Chapter 15
Declan, Present
I’ve managed to stay away from Javi for the past two weeks.
Just barely.
I try to make myself as scarce as possible at school, rushing to each of my classes and hunkering down with Landon at lunch.
At home, I don’t even look in the direction of his house. I keep my curtains firmly shut.
I can feel his eyes on me every time he’s anywhere close. Always watching.
“You’re my little doll from now on. Only I get to play with you.”
I shiver even as I walk down the hall thinking about what he said. But, I mean, that’s just shit people say when they’re in the moment.
He didn’t mean it. Of course he didn’t.
I helped him get off at a time when he really needed a distraction, but it’s laughable to think he feels any type of possessiveness about me. I certainly don’t want that either.
Whatever we had before, if there was really anything, is gone. What’s left behind is an odd lustful aura that I don’t quite understand. So, I’m doing the mature thing and avoiding dealing with it.
I’m almost to my class, when I look up and see him.
It’s fucking biblical. All the people parting to show him to me. A clear path with him at the end, staring right back at me.
I stand there like a shocked animal under a bright set of headlights.
His words run through my head again.
“You’re my little doll from now on. Only I get to play with you.”
I get a strange impulse. A need to rebel. Because even if he was just bullshitting me, he needs to know that I’m not like that.
He doesn’t tell me what to do. No one does.
I do whatever the fuck I want.
I spot a guy from one of my classes about to pass me.
I’ve been able to tell that he likes what he sees. Nothing overtly obscene. Just lingering, roaming glances in my direction.
I’m not the least bit interested, but he seems nice. And by nice, I mean that he doesn’t outwardly call me names. The bar is fucking low these days.
Seizing the guy’s bicep, I pull him off to the side.
The hall is mostly empty by now, but the person who matters is still there, burning me with his gaze.
I give the guy my nicest smile. “Hey—” Fuck. What's his name? “Guy…”
He narrows his eyes slightly. “It’s Adam.”
I scoff through my smile. “Yes. I know.” I touch his arm. Adam’s eyes follow the action before flexing under my fingers. “Oh. Strong!”
Jesus Christ. I sound like an idiot. But I honestly don’t know how to flirt. Or pretend flirt.
But he doesn’t seem to care. He smirks and blushes slightly. “Yeah.”
“So, you, like, work out a lot?”
He starts to answer me, but I don’t hear it. My attention wanders behind him.
Javi looks pissed. I can see the muscles in his jaw clenching from here. I’m excited and scared at the same time. I don’t know what that means, but I don’t hate the feeling.
It’s silent, so I look back at Adam and realize he’s done talking, waiting for me to say something back to him.
“Ohhhhh,” I say in awe and throw in a little laugh. I’m not sure if that goes with whatever he said.
Adam approves of my response. I know because he keeps talking about some work out routine and flexes some more for me.
My eyes wander back to Javi.
His jaw is still working. There’s anger in his eyes. He’s about to do something. I know it.
My body vibrates with anticipation.
Out of nowhere, stupid Grant walks up to him and whispers something in his ear. And in a moment that’s anticlimactic as fuck, Javi shakes his head and they both walk away.
“So, you wanna meet up later? We can just go to my car. I know you like that.”
I sigh. Well, fuck me. Adam is not a nice one.
I look at him like he’s insane. “Fuck no, Adam. Bye.”
His mouth drops open in shock, but it quickly morphs into anger.
I don’t wait to see what he’s going to say. I’m sure it’ll be something fucked up. So, I turn away and start walking.
“Fine. I didn’t want someone who’s been ran through as much as you, anyway.”
See?
I raise my middle finger in the air without turning around.
It’s fine. Nothing I haven’t heard before.
They can’t hurt me any more than they already have.