Chapter 15 - Zander #2
I push her off me, hoping she'll fall to the floor, but somehow, she gets her feet underneath her just in time.
Pity.
Without hesitation, she's back in my space, pushing her chest to mine as she squeezes me and rubs up on me.
Usually, I enjoy the attention, but right now, I just want her to get lost before I lose my fucking temper.
“What the fuck, Amanda!?” I yell, putting both my hands on her shoulders and forcing her back a step.
She pushes against my hold attempting to break free, but I easily overpower her.
Even after her hands are off me and she’s an arm's length away, I still keep my hands on her shoulders, holding her back. I know the moment I let go, she’ll snap back to me like a rubber band.
Amanda looks up at me with a smile on her face, batting her lashes at me in an attempt to look flirty. I feel my face screw up as I watch her. She looks like she has something in her eye.
Did this shit really work on me before?
Fuck, I’m the dumb one in the group.
“Zany! Babe! I missed you so much!” she yells, reaching out to me as if she expects me to hug her.
Yeah, bitch, not happening.
I cringe at the stupid nickname she insists on calling me.
“Amanda, where is your brother?” Rick asks, pulling her attention away from me momentarily. The second she turns to face him, I sigh in annoyance and relief, quickly taking a few steps away from her.
“Oh, hey, Rick,” she says, moving into his space.
Rick doesn’t let girls hang on him, something Amanda is well aware of.
Amanda is pushing it with how close she is to him already, but of course, that’s not enough for her.
She rests her hand on his bicep and does that weird eyelash-fluttering thing again, twisting a piece of her long, fake blonde hair around her finger.
“It’s been a while since I last saw you, boys.” Her voice is low as she talks to him. Anyone with eyes can see how tense he is now that she’s touching him, but she’s either too stupid to notice or chooses to ignore it because she just keeps going, moving her hand up and down his arm.
“Amanda, I don't have time to play games with you right now. Where is Jake?” Rick asks again, picking her hand up like it’s diseased, and dropping it back at her side. He crosses his arms over his chest in an obvious show of “fuck off” that I’m sure Amanda won’t hear.
A small chuckle has me pulling my eyes away from the mounting tension with Rick and looking over to Jade, where she sits on the counter on Rick’s other side.
A smile pulls to my lips as a fit of giggles overtakes her.
She tries to hold it in with a hand over her mouth, but it doesn’t do shit.
From the corner of my eye, I see Rick’s lip quirk up as well.
The bastard can act as hard as he wants, but I see through his mask.
I’m not sure what's so funny, but her laughter is contagious in the best way.
Amanda looks from Jade to me and then to Rick. Her face scrunches up in anger when she sees Rick’s reaction to her laughter. Amanda's not ugly, but the scowl on her face isn’t doing her any favors.
“You brought a whore to a college party, boys? Really?” she says, looking Jade over from top to bottom before pursing her lips in disgust.
My smile drops at her words. Rick opens his mouth to say something in response, but she keeps going before he can. Digging her grave even deeper.
“You know you don’t have to buy sex, right, boys?
The girls here would be more than happy to serve you, and you’ll find it’s much cheaper,” she laughs.
It's a nasally sound that’s so fake it’s kind of embarrassing to listen to.
I step toward her, ready to lay into her for how she’s talking about Jade, but Jade stops me before I can, putting her leg up to block my path.
I look up at her only to realize she’s still laughing. I arch a brow at her in question, but she doesn’t say anything. Leaning forward, she rests her hand on my arm before dropping her leg and hopping off the counter to stand in front of me, facing Amanda.
“Well, you know how the saying goes. You get what you pay for. In your case, free might mean you get more than you bargained for. Nobody likes unwanted surprises that last a lifetime," Jade tells her in a sugary, sweet tone as if she’s speaking to a child.
A smile splits my face wide, and Rick’s eyebrows climb so far up his head I think they might disappear in his hair.
Amanda's face screws up even more as she looks over Jade, where she stands in front of her. I thought the face she was making before was bad, but now it's like she sucked on a lemon. It would be amusing if I weren’t so irritated.
Jade looked small even on the counter, but now she doesn’t just look it.
She is small. Even with the lift on her boots, she only comes up just above Amanda's chin. You can see it in Amanda’s eyes as she peers down at her.
She thinks Jade will be an easy target. It’s not just her size that has her thinking that, though I'm sure it doesn't help.
No, Amanda's entitlement is a learned behavior, with her daddy, the mayor, who gives her everything she could ever want.
Somehow, I don't think that's going to be the case today, though.
Hell, we all underestimated her at first, and I get the feeling Amanda is about to learn the same lesson we did.
“Yeah, well, nobody wants a fucking child either. So do yourself a favor and get lost. These boys like their girls to have some class, and I assure you, they aren’t going to pick trailer park, backwoods trash like you,” Amanda seethes, her face turning red.
Her comeback was garbage; anyone with eyes can see that Jade isn’t trailer park trash, but Amanda assumes she isn’t from money because she doesn’t know her.
I mean, she’s not, but not being filthy rich like we are doesn’t make someone trash.
Amanda’s probably closer to trash than Jade is, even with money.
“Amanda!” Rick's voice rings around the room, even over the sound of the music and people. His face is set into a stern frown, hinting at his anger, but the tick in his jaw lets me know he’s moments from losing it on her. Man, I fucking hope he does.
“It’s okay, Roderick. I can handle myself,” Jade tells him with a soft smile. A little of the tension leaves his shoulders as he gives her a nod and I know he will step in if needed.
Amanda laughs. “Awe, do you think so, sweet pea? You're what, five feet tall, maybe one hundred pounds soaking wet?" She laughs again, holding her stomach and leaning forward like someone just told her the best joke she’s ever heard.
Jade watches as she laughs, eventually pulling herself back up to stand and wiping away nonexistent tears from her eyes.
“Don’t fucking flatter yourself. I’ll let you off easy this time since you seem new around here, but just a heads up.
” Amanada spreads her arms wide looking around and making a show of the room, “This is my fucking house, which means you follow my fucking rules. Don’t like it, leave.
” Planting her hands on her hips like the brat she is.
“Next time, I won’t be so easy on you. I eat girls like you for breakfast,” she snaps, cocks her hip as if that somehow adds to her display. I don’t fucking get it, but whatever.
Rick and I stand silent, watching Jade, waiting to see what she's going to do. Neither of us wants to overstep, but the way Amanda is talking to her can’t be taken lying down.
In order for us to keep her safe, we need to set the tone that she is under our watch, and fucking with her means fucking with us.
It’s not necessary though.
Quicker than I can process, Jade is on her.
Her knee slams into her stomach, causing her to double over.
Jade wraps her blonde hair around her fist before walking her over to the kitchen island and slamming her over the side.
Amanda's head cracks off the countertop, and I wince, knowing that fucking hurt. Even still, I can’t keep the smile off my face as I watch her.
Jade crowds over her, and Amanda wiggles around like she thinks she might be able to break her hold.
It only takes a moment before it becomes clear that isn't going to happen.
Shit, I could have told her that. Jade is like a bear trap. Once she gets you, she’s not letting go.
“And here’s your heads up. My name is Jade, and I am new around here.
Talk to me like that again, and you’ll find yourself with a few new holes in that pretty face of yours, courtesy of my fucking blade.
I don’t give a fuck whose house it is. Got it?
” She drops her head but doesn’t move away. Amanda makes no move to get up, either.
Smart.
“While I have your attention. It’s also worth mentioning that neither of the guys seems interested in you.
So maybe have some dignity and stop plastering yourself on them like a fucking desperate octopus,” Jade tells her before taking a step back and wiping her hands on her shorts as if touching Amanda made her dirty. It probably did.
I can’t help but laugh out loud at her analogy. Amanda’s always been ready to throw herself at anyone with a dick and a decent bank account. A desperate octopus is a beautiful way to describe that, and I make a mental note to use that insult as much as possible.
Jade looks up at me and smiles. I can’t help but pull her into my arms for a hug. She stiffens for a moment but quickly relaxes into it before she begins to chuckle along with me.
She takes a step back and watches as Amanda pulls herself off the counter.
Standing tall, she flips her hair over her shoulder before turning and staring daggers at Jade.
Huffing loudly she looks at Rick and then at me as if waiting for us to say something.
When it becomes apparent we aren't going to, she stomps away like a child.