I purposely raised the hand with my engagement ring on it and pretended to study my nails as well. "You're very mistaken. Either way, my fiancé loves having me around and that's all that matters."Her eyes zoned in on my ring and she couldn't hide the hate and jealousy that was written plainly on her face for all to see.You'd think with all her talents she'd have learned by now how to keep that shit to herself."Don't get too comfortable, you won't last long, Jace is just slumming. I guess every man in his position has to get one of you out of his system at some time or another."Her friends snickered on cue. "I fail to see what our relationship has to do with you. Didn't he already sample your fare and found you lacking?"Was she for real? Did she really think no one knew what she was? She may be able to fool her lackeys but I'm quite certain that everyone else had already seen through her by now. It hadn't taken me that long after all."How dare you? Everyone knows that
I didn't have an answer for that one and he was starting to scare me so I looked down at my feet and kept my mouth shut hoping that whatever was going on with him would pass quickly."It was a knee jerk reaction Jace, I don't see why you're so upset." Zip it Sian, damn. I've heard the expression smoke coming from the nose, but this is the first time I'd seen it firsthand."You don't see why I'm upset? I told you not to acknowledge her in any way. That's fucking twice in one weekend. ENOUGH!" He slammed his fist into the wall next to my head and I almost peed myself.I knew Jace would never hurt me, but the way he was acting was scaring the hell out of me. It seemed like ever since the explosion he's been on pins and needles about something.I know he gets this way when he's afraid for me, but this seemed a bit extreme even for him. I thought it best however not to pull the tiger's tail by saying anything else."You have any idea how fucking pissed I am right now?" I closed my
Now there was Jared, an honorary member. Though his family had nothing to do with this town and wasn't part of the fabric, he was Jace's brother in law. I doubt even he understands what that shit means.My mind was going all over the place because of that look on Jace's face when we left the restaurant tonight. I had the feeling we were at the precipice of some monumental change.I feel kinda bad because I know that he's been doing his best to enjoy his last year of high school; the last vestiges of his youth. But I also know what lays ahead for him, what he's been holding at bay."The one we should be worrying about is Mandy. Is that girl really this stupid?" Alex shook his head."It's not that. I think she thinks she's too smart. I think she really believes she can win Jace back.""Like I said, stupid. He should never have been with her in the first place. I still don't get why he even went there.""Who knows, he's never said why and you know he would never discuss such a
It seems I came home just in the knick of time. I should be with my girl right now taking care of her after that bitch tried to humiliate her, but instead I have to put out this fire before it ignites.I know Jace, can read his face almost as well as my own and I know that something's about to break. I'm not the kind of person who can put off one thing to work on another, so I guess I'll have to deal with everything at once.The fact that I need a huge favor from him that involves his girl only makes this situation more fucked. If he goes into one of his moods he'd probably lock her away somewhere with him and I'd have to come up with something else in a hurry.As to Shane and Alex it wasn't hard to read them and know that something was up and the tracker I put under Shane's truck had led me here.Had I been here none of this would've happened, but it was too late for self-recriminations now. I had to do what I had to for my sister. There was no getting around that. But I hate
Jace was there three minutes later, still with that look on his face. Whatever he'd been doing in the last few hours since we left the restaurant hadn't done much to improve his mood."What's this favor you keep talking about? Are you in some kind of trouble?" Dammit, that tone. Don't do this shit Jace, at least give yourself one more year."I guess you can say that, but it's not what you think. I can't tell you all of it now, but I can tell you why I did it. I have to ask your forgiveness first though.""My forgiveness, for what?" I looked at him as he dropped onto the lounge chair next to mine."I've been keeping something from you for a long time. It wasn't my secret to tell and I'm only doing it now because things seem to be coming to a head.""This have anything to do with you having to go to that place each time you act up?""Yeah, I guess you can say that." I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to open up to him about my sister. I'd never looked at it as me
After leaving Track I went back upstairs to where Sian was sleeping. Instead of joining her, I went out on the balcony and sat for the next few hours, deep in thought; then I went and woke my dad.In the morning I was up and ready for school before she was. I laid out her medicine while she was in the shower and got her clothes ready after seeing about her breakfast.She came out of the shower a little while later still rubbing the towel over her hair. "Jace, why are you dressed like that? You have some sort of meeting or something?"She laughed before heading back into the bathroom to dry her hair. I smiled wanly behind her back before heading back downstairs.Dad was sitting at the kitchen island sipping his morning coffee. He looked up when I walked in and I saw the sadness in his eyes. "You sure about this son? I can take care of..."I held up my hand to stop him. "I told you last night, this is the way it has to be. Thank you for giving me the last few years I'm forever
"I don't want you to be worried about anything okay." She nodded her head but I knew she didn't understand shit. How could she? I'm about to become someone else in her eyes.Once I was sure all the kids were inside I took her hand in mine and headed for the auditorium. The teachers were trying to calm the kids down as we walked in.I headed for the podium with her hand held firmly in mine. "QUIET!" The noise level died down at my shouted order and all eyes turned my way."I'm going to make this short, pay close attention. I want you all to take a look at the man in the portrait on the wall."I waited until everyone had turned their attention to the portrait before looking back at me. I could feel Sian's hand tremble in mine and squeezed it gently to calm her."Some of you may not be aware of this, but this school belongs to the Sanders Group. My grandfather, the man in the portrait, built it for the children of the Hollywood set years ago.""It's funded, owned, and ran by t
To be expelled would carry a stigma that will follow them for the rest of their lives. It was only the first shot I planned to take at her."If the cops can't tie her to the attack or the explosion, I'll find a way to, because I know it was her doing." "As to Stanley, I already have people looking for him. He's nowhere to be found which means he might've left the city already. If I put the squeeze on his dad he'd have no choice but to come out of hiding though.""What do you mean put the squeeze on him? What are you going to do?""Shut him down." I walked away without giving them anymore.They're my friends but they don't carry the same burdens as I. I stayed up most of the night thinking about what I should do and this was the only thing that made sense.It's because of my lax behavior that things had gone this far, that people like Mandy and Stanley thought they could fuck with my girl and get away with it.It's because I'd made myself just one of the crowd that people