Chapter 22: Aaron

Class that morning seemed super tense, as it should be. It was the one we all had together, our Fucking Class, as Jake called it, and so much thick tension hung in the air I was not sure how anyone could even breathe. Renee was already at the lab table when the three of us showed up after shift that morning, and we all hesitated at the door's entrance. No one said anything, but we could all feel it. Even Jake, who wasn’t even there this morning.

Who gets to sit by Renee today?

“Gentlemen, would you like to come in?” Professor Jensen asked us, pointing to our near-empty table. “As far as I know, Ms. Lyon doesn’t bite.”

Hard, I think with a smirk. Jake rolls his eyes and shoulders past me and Matt, settling down on the same side as Renee. Matt didn’t say anything to this, but I could see the annoyance on his face. I was sure Jake would pay for that one later with a cock-shot.

“Good morning,” I said to Renee, taking a seat with Matt across from her and Jake. “Officially, I mean. In the real world.” She looked so beautiful today, even covered in a simple, white-knit sweater and dark blue jeggings accentuating her backside's soft curves. “How was your night? I didn’t ask you about it this morning since we had a call right after.”

I wasn’t sure what I said that made Renee flush red and drop her eyes from mine, but she did, making Jake and Matt stared at her, too. I noticed Matt was popping his fingers, a nervous habit I’d grown to notice over time. Unconsciously, I scoot a few inches in the opposite direction and focus my attention back on Renee.

“The night was fine,” she said airily, but under that confidence is a tone that shakes just slightly. “Thanks for asking.” Her gaze wavers from me and lands on Matt. She still seems surprised that he’d showed up at the ER this morning, fully dressed in PPO. Apparently, she had no idea this entire time. I wonder how she felt about that.

“I heard you did well with the fire victims this morning,” Matt said quietly. “My chief told us you guys saved them all.”

Renee flushed and shook her head with a slight shrug. “It was the physicians,” she said quickly. “I was just an RN in training. Definitely not as cool.”

“That seems pretty cool to me,” Matt said, and Renee said nothing to this. I waited for more, all of us do, but that seemed the best we’d get out of her. As Professor Jensen began his usual monotonous drone, I kept my gaze on Renee, having to focus extra hard today not to let my erection pop through my jeans. I couldn't even be in the same room with her without feeling like I could explode. And she smells so good, like always. Today it was lilacs and vanilla, a subtle, sweet smell that makes me hungry for both her and a piece of pie.

Renee made it a point to ignore us the rest of the class, including me. I didn’t know why, and I was in the middle of wracking my brain to figure out why she might be upset when I caught a quick glance between Matt and Jake. I couldn't read their expressions, but I knew something was going on because when Matt got home late last night, he and Jake went at each other like a couple of angry bulls. I figured it was something stupid and stayed out of it, but now I was wondering …

Were they fighting over Renee?

No, no way. Neither of them is involved with Renee, as far as I know. She would have told me.

Wouldn’t she?

As soon as class ended, Renee bolted for the door, but we were too quick for her, and I was hot on her heels with Jake and Matt right behind me.

“Renee!” I called, taking hold of her arm to pull her to a stop. “Hey, what’s the matter?”

Renee looked over my shoulder at Jake and Matt, who were eavesdropping near the door, unspeaking. I wish they’d buzz off, but I didn’t think they would, so I chose to ignore them and hope she could do the same.

“Look, Aaron,” she said, reaching out to squeeze my arm in a friendly way. “I need some time to think about things, okay?”

“Think about what things? I thought we had a great time the other night.”

Renee glances over her shoulder at Matt and Jake, and the flush in her cheeks becomes even more vivid. This seemed to catch my friends' attention, who stepped forward, uncaring if they looked suspicious standing there or not. She dropped her eyes from them and looked back at me, taking a single step back.

“Look, I have to go.”

“But, Ren—-”

“I already told you,” she said, backing away from us. Jake and Matt are on either side of me, watching her go, silent. “Don’t call me Ren, okay?”

She was gone before any one of us could stop her. I turned and looked at Matt and Jake, standing together, scowling at me, looking like they were ready to knock my block off.

“What?” I asked. Jake steps forward, and Matt is close behind him. I take an automatic step back, frowning. “Problem, gentlemen?”

“What did you mean when you said you thought you two had a great time the other night?” Jake asked, cold eyes narrowing.

“Um.” I freeze. I didn’t know what to say. The cat is about to drop out of this shitty little bag. “We went out,” I told Jake. Behind him, Matt’s fists are clenching and unclenching as he glares at me. Occasionally his glare returns to Jake, so at least I know I was not the only one who had done something wrong.

“Did you fuck?” Jake asked me.

I must take too long to answer because before I know what’s happening, Jake has me thrown against the corridor wall, holding me with one arm against my throat. He was seething.

“What’s your problem?” I gasped, clawing at the skin on his arm. I think Jake would very well choke me out for a moment until I was unconscious, but as that terrifying moment approaches, his grip releases suddenly, and I open my eyes to see Matt pulling Jake back with a single hand. He offers his hand to me, and I take it, getting to my feet and rubbing my raw throat. “What’s your problem, man?” I growled at Jake. “I can date whoever I want.”

“Yeah, well, apparently so could she,” Jake snarls. He whirls around and punches the wall hard, barely wincing, but I know the force is enough to leave a glorious bruise on his hand. Matt and I watch him without interfering. An angry Jake is a Jake I didn’t have any desire to fuck with, and I still couldn't figure out exactly what was happening here, but everything seems to be pretty clear to Matt.

“What’s going on?” I asked weakly, grabbing my bag from the floor. “Fuck, dude. You’re losing it.”

“Do you really not see what’s happening?” Matt asked, finally turning to me. He’s smirking, that stupid smirk I was so used to seeing. But right under that smirk is something else; anger, probably, and maybe even … hurt?

“No, Matthew, I guess I don’t see what’s happening.”

Matt laughs, glancing back at Jake and shaking his head. “She played both of you, Connor.”

“What?”

“Did you and Renee Lyon have sex?” he asked. I know there’s no denying it now, so I slowly nodded. Matt turned to Jake. “And she fucked you, too, didn’t she?”

For a moment, I thought Jake might take a swing at Matt or me or both of us, but he didn’t. Instead, he muttered profanity under his breath and nodded his head. Matt continues to laugh, but he’s shaking his head, and under that laughter is something sinister.

“She's still dating that Jason guy, too,” he said with a slight shrug. “I saw her at the restaurant with him last night. She is really getting around, apparently.”

“Wait, did she sleep with you too?” Jake asked. Something dark thunders over Matt’s face, but it was gone before I could even guarantee it was ever there.

“Nah, man, I haven’t even talked to her.” He turned away from us to walk out to his next class, but then he turned one last time. “This is your fucking mess to deal with.”

“Wait,” Jake called, and I was surprised Matt actually stopped.

“What, D?”

“What should we do?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Because you always have good ideas, don’t you?” I add quickly, ignoring Jake’s stabbing glares. “You’re clever. At least, you seem to think you are.”

Silence settled over us, but I could see the wheels turning in Matt’s head. Finally, after far too long, he turns to Jake, and that dangerous smirk is back.

“How’s Carly been?” he asked, and something deep down in the pit of my stomach twisted with fear, fear for Renee and fear for us.

All of us.