Chapter 20
Twenty
Jaclyn
“Max, you need to lay off the milkshakes. Soccer season is coming up,” Natalia says as she watches Max gulp down his second milkshake today.
He is going to end up having a sugar rush and throwing up all over the floor by the time he’s done.
“I can’t! They are just too good!” Max exclaims while smiling and drinking his milkshake.
Natalia invited me to lunch with the rest of the group. We all just came back from Thanksgiving break yesterday and instead of partying, Natalia said we should go to the diner.
Thanksgiving was normal for me. I spent time with my mom and Calvin at our family friend, Betty’s, house. At the end of the night everyone was drunk and dancing to music .
All of her parties, whether it's a kids party or baby shower, her parties take a turn. It starts with the music, bumping against her speaker loudly and then she brings out alcohol and next thing you know, everyone is drunk and in a daze.
My mom drank a little. I didn’t drink anything because I don’t like drinking when I’m with my family.
But it was fun. My mom and I managed not to fight, which is a good thing. She kept talking to me about Mateo. She sounds like she misses him but she won’t admit it. She told me he got a new girlfriend. She’s into cars like him which makes him like her a lot. It’s crazy how my mom goes to such bizarre lengths for him.
I know she loves him still but it’s pathetic seeing her pine after someone who cheated on her. I can’t even count how many times we have fought over him.
I always thought she loved him differently than she loved me. All of her attention was on him when Mateo lived with us and my mom would push me to the side or at least that’s what it felt like.
Now that he’s gone, she just talks shit about him.
It’s not that I don't like him. I just don’t like how my mom acts whenever he is mentioned or in the picture.
“You’re going to end up throwing up all over the floor, Max.” I hear a familiar voice say before feeling him slide into the booth next to me .
His arm brushes against mine and I feel chills go down my spine. I hate how his touch can get a small response out of me and he doesn’t even know.
I look at Hayden and even though I haven’t seen him in a week, I felt like he changed so much. Probably because he got a haircut. I can tell because it looks fresh.
Hayden turns his head and his eyes collide with mine. “Princess,” he whispers, his eyes going down to my lips before meeting my eyes again.
It’s like he is doing this on purpose to get a reaction out of me and I hate it.
I roll my eyes. “Stop calling me that.”
Natalia and Max start arguing again, making me look away from Hayden. Max is glaring at her while she makes fun of him. Chris is next to Natalia, looking at them with a bored expression on his face. Kayden is sitting next to me on his phone, which is what he always does.
I feel like he always looks like he is forced to be here when in reality he chooses to stay and hang out with them.
“Why haven’t you texted me?” Hayden’s lips caress my ear and I turn my head to look at him while goosebumps spread across my skin.
“Because I don’t need to. I told you before, you have no obligation to tell me what to do or to watch over me.”
Hayden smirks down at me as if I was joking. “You’re like a kid who doesn’t know how to take care of herself. Someone has to.”
“And that someone is you?” I furrow my eyebrows at him. “Also you say you hate me. Why would I want someone who hates me to take care of me?”
“What do they say about enemies? Keep them close.”
“I don’t even understand why I’m your enemy or why you hate me. You’re so bipolar, it’s actually concerning.” I look away from him and just stare at Natalia who is still arguing with Max. “This vendetta you have had against me since I was a teenager is getting ridiculous.”
I feel Hayden’s hand slide onto my thigh. The butterflies in my stomach are swarming like a tornado in my stomach. I suck a breath in and look down at his hand, trying not to feel affected.
“Maybe I just like torturing you princess.” His fingers stroke the inside of my thigh and I can’t help but press my thighs together when I feel my core tingling.
It feels weird and uncomfortable. Like I want to rub the sensation away but how could Hayden do all that with a simple touch.
I scoot away from Hayden until I am against Kayden who looks away from his phone. Hayden’s hand falls from my thigh. Kayden looks at my thigh and then Hayden behind me, raising an eyebrow at him.
“How was Thanksgiving?” Hayden asks him .
“Fine. I saw Grayson,” Kayden replies, before looking at me with speculation in his eyes.
“How is he?”
“Good. Still fighting.”
“I would assume so. He is good. Hoping to face him in the ring again.”
Kayden doesn’t reply, instead he looks down at me. “I didn’t think you liked me that much, Jaclyn.” My face turns red and I smile before leaning away from him a little, still trying to keep space between Hayden and I. I see Kayden’s eyes go to Hayden and his lips lift in a small smirk. “How was your Thanksgiving, Hayden?”
This time I look at Hayden and his jaw is clenched and his eyes are cold and look murderous. “Are you trying to piss me off?”
“Why would I do something stupid like that? Everyone knows not to piss you off,” Kayden says and I hear a teasing tone in his voice.
Hayden’s eyes go from mine to Kayden’s, still glaring at him with dark eyes.
“Yet, you’re fucking doing it anyways,” Hayden says in a menacing tone. “This is your only warning, Black.”
Are they still talking about Thanksgiving?
I’ve never been more confused about a conversation than now. I look at Kayden who has a smirk. I have never seen him look so devious.
Kayden leans against the wall and I feel his warmth leave my side. “I knew this was going to be fun.” Kayden smiles when he looks down at me, making me awfully more curious.
I turn my head to look at Hayden who is glaring at me with a dark gaze. It’s almost like he wants to destroy me and make me pay for something that I didn’t even do to him.