Chapter 83: He Won't Give Up On Me

Irene’s POV

Was it really true?

That Leo was a member of the GaiGai gang? Just seconds ago, I’d seen him on his knees before the man smoking at the center of the room. Goosebumps prickled my skin, but I knew better than to let fear show.

I had agreed to dinner with Raina — that was what she wanted, wasn’t it? Foolishly, I tried to shove away the nagging thought that she might want more.

Didn’t I notice the way she touched me? Do I have to pretend  that her touch meant nothing? As long as she didn’t push beyond dinner, I could live with that.

Now, walking out with Leo and Raina, my chest tightened. I should have been furious with Leo for hiding this from me — for sending his so-called colleagues to shield me from Dan and his friends. But why was he a member?

What could he possibly gain from being tied to a gang like this? Questions burned on my tongue, but silence pressed down on us.

Raina glanced between us. “I’ll wait by the car,” she said.

Grateful, I turned to Leo. “You’re hurt.” I reached for his bruised hand.

He pulled away, burying the fury in his eyes. “Why are you here, Irene?”

A laugh slipped from me, brittle. “Obviously, I’m here for you.”

His lips tightened. “Are you some sort of superwoman?”

“That should be a joke,” I said, pressing forward again. He shifted away, repulsed by my touch.

My heart stuttered. Did he hate me for caring? For coming here to find him? Just like with the kiss — he was pulling away again.

“So you make a jest of me for coming down here to save you—”

“We’re not kids anymore, Irene!” he cut me off, voice flaring. “This isn’t hide-and-seek where you run around like a doting mother hen looking for her chicks.”

I gasped.

I had never seen Leo this angry. It was as if I’d peeled back a new, jagged edge of him. His words clawed at my heart, made me feel foolish for risking everything to find him.

A mother hen? How dare he?

My lips quivered. “I was just doing what a friend would do,” I whispered, ashamed to admit how much my heart fluttered for him, how badly I wanted to kiss his worries away. How much he made me feel..

Why couldn’t he see it from my side?

“Anything could have happened to you there! I don’t trust Golden Hand!” His fury was sharp, unrelenting.

“Golden Hand?” I muttered, confused by the name.

Who was Golden Hand.

“That’s the leader’s name,” Leo said. “Didn’t you see the way he looked at you?”

“What does it matter to you?” I pressed, hating how small I felt, hating that I was swallowing it all.

“What does it matter?” His voice surged. “You don’t know anything about him!”

I met his daring eyes, nodding, sniffling. “If this is the thanks I get, let’s pretend I wasn’t here.” I turned for the car.

“I’ll drive,” I said firmly, needing control of anything.

“No, you won’t,” Leo countered.

I met his gaze, heat sparking between us despite the anger. “You seem to forget that this is my car.”

“I don’t care. I will drive.”

I hated him in that moment.

My lip stuck to my teeth.

Why was he doing this?

Was he on something? Drugs? God, I was losing my mind for my brother’s best friend — and he didn’t care for me the way I cared for him.

But even as I thought it, my heart betrayed me. His defiance, his fury, his stubbornness, it all made me want him more.

Raina’s eyes flicked between us. She took the keys from my hand. “It’s settled. I’ll drive. We have a game to attend, remember?”

Inez’s POV

The whistle had them separating. Minutes waltzed by before Frederick was painfully straddled onto a stretcher and carried away.

“We do hope this doesn’t shatter Frederick's dream,” Abigail said from the commentator’s box.

I pressed both hands to my chest — the Rangers were down a running back.

Shouts erupted from the crowd when Leo Miller appeared. Ethan’s smirk collapsed into a frown. No one had expected Leo’s return.

“Inez!” Irene’s voice pulled me back from staring at Adrian.

“Irene!” I called, stretching out a hand toward her. “Where have you been? I waited.”

“I’m sorry. I was with Leo — we got stuck in traffic,” Irene said, pulling me into her arms. We hugged, and when she pulled away, I noticed the girl behind her.

“Who’s this?” I asked, surprised Irene had brought someone new.

“Her name is Raina. She’s my classmate,” Irene explained. “Raina, this is Inez.”

“But I saved you a spot. I didn’t know you’d come with a friend,” I said.

“Don’t worry,” Irene smiled. “Raina and I can find a new spot up there while—”

My face blanched as Irene trailed off. Raina stopped her gently. “I could go up myself. You don’t have to come with me.”

Was I jealous? Did Raina notice the disappointment in my eyes? No. No, I wasn’t jealous.

“There’s space here,” a girl to my right offered.

Raina smiled, pushing forward. “Thank you,” she said, then turned to us. “See? Settled.”

Irene sat in the middle, me at the end. I wanted to tell her about what had happened at home, but it wasn’t the right moment. That could wait.

The game resumed with Leo in play.

“Inez used to school in Sundale before moving to Hartville,” Irene explained to Raina.

“Nice to meet you, Inez. I’ve heard so much about you,” Raina said.

I forced a wry smile. Irene craned her head toward Raina. “But I haven’t told you anything about her,” she whispered. I pretended not to hear.

“She wouldn’t know,” Raina whispered back.

“Guys, I’m right here,” I said, trying to sound cool while they talked about me like I wasn’t there. “You two seem close. How long have you known each other?” I asked, meeting Raina’s golden eyes.

There was something off about her — the way she laid her hand boldly on Irene’s thigh, like Irene was someone special. Did I just read too much into that?

“For two months,” Raina said.

“A week,” Irene said.

They spoke simultaneously. My brows rose. Irene pushed Raina’s hand away, but Raina pressed again. Something wasn’t right.

“We just started being close,” Irene said, meeting my gaze.

I didn’t think I liked Raina. She was doing things to my best friend — things I didn’t welcome.

“And another one from Adrian — a perfect pass from Leo himself!” Ron Smith’s voice jolted me back.

Shouts ruptured the air. Everyone rose to their feet.

“I find it baffling you support the Rangers over your own school,” I said to Raina.

She gave me a mocking smile. “What my friend supports, I support.”

Irene smiled. “Just like me. My brother is the reason I support Hartville.”

I should have felt happy, but when Adrian scored, Irene hugged Raina. Raina sniffed Irene’s hair, and when she caught my eyes, she smirked at me — mocking.

“What are you not telling me, Irene?” I asked, pulling her close.

“Nothing. Do you think I’d hide anything from you?”

“No.” I shook my head.

“Then let’s watch the game,” Irene said.

But as the Rangers scored two more goals, I felt like a statue. Raina had Irene’s attention, and I was left alone. I forced a smile, even as the game soared to its close.

“Rangers win 10–6! What a night!” Ron Smith’s voice boomed. Students spilled onto the field, celebrating.

“The Rangers take the cup home, just like they said they would,” Abigail added. “This is a blast!”

I rose to my feet, watching the Rangers celebrate while the Frost Boars turned away in shame. Perhaps it was time to go home and face Aunt Jeanette. I tried to cheer myself — I had a good time, after all. But watching Irene and her new friend chat away, I couldn’t shake the hollow ache inside me.

Irene and Raina had gone down to the field to join the celebration. It felt strange — watching someone new take my place beside her. I should have been pained by it, but I tried to console myself.

Irene was bound to have someone closer in Sundale than me, who lived far away in Hartville. And here I stood, always in the shadow.

Adrian reached for the microphone, his eyes scanning the crowd. Perhaps he was looking for his sister.

“Guys, you made it possible. Thank you for being here to watch this match,” Adrian said.

Screams erupted, and I smiled despite myself.

“I have an official announcement to make,” Adrian continued, his eyes frantically searching for someone. He had already found his sister, but he kept looking.

Then his gaze landed on me. The moment his eyes locked with mine, I lost my breath. I had an inkling of what he was about to do.

“No… not yet, Adrian,” I murmured under my breath.

As if he heard me, he smiled wide.

“Yes, right here, in this very moment — I’m officially calling on Inez Myers and asking her out as my girlfriend,” Adrian said.