Chapter 40
Regardless of what the guys seem to think, I’m not stupid.
Trent spent all week glued to my side. At first, I thought he was just being nice.
We spent all day Saturday with Charlotte at his house with the horses, and it was amazing.
Though I’ll admit horses are much bigger than I ever realized, it took me a while to warm up to them.
Charlotte, however, was on cloud nine, and her excitement was well worth it, not to mention contagious.
On Sunday, Hazel wanted to go shopping, and Trent volunteered to take us to the mall.
I’d gotten better at shopping, but I still didn’t love it, especially not as much as Hazel does.
She quickly pulled us into store after store, going on and on about Leo and how much fun she had with him on Friday night when they went out for pizza.
Shopping might not be my favorite thing, but this was the most I think I’d ever heard Hazel talk outside of her or the guy's house, and I’m just happy she’s happy.
If she wants to drag me around, I’m okay with it.
When she asks me how it’s been going with the guys, I can’t help but steal a glance over my shoulder at Trent.
She looks between the two of us before promptly throwing her hands over her ears and shaking her head, damn near screaming about not wanting to know.
I can’t help but laugh, and when she finally drops her hands, she tells me she’s happy I'm happy, and she loves that Trent has me, but she will “legit throw up if you tell me even one little detail.”
Her words, not mine.
The day was great. The only snag was when we stumbled upon Amanda and Mai in Victoria's Secret. Hazel had been ready to bolt, but I made her stay. I won’t let my friend be intimidated by a high school mean girl, especially not Amanda.
She’s not even scary; she probably couldn’t even hurt a fly, literally.
In the end, they didn’t even approach us, but on their way out, they made sure to get close enough for us to hear their cruel whispers.
It didn’t bug me, but I could tell it affected Hazel.
I’d watched them go, and I knew if they looked back, they would see the promise of violence in my eyes.
Unfortunately, they didn’t. The moment they stepped out of the store, they spotted Trent and descended on him like he was a hot new purse they needed to buy.
His gaze connected with mine as he pried Mai’s hand from his arm, and I got the joy of watching her face turn red before they stomped off together. I knew that wouldn't be the last I saw of them, but for now, it was good enough.
It wasn’t until Monday, after math class, that I really caught on to what the guys were up to when Spencer magically appeared and walked with us to the gym for weight training.
He might be in that time block with us, but he’s never walked with us.
Hell, he’s never even talked to me or been near me during it.
When I gave Trent a questioning look, he just shrugged like he didn’t know either.
I don’t buy it, but I let it go.
Spencer sticks closer than usual, and he and Trent both walk me to my last class with Rick.
I know that both Rick and Spencer have been doing most of their classes online.
Hazel was telling me about how they requested an online transfer.
She filed it during her office hours and asked me if everything was okay.
I didn’t have an answer for her, though, because I hadn’t known.
It's not until Wednesday that I see what's happening. They only go to classes I share with them, and when it's a class I don’t have with any of them, one of them magically shows up either to sit through class with me or they’re there the moment I’m out.
They're treating me like I need protection, and I don’t like it.
I spend the next hour in kickboxing, taking all of my frustration out on one of the heavy bags, not even bothering to pay attention to Rick as he instructs everyone else.
“Jade,” Rick shouts my name, and the irritation in his voice lets me know this probably isn’t the first time.
Too bad.
I continue working through combos, ignoring him and all the eyes I can feel on me from his attention.
I don’t turn, but I can feel his presence as he walks up behind me. I duck away from his hand as he reaches for me, turning to glare at him.
“Don’t touch me.” I hiss the words, keeping my voice low so that only he can hear me.
He lets his hand drop back to his side, and I know I’ve caught him off guard when his face shows his shock at my reaction. It only lasts a moment before he pulls his mask back into place as everyone around us watches on with interest.
“Dismissed.” His shout echoes around the room. A few people jump in surprise or cringe from the sheer volume, but after a second, everyone scatters to collect their things.
Everyone except for me and Rick, who stand in a silent stare-down that nobody dares interrupt, going so far as to take the long way around us instead of walking between us.
“What’s wrong?” Rick asks the moment the door swings shut behind the last person, but I don’t answer.
I’m too angry, and I’m not even sure it’s warranted.
I promised I would let them help, but I didn’t sign up to be handled like I’m fragile.
I’m not, and they know it.
“Jade!” Rick shouts my name again, and I flinch out of my thoughts. Looking at Rick again, I see that even though he’s shouting, he's not upset. I’ve gotten pretty good at seeing through that mask over the last few weeks, and ever since our argument last week, I feel like it’s even easier.
He takes a step toward me with his hands raised.
“Talk to me.”
It’s phrased like a demand, but his tone sounds almost pleading, and it chips away at my resolve.
“You're all treating me like I’m fragile.”
I push the words out through clenched teeth. I don’t want to answer him at all, but damn it, I can’t handle the hurt I see in his eyes.
“Don’t act like you're not. You guys have been trying to keep me busy and watching me all week,” I snap when he shakes his head like he’s going to deny it.
My words come out rushed and shrill, but I can’t stop.
“I’m not some hopeless girl you guys need to defend.
We’ve been over this. I can handle myself, so stop worrying about me and do what you’re supposed to do and help the girls. ”
I’m screaming by the time I’m done, my voice echoing around the otherwise silent and empty gym just as Rick’s had been moments ago.
I hadn’t even realized I’d been raising my voice.
My chest heaves as I struggle to get control of myself, but instead of backing away, he’s only getting closer, taking small steps toward me with his hands raised.
“Jade,” he says when he’s right in front of me, and I know he wants my attention, but I can’t.
“Jade,” he says again with a sigh, and I can’t help it as my eyes snap up to meet his. I’d expected him to be mad now. Rick isn’t someone you can push around, and I doubt he takes being screamed at well. Instead, when I finally force my gaze up to meet his, I find he just looks tired.
I take a good look at him for the first time and realize he has bags under his eyes.
I noticed the same with Spencer yesterday in our language class, but that’s not so crazy for him.
From what I hear, he doesn’t always get much sleep.
Rick has been known to keep long hours and run a tight ship, but I don’t think I’ve seen him so out of sorts since I’ve been around, not even first thing in the morning.
“We’re not doing that because we don’t think you can handle it or because you're fragile,” he says now that he has my attention.
“We're doing this because we don’t want to put more on you. Because we care.” I can see the sincerity in his eyes and hear the truth in his words, but I still shake my head and look away.
He doesn’t let me have the easy way out, though. Grabbing my chin, he lifts my head until I have no choice but to meet his gaze, unless I close my eyes, but that seems cowardly. So instead, I look up at him as he searches my face.
“Why is it so wrong that we want to keep you safe?” he asks, loosening his grip on me so that I can answer.
“I’m making all of your lives harder. It’s not fair that I’m out riding horses with Trent while you guys run yourselves into the ground.” I tell him, my words slightly jumbled with his hold, but I don’t pull away.
“This isn’t your fault. None of us blames you for this, and you're not making anyone's life harder.” He moves impossibly closer, closing the already small distance between us so that my chest presses against his. My head is tilted so far back that it’s almost uncomfortable, but I don’t care.
Fragments of our argument in his bathroom flash through my mind.
He had been the one who was being unreasonable then, but this time it might be me.
I can’t understand why they would want to do this for me.
Changing everything they know just to help me, but Rick isn’t the first of them to say it, and every time it’s said, I find myself believing it a little more.
“Not even Spencer’s?” I ask with a smirk, feeling the tension break as he smiles back at me.
“Oh no, you're definitely making Spencer's life harder.” My brows scrunch in confusion, and he chuckles in a way I’ve only ever heard from him and Kratos, where their chest rumbles, and it's more like a growl. “Just not in the way you think, Firefly.”
That doesn’t help me understand any better, but he’s laughing, so maybe it’s just a joke.
If so, I don’t get it. Before I can question him further, he pulls my face to his, bending down to scoop me up into his arms. My legs go around his waist on instinct as he presses his lips to mine and walks us into one of the bags.
The leather is cool against the exposed skin of my back, and the mix of his heat and the cold causes goosebumps to break out all over my skin.