With her last sentence, Jax darts his eyes to hers. “John’s not wrong about me.”
“He is!” The ass**le spits at the ground. “Never seen such a waste of skin in my life.”
“Don’t listen to him.” Haley keeps her hands on Jax’s face. “I know you, and John’s not wrong. He’s right. He’s very, very right. You’re going to succeed.”
I stay near the car, but I have a foot angled toward the ass**le, ready to protect Haley. I don’t know Jax. He doesn’t know me. I’ve encroached on his family and he hates that an outsider is involved with someone he loves. I understand that. I get it. And the rage in his eyes, the hurt radiating from his posture—I understand that, too. We both have fathers who should be roasting in hell.
“John’s wrong,” taunts the ass**le. “Just like he’s wrong about the girl. Want to tell her what you said, Jax, or should I?”
Jax grimaces and Kaden readjusts his grip. “Get out of here, Haley.”
“What?” Haley lowers her hands as the pain contorting Jax’s face is mirrored on hers. I inch closer, not liking the change between them.
“Go, Haley!” There’s a force in Kaden’s voice that could terrify a pissed-off rattlesnake. “You!” And he glares at me. “Get her out!”
Don’t have to tell me twice. I move in Haley’s direction as the screen door creaks and a guy resembling Kaden joins the party. “What’s happening?”
“Get her out, West!” Kaden yells. “Dad, go back inside.”
Haley’s eyes flicker between her cousin and brother. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Jax’s dad laughs and he’s the only one who thinks this midnight scenario is funny. “Jesus, Jax. You don’t want her to hear what you had to say about her dating one of the Black Fire boys? I’d imagine Saint John thinks the same thing.”
Haley steps back and the pain darkening her eyes also rips my heart. Jax sags and Kaden releases him. “It’s not what you think.”
I slice in between them, facing her, not letting her cousin access. “Let’s go.”
But she’s not even on my planet as she peers around me. “Jax?”
“I was mad,” he explains. “I was talking to Kaden after I found out about you and West. I didn’t know anyone was around to overhear and it’s not what you think.”
The regret weighs his tone and I ache for him and for Haley. I understand regret. I understand being hurt, but Haley is my lone concern. I lace my fingers with hers, holding on even though her hand lies cold and dead in mine. “It doesn’t matter what he said. Let’s walk.”
“It matters,” she whispers. “Did you say it, Jax? Did you say it again?”
“That you’re a slut?” the ass**le announces into the night. “Yeah, he did.”
The bear hibernating in me roars to life as I round on Jax’s father. “What did you say?”
“Slut.” His grin twitches. “I don’t know who you are, so get off my property.”
I’m on fire. Haley’s voice becomes distant as I cross the yard. He called her a slut. He called the girl I love a slut. Inches from him, I throw my fist back to pound the hell out of him when arms are everywhere. Behind me, in front of me, beside me and dragging me away.
“Want to say that again?” I shift my arm and I’m out of the grasp.
“Stop it!” Haley screams as she appears in front of me.
But I can’t stop. I love her. I love her and this ass**le guy has made her life hell. He’s hurt what I love and he won’t do it again. With a hard yank, I’m free.
I rush forward again and a foot hooks against my calf and a hand grazes up my arm. In a flash, I’m in a free fall with my arm twisted behind my back. I grunt as my body crashes to the ground and Haley crouches beside me.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers in my ear. “I’m sorry. If you do this, he’ll kick us out. He might already and we have nowhere to go. Nowhere. I’m sorry. So sorry.”
Searching for freedom, I jerk and she releases me as the apology continues. Rising to my knees, the world shifts into slow motion as I glance at her brother, her cousin, then to her father.
Not one of them came to her defense. Haley’s uncle hovers over me. “Get off my property. If you come back here again, I’m calling the police.” He glares at Haley. “If you continue to see him, you and your entire worthless family are out.”
The front door slams shut as he goes into the house. Everyone else—her father, her cousin, her brother—solidify into frozen dumb-ass lawn ornaments in his screwed-up world. I drop my head into my hands as the anger begins to fade and the reality of what I’ve done sinks into my bone marrow. Just f**k.
“We’re not over,” I say so only she can hear. Haley massages circles over her temples.
The April night isn’t cold enough for my breath to show, but it’s cold enough for the air to burn my lungs. I hate the agony in her eyes, on her face, but what I hate more is the silent acceptance by her so-called family.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” she says.
“He called you a slut.” I stare each one of them down. “She is not a slut.”
“Shit!” Jax turns his back to me and walks away into the night, slamming his fist into the mailbox. The metal door tips open and the entire box vibrates on the pole.
“It isn’t what you think,” says Kaden. With one final look at Haley, he follows his cousin.
“What’s your poor excuse?” I ask her father.
Haley touches me now: a grip on my biceps, fingernails digging into my arm. “Don’t. Not him. Yell at me, not at my dad.”
“I’m sorry, Haley.” Her father shoves his hands deep into his pockets. “I’m sorry.”
Her hold on me tightens and she gulps for air. “It’s okay, Dad. Don’t worry. It’s okay.”
The forced cheer in her voice causes me to fall back onto my ass. “Fuck this.” Taking a page from Abby’s book, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear Haley excuse her father for permitting anyone to call her a slut.
We remain silent as he stands on the front porch stoop, frowning at the brown winter grass. Her fingernails keep their teeth locked on my arm and the skin underneath begins to throb. I watch Haley, willing her to acknowledge me. Instead she focuses on nothing, on everything, once again locked inside her head.
“He is!” The ass**le spits at the ground. “Never seen such a waste of skin in my life.”
“Don’t listen to him.” Haley keeps her hands on Jax’s face. “I know you, and John’s not wrong. He’s right. He’s very, very right. You’re going to succeed.”
I stay near the car, but I have a foot angled toward the ass**le, ready to protect Haley. I don’t know Jax. He doesn’t know me. I’ve encroached on his family and he hates that an outsider is involved with someone he loves. I understand that. I get it. And the rage in his eyes, the hurt radiating from his posture—I understand that, too. We both have fathers who should be roasting in hell.
“John’s wrong,” taunts the ass**le. “Just like he’s wrong about the girl. Want to tell her what you said, Jax, or should I?”
Jax grimaces and Kaden readjusts his grip. “Get out of here, Haley.”
“What?” Haley lowers her hands as the pain contorting Jax’s face is mirrored on hers. I inch closer, not liking the change between them.
“Go, Haley!” There’s a force in Kaden’s voice that could terrify a pissed-off rattlesnake. “You!” And he glares at me. “Get her out!”
Don’t have to tell me twice. I move in Haley’s direction as the screen door creaks and a guy resembling Kaden joins the party. “What’s happening?”
“Get her out, West!” Kaden yells. “Dad, go back inside.”
Haley’s eyes flicker between her cousin and brother. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Jax’s dad laughs and he’s the only one who thinks this midnight scenario is funny. “Jesus, Jax. You don’t want her to hear what you had to say about her dating one of the Black Fire boys? I’d imagine Saint John thinks the same thing.”
Haley steps back and the pain darkening her eyes also rips my heart. Jax sags and Kaden releases him. “It’s not what you think.”
I slice in between them, facing her, not letting her cousin access. “Let’s go.”
But she’s not even on my planet as she peers around me. “Jax?”
“I was mad,” he explains. “I was talking to Kaden after I found out about you and West. I didn’t know anyone was around to overhear and it’s not what you think.”
The regret weighs his tone and I ache for him and for Haley. I understand regret. I understand being hurt, but Haley is my lone concern. I lace my fingers with hers, holding on even though her hand lies cold and dead in mine. “It doesn’t matter what he said. Let’s walk.”
“It matters,” she whispers. “Did you say it, Jax? Did you say it again?”
“That you’re a slut?” the ass**le announces into the night. “Yeah, he did.”
The bear hibernating in me roars to life as I round on Jax’s father. “What did you say?”
“Slut.” His grin twitches. “I don’t know who you are, so get off my property.”
I’m on fire. Haley’s voice becomes distant as I cross the yard. He called her a slut. He called the girl I love a slut. Inches from him, I throw my fist back to pound the hell out of him when arms are everywhere. Behind me, in front of me, beside me and dragging me away.
“Want to say that again?” I shift my arm and I’m out of the grasp.
“Stop it!” Haley screams as she appears in front of me.
But I can’t stop. I love her. I love her and this ass**le guy has made her life hell. He’s hurt what I love and he won’t do it again. With a hard yank, I’m free.
I rush forward again and a foot hooks against my calf and a hand grazes up my arm. In a flash, I’m in a free fall with my arm twisted behind my back. I grunt as my body crashes to the ground and Haley crouches beside me.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers in my ear. “I’m sorry. If you do this, he’ll kick us out. He might already and we have nowhere to go. Nowhere. I’m sorry. So sorry.”
Searching for freedom, I jerk and she releases me as the apology continues. Rising to my knees, the world shifts into slow motion as I glance at her brother, her cousin, then to her father.
Not one of them came to her defense. Haley’s uncle hovers over me. “Get off my property. If you come back here again, I’m calling the police.” He glares at Haley. “If you continue to see him, you and your entire worthless family are out.”
The front door slams shut as he goes into the house. Everyone else—her father, her cousin, her brother—solidify into frozen dumb-ass lawn ornaments in his screwed-up world. I drop my head into my hands as the anger begins to fade and the reality of what I’ve done sinks into my bone marrow. Just f**k.
“We’re not over,” I say so only she can hear. Haley massages circles over her temples.
The April night isn’t cold enough for my breath to show, but it’s cold enough for the air to burn my lungs. I hate the agony in her eyes, on her face, but what I hate more is the silent acceptance by her so-called family.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” she says.
“He called you a slut.” I stare each one of them down. “She is not a slut.”
“Shit!” Jax turns his back to me and walks away into the night, slamming his fist into the mailbox. The metal door tips open and the entire box vibrates on the pole.
“It isn’t what you think,” says Kaden. With one final look at Haley, he follows his cousin.
“What’s your poor excuse?” I ask her father.
Haley touches me now: a grip on my biceps, fingernails digging into my arm. “Don’t. Not him. Yell at me, not at my dad.”
“I’m sorry, Haley.” Her father shoves his hands deep into his pockets. “I’m sorry.”
Her hold on me tightens and she gulps for air. “It’s okay, Dad. Don’t worry. It’s okay.”
The forced cheer in her voice causes me to fall back onto my ass. “Fuck this.” Taking a page from Abby’s book, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear Haley excuse her father for permitting anyone to call her a slut.
We remain silent as he stands on the front porch stoop, frowning at the brown winter grass. Her fingernails keep their teeth locked on my arm and the skin underneath begins to throb. I watch Haley, willing her to acknowledge me. Instead she focuses on nothing, on everything, once again locked inside her head.
