the night away.”

After a few minutes of Marigold being gone, I went looking for her. I knew she lied about needing a drink, but I thought she just wanted a few minutes to herself. Instead, she left. So I went home, because she was the reason I was there in the first place, and texted to make sure she was safe.

“Paisley taught me you can dance and argue at the same time. She also taught me several new words, like vacuous, obtuse, and unctuous,” he grumbles.

I wince. “Ouch.”

“Yep.” He sighs. “So, I got a dictionary and thesaurus from the library. That way next time I see her, I’ll be prepared.”

I huff out a laugh.

“That’s ridiculous. Why would you see her again anyway?”

“When you and Red get married, I’m sure she’ll be in the wedding. As will I. So I need to be prepared.”

“That was one of the most presumptuous statements I’ve heard.”