Chapter Twenty-Six
Charlotte
I blame my period for the messy emotions.
Ever since Monday when I got pissed at Cal and conveniently started menstruating, I haven’t been able to let it go. He was a total dick about Loden and then went all caveman over Ryan. We’re both pretty good at being stubborn brats, because neither of us has made the move to apologize. He overreacted, but so did I. I miss him, but I’m hormonal and feel like raging any time I consider being the first to apologize.
So, instead, I stew.
My legs feel like jelly and every muscle screams in pain. Coach Jenner has been pushing us every day after school. You’d think after three practices in, I’d be used to it. Each day is harder than the last, though.
After a shower, I change into some pajamas, ignoring the fact it’s not even six in the evening, and head to the kitchen to figure something out to eat. It’s then I notice the presence at the kitchen table.
Jace and Samantha.
I flash them my fake cheerleader smile. “Hey.”
Jace’s gaze flits over me, assessing me from head to toe, before landing back on my face. “Hey, cheerleader.”
“I swear you have ADD,” Samantha grumbles. “I need you to look over this paperwork and sign it. Stop getting distracted by teenage boobs.”
Sure, my tank top is tight and sure I’m not wearing a bra because I forgot he freaking lives here now, but at least my boobs aren’t spilling out of the top like hers are.
Jace lets his eyes linger on me a second longer—not because he’s checking me out, but because he’s trying to figure me out—before he turns back to Samantha. I rummage around in the kitchen until I find the ingredients for an omelet.
“Call me if this job doesn’t pan out. I’ll help you find a new one,” Samantha says, rising from the table. “Be a good boy, Jace.” She pats him on the head and then leaves without a word of goodbye to me.
I ignore her to chop up some green onions when a fiery, imposing presence pulsates into me from behind. His nearness makes me shiver. Whirling around, I hold the chopping knife between us, forcing a glare.
“What are you doing?” I demand.
His head cocks to the side as he studies me. “Just trying to figure you out, cheerleader.”
“There’s nothing to figure out.”
“You’re afraid of me. You won’t think twice about stabbing me if I step closer. I’m bigger and scarier than your boyfriend ever was, yet you feel empowered right now. Like you could defend yourself if you needed to.”
“It’s called PMS. Beware of a bitch on the rag.”
His handsome mouth curls into a grin. “Good excuse. However, we both know it’s more than that. Why did you let that boy hurt you?”
I cringe at his words. “I didn’t let him do anything. He just took what he wanted. I won’t let him take from me ever again. Or anyone else for that matter.”
“Good girl,” he says, patting the top of my head. “And if he does, I’ll make sure he gets it twice as bad.”
“He belongs in jail,” I huff, hating how my skin crawls just thinking of him.
“I know people in prison.” His amber eyes flicker like flames. “Ask Kayden and Juno.”
I stiffen, finally lowering the knife to go back to chopping. “What’s with Kayden and Juno?”
Roux told me the whole story. Of Rex and his gang. The way they hurt her and Jordy. How they tried to burn them alive. Kayden tossed the match. He can burn in hell for all I care because my best friend could have died that night.
Jace stands behind me, peering over my shoulder, watching me as I prepare the vegetables. His breath is hot and tickles my hair.
“They’re paying for their sins not only with time,” he growls, “but with their flesh too.”
“You orchestrated this? Are you going to have them killed?”
“Nah,” he murmurs. “Too easy. Whenever I get pissed, thinking all over again what they did to Jordy and Roux, I just put in the word for them to be punished. It’ll hurt. Juno’s in the infirmary as we speak. Kayden has another ass kicking coming to him soon.”
“Are you the godfather of prison?”
He tugs playfully at my hair. “Just a guy who won’t sit around and let injustice prevail.”
“An ex-con vigilante mobster then?”
“Just a dad. Like yours. He’s a little more civilized in his approach. You think I’m the godfather? Your old man has been busy rubbing elbows with every influential person in Horn River. When he gets ready to call in favors, the whole town will yield to him like he’s king. I guess that makes you the princess.”
I’m about to speak when my words are cut short.
Yelling.
Pounding.
“Charlotte! Charlotte! Let me in!”
Jace snags the knife from my hand, storming toward the front door. I chase after him, fear swelling up inside of me.
“Jace!” I cry out when he flings open the door, a murderous growl in his throat.
He grabs our visitor by the front of his T-shirt and shoves him against the wall in the hallway, the knife with vegetables still clinging to it, digging painfully into his flesh.
“Apologize to her,” Jace snarls. “Apologize for being a psychopathic woman beater rapist!”
Loden’s eyes are wild with fear. “Wrong dude, dude.”
“Jace, it’s my friend. That’s not Ryan.”
Jace doesn’t pull away, his shoulders tight with anger. Gently, I reach past him to take the knife from his hand. He relinquishes it to me, but doesn’t unpin Loden from the wall.
“He seems sketchy,” Jace grumbles.
“And so do you,” I argue, “but you’re here, living with me. Sometimes the perfect looking ones are the worst. Lo is cool. Let him go.”
Jace finally releases him and steps back. His fiery glare takes its time inspecting Loden as though he’s harboring a hidden agenda that Jace can uncover with one stare. I move around the snarling beast and throw my arms around my friend.
“I missed you,” I choke out, overjoyed with his sudden appearance.
“Missed you too, baby.” Loden nuzzles my hair and sighs as though my hug has the power to heal all the cracked parts of him. “Is the ex-convict your new boyfriend or are you still banging the bad boy Hornet?”
I push away from him and swat at his arm. “Jace is just a friend.”
“A friend who will beat anyone who hurts her,” Jace throws out.
As much as I appreciate the protectiveness, it’s overboard. He can’t go beating people who might be a threat. Especially Ryan, who is one. Michael will have him tossed back in prison before either of us could even blink. There’s no way I will be responsible for him going back. My best friend would be devastated.
“Come on. I was just starting dinner. Jace, you can join us if you act like a civilized human and not this Neanderthal. Deal?”
Jace shrugs, his glare affixed on Loden. “Ain’t makin’ any promises, princess. If he gets out of line, I’ll straighten him back out.”
“There’s no straightening me back out,” Loden says. “But Char is my girl. She’ll always be safe with me.”
“This feels like the start of a bad porno,” Penny says when she enters the kitchen, drenched in sweat. “Cheerleader makes breakfast in her pajamas. Two convicts do terrible, terrible things to her with the spatula.”
I hand Jace his plate and he carries it over to the table, chuckling at Penny.
“I’m not having sex with either of them,” I grumble. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but no pornos here.”
“I did watch a porno with two sisters once—” Loden starts, but I cut him off with a glare.
“Don’t encourage her,” I bite out. I point my spatula at Jace, who’s laughing. “You neither.”
“For real, though,” Penny says. “How many hot guys do you have just hanging on your every word? Are you poly now? Ohhhh, Dad is going to lose his shit if you’re having threesomes in his apartment. Does Cal know? Is Cal in the big orgy too? What about Trey?”
“Penny!” I bark out. “Not poly. No threesomes or orgies. Get your head out of the gutter and make an omelet if you’re hungry. I’m not cooking for your bratty ass.”
She smirks. “Nah, I just ate with Dad. He had to swing by the office, but he’ll be home soon. Quick, hide your boyfriends.”
I smack her ass and she laughs before escaping the kitchen to head to her room that we’re now sharing.
“For the record, the sister porno started with an ass smacking,” Loden says unhelpfully. “Just saying.”
“Zip it.”
The three of us eat, both of them hiding smirks while I try not to blush profusely. Damn Penny for always stirring shit up.
After dinner and cleanup, I take Loden’s hand, leading him outside. I check my phone for messages from Cal but come up short. It makes my heart ache, but I’ll worry about him later. Something is up with Loden. He’s never come to visit me before. Despite the playful grin he plastered on since he’s been here, I know better. He’s hurting.
We sit on the patio sofa, me on one end with Loden’s head in my lap. I stroke my fingers through his black hair and wait for him to spill. Tonight, as the sun disappears behind the horizon, a chilly wind blows across the river, making me wish I’d grabbed a blanket.
“I want to get drunk, Char. Like shitfaced, fall-down wasted. I want to drink until I black out.” He sighs. “I want to feel numb.”
My heart twists painfully in my chest. “Why?”
“It’s too much. Everyone. Everything. Always in my fucking face. Demanding. They want me to be a circus monkey. I can’t fucking breathe, baby. I can’t breathe.” His voice cracks. “No wonder you like it here. It’s calm. No one pulling your strings and telling you where you have to go.”
“Maybe you need a vacation,” I suggest, taking his hand in mine.
“You have no idea what sort of hoops I’d have to jump through to make that happen.”
“You came here with no problems.”
His dark eyes flash with deviance as he pins me with a stare. “I left. I didn’t even tell Mena. No one knows I’m here. I had trouble leaving LAX. Cameras everywhere, but once I arrived in Oregon, no one knew me. It was bliss.”
“You should let her know you’re okay,” I urge. “That’s erratic behavior. She’ll be worried. When it’s family, it’s okay to let them know your plans. She’s not trying to control you like they are.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll call her.”
“I’ll give you a minute,” I tell him. I rise and leave him on the patio to head inside. Music plays in Penny’s room where she’s holed up. Jace is in my old room with the door closed and Dad’s office door is also shut. I pull my phone back out to text Cal.
Me: I miss you.
Chaos Hornet: Do you?
Me: Of course I do. I was just mad. I’m sorry.
Chaos Hornet: Has he messaged you anymore?
Me: No.
Chaos Hornet: Good. I’m sorry too. I just got so fucking worried.
Me: The great Cal Hutton knows how to apologize…color me shocked.
Chaos Hornet: Smartass. Come see me.
Me: I have a visitor.
Chaos Hornet: Lo?
Me: Yeah. Don’t be jealous.
Chaos Hornet: I’m not. Jordy told me Jace is staying there too. How is that? Do I need to kick that convict’s ass?
Me: He nearly stabbed Lo because he thought he was Ryan.
Chaos Hornet: Daddy Hornet gets an ass kicking pass then.
Me: How’s Trey?
Chaos Hornet: Going home soon.
Me: What?! No way! That’s amazing.
Chaos Hornet: I need to get to bed. See you at school tomorrow.
I can’t help but feel like I’ve been brushed off. Unfortunately, Trey is a touchy subject for us. All I want is for him to heal and be happy.
Rather than let it bother me, I send him a thumbs-up emoji.
Chaos Hornet: Bad, bad girl.
Me: You like it that I’m just as bad as you.
Chaos Hornet: I’m taking you to dinner tomorrow after practice.
Me: Are you asking me out on a date, Mr. Hutton?
Chaos Hornet: More like telling you, parasite.
Me: Way to ruin it.
This time, he sends me the thumbs-up emoji and damn it, my cheeks burn bright red. Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I grab the blanket off the couch and head back outside to sit with Loden. He’s lying down on the sofa, his long legs stretched across, staring into the distance. I wedge myself between him and the back cushions, covering us with the blanket.
“Is she okay?” I ask, patting his chest.
“Now that she knows I’m with you, yes.”
“I’m always here for you, Lo. Always. You’re never alone.”
He lets out a ragged, heavy sigh. “Same, baby, same.”
I fall asleep, doing my damnedest to hold him together. When I wake the next morning, shivering from the cold and all alone, I discover he’s left with a text as his only goodbye.
Lo: I love you and miss you already. Thanks for giving me exactly what I needed when I needed it. Now LA needs me. Talk soon.
My heart squeezes with worry, but all I can do is hope he’ll come back to me the next time he’s hurting.