5. Slade
SLADE
“ B ut you shouldn’t have to live in the shadows, Harley.”
Her brows scrunch in the most adorable way. I don’t understand how she’s infiltrated my every thought, but she has. It pisses me off and excites me all the same.
I don’t like the thought of her hiding for her remaining time here. The girls here are all bitches. And she’s not. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to her. Or maybe it’s simply from saving her life the first night I met here. Even then something made me follow her.
“I don’t need to shine, Slide. All I need is to get by with the least amount of resistance.”
I had a feeling the resistance she referred to was her mom.
I couldn’t imagine having my mom against me. It was bad enough knowing I’d disappointed my parents, but for them to be actively against me would kill me.
I guess I understood why Harley felt the way she felt.
“If you don’t want to be seen with me, I won’t force you, but really, I wouldn’t pay too much mind to the girls here. They’re not used to new people taking their spot, but give it a couple of days and they’ll be ignoring you.”
Lifting her head to meet my gaze, she bit her bottom lip. “When I see it, I’ll believe it. I would appreciate being left on my own.”
“Can I still run with you?”
A lone brow lifted, and the corner of her mouth twitched. “If you mean follow me at a distance than sure.”
“What if I want to run beside you?”
She went back to gnawing on her lip, and then shook her head. “I’m not ready for that.”
And I knew I wouldn’t stop until I was jogging right alongside her.
“Then I’ll hang back.”
Pulling the papers closer, she read over them, and I knew she was trying to escape from my penetrating gaze. Once she was done which took far longer than necessary, Harley propped her chin on her hand. “Are you always like this?”
I mirrored her body. “Like what?”
One shoulder popped up. “I don’t even know what to call it.”
“Is it good?”
Her mouth twisted to the side. “I’m still trying to determine that.”
I wasn’t sure if I should be honest with her, but I felt like she deserved to know. “I’ve never been this way with anyone in my life. I guess you’re special.”
“Lucky me,” she said even if her tone implied, she wasn’t lucky at all. “Seriously though can you cool it on the intensity. Maybe find someone else to be concerned about?”
It bothered her just as much as it did me, but I’d never tell her that. Something deep inside of me drove me to protect her even if I didn’t understand it myself. I wasn’t sure I could stop it if I tried.
She groaned and laid her head down on the table. “I can see me asking is futile. I think I really will get homeschooled. It has to be better than this.” She said the last so quietly I wasn’t sure if I was meant to hear it.
“I’ll try to dial it back. Can you really say you hate someone caring for you?” I wasn’t sure caring was the right word, but it was the best I could come up with.
Shaking her head against the table, her eyes clenched closed. “I’ve grown accustomed to it,” she whispered sadly.
The bell rang before I could say anything.
Harley tried to scurry out of the room. To get away from me, but even with those long legs of hers mine were longer and it took me no time at all to catch up with her. “Are you ready for lunch?”
She closed her eyes for long moment before she let out a heavy puff of breath. “Not if it means I’m going to have the entire student body staring at me.”
There was nothing I could do about that. What Harley didn’t seem to realize was that she’d receive the attention with or without me.
“I’ve got an idea. Let’s get our food and then I’ll take you to a spot where no one will bother us.”
She was already shaking her head before I finished speaking. “That’s alright. I’m not hungry. I’ll just find a spot in the library until my next class.”
I knew she was lying, but I didn’t know why.
“Humor me. I hate to eat alone.”
A laughed bubbled out of her then. It completely transformed her entire being. For one brief moment the weight of the world was lifted off her shoulders. “Well, I don’t think that will ever be a problem for you, Mr. Popular. Pick someone else to have lunch with.”
“Too bad. I’ve got you marked in my book with permanent marker, so you can’t get out of it.”
Stopping abruptly in the middle of the hall, some freshman nearly plowed right into her. If my reflexed weren’t as quick as they were, she would have been flat on her ass. Pulling her into me, I held her close feeling each soft curve of her body.
“What are you doing?” She hissed, her deep blue eyes narrowing. How had I never noticed until now how blue they were?
“Keeping you from becoming hall roadkill. That guy almost took you down.”
Her hands came up between us pushing us apart. “Let go of me.”
My hands fell to my sides instantly. I wasn’t sure what her aversion to me was, but I certainly didn’t like it. “Let’s go.” I took off toward the cafeteria and hoped she would follow. If she didn’t, I would find her.
I could hear her shoes slapping against the floor before I saw her. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her jaw was tense. “Why do you have to be so annoying?”
“I’m talented like that. Now, what do you want to eat? It’s my treat since it’s your first day.”
Her eyes flared but then she started to look around, and started for the salad station. I left Harley to it while I gathered a burger and fries for myself. She was still piling it on when I came up to her.
“This isn’t charged by the weight, or anything is it?” She looked up at me and then back down to her plate.
“Not that I know of.” Even if it was, I didn’t care.
I had a nagging feeling that the reason she didn’t want to eat was because she had no money.
If that was the case, her mom really was a bitch.
“Do you see that courtyard right out there?” I pointed passed the room filled with students and to the area just beyond.
“Go meet me out there,” I said as I took her heaping salad from her.
“And no one will bother us out there?”
“Not a soul.” Because if they did, I’d make their life hell.
“I can stay with you.” All of a sudden, she was a timid mouse, and I couldn’t have that. I liked her fire.
“I got it. You go and I’ll be out there in just a minute.
I watched her go from where I stood in line, and when it was my turn to pay sure enough her salad was based on weight.
Not that I’d ever tell her that. When I stepped to the door that led out of the cafeteria.
I turned to look at everyone and found all their eyes on me.
Usually, I sat at the football table and today I’d walked past without saying a word.
“Don’t follow me,” I ordered before I pushed the door open. If any of them dared showed their faces it would be suicide.
I found Harley sitting in the sun with her held tilted back and enjoying the warmth the rays were providing.
As if she could sense my presence she started talking while she leaned back further. Her eyes still closed.
“Why doesn’t everyone eat out here?”
“Not enough room.” I didn’t tell her it was forbidden. If she knew she’d be inside faster than I could blink.
Sitting down beside her, I placed her plate between us. Her eyes popped open, and she started to laugh. “I may have overdone it on the salad.”
“If this is the way you eat all the time, I’d say you need it. I can’t imagine not eating meat.” I wasn’t going to let one that I thought the reason she had a mountain on her plate was because she was starving. Did her mom even feed her dinner? “What’s dinner like at your house?”
“Why?” She shifted her eyes my way.
I popped one shoulder. “I’m just curious. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t eat meat.”
“For me,” started off slow as if she was gauging what she was willing to tell me. “I usually eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. My mom and her boyfriend seem to fancy steak.” Her lips curled up. “I can’t sit there and see the blood on their plates. It’s disgusting. Hence the PB and J’s.”
Did her mom even see how much she was hurting her daughter?
“I could get down with a PB and J.”
Her brows rose and she smirked. “I bet you could. What’s dinner like at your house?”
“Well, I can say there’s always some meat, but there’s also a vegetable, and some salad. We sit around and talk about our days.”
“And who’s we?” Her fork hovered in front of her mouth while she spoke and then promptly shoved the forkful inside.
“Me, my mom, dad, and my little sister, Payton. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“I wish. Selfishly for myself, but no. It’s just me and my mom now. And Trent for however long he’ll last.
Damn why did I get a feeling there was more than she was letting on? Not that I expected her to spill her entire life story when we’d barely spoken before today. Still, whatever it was I knew it was profound.
“You’re more than welcome to come over to my house and have dinner. You can have a salad and I’ll even whip you up a sandwich.”
“Thanks,” she nodded like she really meant the word. “I might just take you up on it.”