Chapter 9
The ride with Trent was quiet, but not uncomfortable.
The radio played quietly in the background, which helped, but it wasn’t just that.
I’d found that it didn't really matter what we were doing; I was never uncomfortable with Trent. We could be in class, at lunch, or just sitting around during downtime–it was all the same. It’s nice to know the same can be said outside of school, too.
It wasn’t until we pulled up in front of his house that I realized I’d never seen it before.
It was breathtaking.
The house sat on an enormous plot of land, the same as the guy's and Roderick’s parents’ house. Actually, Jake’s parents’ house did, too, now that I thought about it. I’m not sure if it’s because they like their privacy or if it’s just a rich people thing, but I guess it didn’t really matter.
The house is two stories with a porch that’s so long it almost stretches from one side of the house to the other.
It isn’t as showy as Roderick’s parents' house, but somehow, it doesn’t feel less grand.
If anything, it feels more welcoming, less prim and proper and more lived in.
There are dozens of windows, most of which are lit with soft, warm lights, and the porch has chairs and a swing around small tables, suggesting it gets a lot of use.
Even from the car, the house gives off a welcoming, warm vibe that reminds me of that corny love movie Zander had me watch with him last week.
I love it.
My door opens, and I turn my attention to Trent, where he stands watching me.
I hadn’t even heard him get out of the car.
It should send off warning bells, and usually, it would, but with Trent it doesn’t.
I push it out of my mind before I can spiral, knowing just how dangerous letting my guard down can be.
I hop down from the truck, and he closes the door behind me, nodding toward the house. I follow him, taking in as much of the house as I can without falling behind.
There are flowers everywhere all along the front of the house and lining the path, with little bird feeders hanging here and there from trees and hooks in the ground.
The sound of the front door opening pulls my attention, and I spot Hazel flying out the door just a second before she’s damn near on top of me.
“Jade!” She smiles but doesn’t stop moving, grabbing my arm and hauling me along with her right back the way she just came. “Come on. I want to show you my room.”
I can hear the excitement in her voice and know she’s probably grinning from ear to ear even though I can’t see her face. “Okay, okay, I’m coming,” I tell her with a smile of my own. Nobody but the girls have ever been this excited to see me, and while it feels strange, it’s not a bad feeling.
We pass by Trent, who stands on the porch by the door. He takes a step back just in time to avoid being plowed over, smiling at me as we pass him, and shaking his head at his sister as we disappear through the door and up the stairs.
The house is massive, but I don’t see much as we fly up the stairs and down the hall into what I can only assume is her bedroom.
I’m hardly able to keep my feet moving fast enough to stop myself from falling and to do more than glance around and see that the house is clean and well-kept.
I spot photos lining the walls, some art, and more plants spread throughout the hallway, but the details are lost to me.
The moment we’re in Hazel’s room, she snaps the door shut with a kick of her foot, and I take a moment to look around.
I’ve never been in a girl's room, let alone someone close to my age. I imagined it would be a lot like my own, or maybe even Zander’s; he has a lot more stuff than I do, that's for sure. But Hazel’s room is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
There’s stuff everywhere.
Not in a messy way though, more like she has a million things.
I do a turn, and as my eyes move around the room, I don’t even know what to look at.
Zander’s room has stuff everywhere, but it’s mostly clothes, shoes, knives, and scattered papers.
Hazel’s room is full, but everything seems to have a place.
She has a huge four-poster bed with a thin curtain around it, making it look fit for a princess.
All her bedding is a vibrant purple, with the sheer cover canopy just a shade lighter and see-through.
Her furniture is white wood, giving the room a pure feeling that I know matches Hazel, even though we haven’t been friends long.
The door that leads to her closet is on the left side of the room.
The rest of the wall is a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf with books of all types stacked in various ways.
Scattered in with the books are trophies, ribbons, other little knick-knacks, and a few photos.
The right side of the room also has a door, and while it’s closed, I assume it leads to a bathroom.
Each room in the guy's house and Roderick’s parents’ house has its own bathroom attached.
It seemed strange to me at first, but it seems pretty typical in large houses.
Next to the bathroom door is a desk with a table lamp.
No fewer than ten different schoolbooks with various notebooks, pens, and her school laptop sit open and waiting as if she had just been studying prior to my arrival.
With how smart Hazel is, I wouldn’t doubt it.
I make a mental note to have us plan a date to study since Spencer messed up our plans last time.
I probably should just ask her to help me now since I’m here, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
Just one night.
I need this, and as I turn back to look at Hazel, who stands fidgeting near the door, I like to think she needs it as well.
“So, what do you think?” she asks me without looking in my direction, and I hear the uncertainty in her voice.
I don’t like it.
It reminds me too much of how she is around Amanda and her little group of zombies. I much prefer the strong, sharp-tongued, quick-witted Hazel, the one who isn’t afraid to tell Trent off.
“It’s very you, Haze,” I reassure her with a smile, testing the nickname I’ve heard both Zander and Trent call her. It feels slightly odd since I don’t really know her that well, but she looks up at me with a huge smile, and I see some of her nerves melt away, so it’s worth it.
Hazel lets out a squeal that’s so loud I have to fight the urge to cover my ears. Before I even get the chance, she’s bouncing towards me, once again full of energy, just like when she dragged me through the house.
“Sorry about pulling you up here so quickly, but I knew if we lingered, Trent or Mom would steal you away, and I really wanted to just hang out for a few,” she says as she grabs my hand and drags me over to her bed, pulling me down with her to sit on the edge.
“So, are the guys that bad that you needed to come hang out with me?” she says with a laugh like she’s joking, but I’m sure she’s actually curious.
She can’t seem to understand how I’m living with them, but not with them, but without telling her the whole truth, I don’t even know how to make her believe me.
So I continue to tell her I’m just there until I get on my feet.
She and the rest of the city know Clair took me in, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to pump me for details about them. Not that I have any.
Well, I might have some on Zander.
The thought makes me smile, but I don’t really want to talk about the guys right now.
“Is it so hard to believe I wanted a little girl time?” I lightly knock my shoulder against hers in what I hope is a playful gesture. I want her to be comfortable around me, even if doing so takes me out of my comfort zone.
“No, I can understand that. No matter how hot the Vengeance guys are, I can’t imagine it’s easy to be with them twenty-four-seven.
I’ve seen the way they watch you. I can imagine you might need some time away to breathe.
” I try not to roll my eyes at their stupid nickname, but I can’t help it, and she chuckles at me before the smile drops from her face, and she turns away.
“But why me?” she asks before I get the chance to ask her what’s wrong.
I don’t answer, and after a moment, she turns her attention back to me. My confusion must be clear on my face because she explains without me asking her to.
“You could hang out with literally anyone in the school, Jade. Most of them would kill to be around you just because of your looks. Add in the fact that you live with those guys, and I bet people would fight over time with you.”
I almost laugh because she has to be joking, but the intense look on her face has my laughter dying before it even starts.
She’s serious.
“Hazel, I can count the people I can tolerate in this city on two hands,” I tell her, just as seriously. “And the people I trust on one.” I don’t bother mentioning the fact that I would have fingers left over. She gets the idea.
We stare at each other for a moment before she nods and hops up again, the smile back on her face as if our conversation didn’t just happen.
She showed me around her room. Her winning ribbons, most of which are from academic achievements, and her trophies from horseback riding. Apparently, her mom used to ride, and now she breeds horses, which explains why they have them.
Hanging out with Hazel is easy in a way that I’ve never felt before, not even with Zander, and he’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to an actual friend.
After about another twenty minutes, she’s shown me just about everything, and we sit around just talking about nothing. She goes on and on about Kai and how she scored higher on two of her tests than him, and I find myself wondering if there’s something more between them.