23. The Mess
The Mess
Harper
Caden, Nico, and I sit at the cafeteria table. For once, we’re the first ones here. Eli was going to talk to Ashley. But I’m not sure what’s keeping Luke and Jack. Caden went to get us all lunch.
“How are you?” I ask, checking over Nico again. It feels like it’s too early for him to be back at school.
Nico chuckles softly. His dark hair falls over his eye as he lifts his gaze to mine. “I’m good, sunshine. Not even heavily medicated, just on ibuprofen.”
His leg is propped up on another chair. It’s the one thing his physical therapist insisted on this week at least, if he wanted to come back to school.
“I’d rather sit around here all day than lie in bed. It’s beyond boring.” His fingers link with mine on the table. “And I missed you.”
I squeeze his hand. “I missed you too. But I’d rather be anywhere but in this school today. Think of all the shows we could get caught up on.”
“I probably already caught up on them.”
Sidney walks in laughing with Zach’s arm possessively around her shoulders. She walks like she owns the place. The queen bee. She’s been that for so long. I’m not sure the guys can take her down. But they’re determined to dismantle her kingdom piece by piece if they have to.
She overstepped and doesn’t care. Her eyes meet mine, and I can feel the hate from here. A little shiver tries to work its way through me, but I refuse to look scared of her. Even if I am, just a little. I straighten and arch my eyebrow.
I may not have her power, but I don’t have to bow to her either. Weakness will only get me eaten alive around here. So I can’t show it.
That includes being afraid of Zach. I won’t underestimate him and his determination, but I’m not going to act like a frightened girl trapped in a closet anymore.
I’m not a victim. I’m a survivor and proved that to him already.
He’s not getting another shot at me.
When I meet his gaze, I tip my chin up. He smirks and winks.
Caden steps in between us, blocking Zach’s view of me as he puts my tray in front of me. “Careful, little nympho.”
“I’m not afraid of him.” I meet Caden’s green eyes.
He smiles. “Good. But don’t let him see he’s getting to you. He’s nothing to you. Not an adversary or someone you want to hang out with. He’s invisible.”
Tanner’s words come back to me. How he saw me when I thought I was invisible. Even Caden saw me. But no one dug any deeper. How many other students do the same thing I did? Did I not see the others like me because I was too busy hiding myself? Or were they just way better at hiding than me?
When Caden takes his seat beside me, we eat. Jack comes in, distracted and on his phone. I feel like I need to hide it from him so he takes some time for himself. Is he still working?
When he glances up at me, his smile is huge and his blue eyes are brilliant. My heart fills like a balloon, ready to burst with how he makes me feel. Fuck, who knew I could love the horsemen like this.
He walks right past the other tables to get to ours. Not even glancing at the girls calling his name. When he gets to our table, he rounds it and scoops me up.
“Jack!”
Chuckling, he sits in my chair before lowering me to sit across his lap. “You know how your mom said someone you trust would tell you where to go tonight?”
I raise my eyebrows at him expectantly. He might have the most secure line, so that makes sense.
“It’s me.” He smirks.
“Okay, so tell me.” I’m still confused.
“You’re staying with our family. You and your mom.” Jack leans in and kisses me, but I’m still in shock. How will that work?
“Your dad was a horseman. How is that safe?” My father trusted Jack’s dad, but did he put his trust in the wrong person? My dad didn’t come back from the meeting Jack’s dad told him about.
“Mom said she’d explain tonight at dinner, before we have to go to the carnival.” Jack squeezes me around my middle before taking a fry off my plate.
“Where do I go after school?” I still feel like a kite blowing around in the wind with nowhere solid to land. The guys all feel like home, but I’d like to actually be able to go to my real house and live my life like I used to, but with the guys in it.
“Nico’s.” Caden nods at Nico. “You can take my car. He can’t drive yet.”
Caden gets his keys out and holds them out to me. I hesitate because this feels like a trap.
“You want me to drive your car?” Isn’t there a rule against that? Like I can’t imagine driving any of the horsemen’s cars. Even though they’ve driven mine.
He takes my hand and presses his keys into my palm. “Yes, little nympho.”
He kisses me before returning to his lunch.
I lean back into Jack and pick up my sandwich. This day feels surreal. Tanner got in trouble and is out of my art class. Nico is back at school. Now I’m going to stay with Jack instead of Caden.
I’ve been to Jack’s house once and in his bed. Remembering that afternoon, I shift on his lap. I don’t mind being alone with Jack.
“What about my night with you and Eli?” I turn to meet Jack’s gaze.
He smirks. “Oh, that’s happening. Your mom is still on third shift, and my parents’ bedroom is on the other side of the house with Lucy’s. Eli can easily come stay with us.”
“Your parents will let me stay in your room?” My eyes widen because while Mom let Luke that one night, and she probably suspected the other nights, I’m not sure she would knowingly say Sure, kids. Sleep together.
“We’ll figure that out tonight.” Jack shrugs, like it’s not a big deal.
I look up as something draws my attention and find Luke walking toward us. He pauses for a moment in front of Zach and Sidney’s table. His gaze collides with mine, and he gives me a half smile before turning to walk to their table.
The noise in the cafeteria dims a little, like everyone is watching what will happen. Luke puts his foot up on an empty chair and leans on his knee casually while talking with Sidney and Zach.
“Close your mouth, sweetheart.”
I close my open mouth and look at the others. Did they know about this plan? I can’t even ask because there might be someone listening. I rest against Jack’s chest and watch.
If I didn’t know better, I would think Luke is discussing the weather or something mundane like Friday night’s game with Zach and Sidney. Maybe they are. Maybe it’s a campaign to get under their skin by showing them they haven’t gotten under ours.
Caden touches my back. When I look at him, he nods at the door. Eli walks in, and a moment later Ashley follows. Eli comes our way, while Ashley joins Emma and Hannah at the table they used to sit at before Sidney moved them to the basketball table.
When Ashley looks over at me, she gives me a small nod. Maybe acknowledging that Eli’s mine. Or letting me know she’s going to help topple Sidney. I don’t know, but it’s not filled with animosity like it used to be. It’s an almost respectful look.
Eli sits down next to Nico without acknowledging Luke at Zach’s table.
“Hey, kitten.” His soft brown eyes meet mine.
“Tonight.” Jack squeezes me, but his attention is on Eli.
“Yeah?” Eli looks me over. “Mine or yours.”
“Mine.”
Eli nods and gives me a heated look. “Good. I’ll bring what we need.”
Fuck. There’s something wicked about the idea of these two. I’ve experienced them separately and that one time at the table together while the others watched. Hard and soft. My curiosity is definitely peaked.
Luke backs away from the other table and comes around ours. He captures my attention, and I can’t look away. I don’t know what that was about. I’m not sure they’ll tell me. Not because I can’t know, but we’re being listened to and watched all the time.
It’s not safe anywhere. That’s far more terrifying than anything Sidney can dish out.
“Everything good?” Luke sits down and leans back in his chair like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
Caden nods. “Pieces are in play.”
“The queen is mine.” Jack smirks at Luke. I assume that’s to let Luke know we’re staying at his place.
“That good for you, princess?” Luke’s eyes meet mine.
I shrug. “I’d rather be home. But as long as I’m with one of you, I’m good.”
Though I know Luke is staying at Caden’s now. He decided last night that enough was enough with his father. The problem is Penny. They’re planning for her to stay at Caden’s too, unless her mother will take her back. If their father makes a stink about her, she’ll have to return to his house.
I’m just glad Luke is safe. I didn’t like knowing he was under that roof, but I also couldn’t stand the thought of Penny being on her own with that man. Even if he’s her biological father, he’s not a good man. He’s not even a decent man.
I’m glad Luke is away from him, but I wish we were still under the same roof.
College seems so far away. These stolen nights will be in the past if we can make it through this year. Hell, if we can make it through this Saturday and whatever they have planned for us.
We finish lunch and stop at the lockers before heading to the next period. The others go off to their classes, leaving just Luke and me.
Luke stops me before I reach the door and presses me against the lockers, leaning his hard body against mine.
“Miss me, princess?” He rubs his chin against mine, lighting me up inside.
I place my hands on his chest and let out a little sigh of relief. This is the Luke I know and love. He pulls back and searches my eyes.
“We’re improvising a little here, princess.” He tucks my hair behind my ear. “It’s like a game of chess. We each have to make our moves to win the game.”
“What did you talk to them about?” I cock a curious eyebrow.
He studies me carefully. Maybe for signs of jealousy, but I didn’t feel any. Not for her.
“We need to look solid. Like nothing they’ve done can knock us down.
I went over and asked Sidney how she enjoyed last night.
” He brushes his thumb over my jaw and then traces my lips.
“I wanted to see how Zach would react. If he knew her plan or if it was a surprise for him. I already knew he knew, but I wondered if he’d give it away. ”
“And did he?” I can see the cold calculation in his eyes, and it doesn’t frighten me like it used to. In fact, it settles something inside me, because Luke is on my side and he’s using that intellect to protect me.
Luke smirks. “He knew about her spending the night, but I doubt he knows she fucked my dad.”
My mouth opens and my mind explodes. “What?”
Luke shrugs. “She’s not his usual type, but I figured she wanted to get with a Foster last night, and my father was the only one left.”
I still can’t even picture that. A shudder goes through me. “Why?”
“Maybe she hoped it would get back at me in some way. Maybe she wants to be my new stepmother. I don’t know, and I don’t give a fuck.” He nods his head toward the classroom, but I hold still.
“How do you know?”
He and Caden left. They couldn’t have seen anything.
“My father’s not the only one with cameras in our house, princess.”