“Oh?” she questions, taken back just as I had been. I don't think we even had a guidance counselor in Breakers Flats.
I meet her eyes and just as the words begin to form in my mouth, I pussy out like a fucking bitch. How could I bring up my father just moments before we’re due to be heading to a funeral? What kind of insensitive bitch am I? I wasn't raised to kick someone when they’re already down. Maybe I belong in Bellevue Springs after all.
“Yeah,” I say as pathetic as ever. “She wanted to discuss my future.”
“How do you mean?”
“College.”
Mom rears back, her lips scrunching in surprise. “College?”
“That’s what I thought,” I tell her truthfully. “She’s been going over my records and grades and she thinks I have potential to be accepted. You know, nothing like an Ivy League like the rest of Bellevue Springs, but a small college. She thinks I can make it.”
Mom blinks three times before finally speaking up. “Are you … how do you feel about this?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I really don’t know,” I say, shaking my head, completely lost on the topic. “She just kinda sprung it on me and then, you know … that happened and that was the last I thought about it. I guess I want to know what you think about it.”
“My daughter going to college,” she muses, her voice rising an octave in her excitement. “I think that would make you the best damn thing to come out of Breakers Flats and if this is what you want to do, then I’ll support you completely, but just know, that if you decide against this that I still think you’re the best thing to come out of that hellhole.”
“I know,” I tell her. “It's just the money. I don’t have the grades to get a scholarship, not that I’d even know the first thing about applying for one, and from every movie I’ve ever watched, it’s supposed to be ridiculously expensive. I can’t afford it, even if I was working full time, and besides, what would I even study? I don’t know what I want to do with my life. I’ve never even had to think about it. I’ve always learned that to make it through high school without being shot is the main goal.”
“Oh, Honey,” Mom says, flinging her arms around me and drawing me in. “If money is the only thing holding you back from this then you shouldn’t worry yourself. You’re my daughter and your education is my responsibility. If you get accepted into college then the financial burden will be on me and you better believe that I will work my ass off to make sure your fees are paid. I will work a second job if I have to, but if this is what you want and you get in, then that’s what you’re going to do.”
I shake my head. “Are you insane? I’m not about to let you pay for this. I don’t even know how much it’s going to be. Hell, I don’t even know if I actually want to go yet.”
“Ocean,” my mother says sternly. “You listen to me now and you listen closely. I do not care what you want to do with your life as long as you are always striving for success and always being the best possible version of yourself. What I will not tolerate is you letting an opportunity like this slip through your fingers because of your stubborn nature. If you apply and don’t get in, then at least you tried, but not trying at all? That is not acceptable. I will take care of the finances.”
“But—”
“No. Are you forgetting that Colton doubled my wages? Every week I’ll put some aside and by the time college rolls around, we’ll be alright.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been so sure, Honey,” she says, cupping my face in her warm hands. “Do you have any idea how proud I am of you for even considering this? I knew you were going to be amazing. You’ve always had the potential to be so much more. You’re going to fly, my sweet baby.”
A small smile pulls at my lips and I take Mom’s hands in mine. “We’re really going to do this?”
“We sure are,” she tells me, squeezing my hand before she starts to get all emotional. “You’re proof that I did something right.”
“Oh, stop,” I laugh, pulling her in for the millionth time. “You did right the second I was born. Dad would be proud of how you’re handling all of this without him.”
I hear her soft exhale at my ear and she holds me a little tighter before finally pulling back, only when she does, I see the tears welling in her eyes. “Don’t make me cry,” she tells me. “Today is already going to be hard enough without you dropping bombs like that.”
“Sorry,” I grumble. “I think I got carried away in the moment.”
“That’s for sure,” she murmurs, getting up and checking her reflection in the mirror. She runs her hands down her black dress, straightening it out the exact same way that I do. “Okay,” she says, turning back to me. “Now that’s settled, we should head in and find Colton.”
I nod and allow her to pull me up from the bed and twenty minutes later, we’re pulling up at the small church.
Colton takes my hand and helps me out of the car and I can’t help but go over the differences between the two funerals. I haven’t even stepped inside of the church yet and the contrasts are astounding.
This church is tiny and looks as though it could fit a maximum of thirty people inside but there’s something about it so much more personal than Charles’ church. This is perfect for her, it’s exactly what she would have wanted.
Mom steps into my side and the three of us walk towards the entrance. It’s beautiful. It’s been done up with breathtaking floral arrangements that have me looking up at Colton as there’s simply no way Maryne’s family would have been able to afford this. “Did you pay for Maryne’s funeral?”
He nods ever so slightly. “It’s the least I could do.”
My heart swells. I don’t know how he does it but every single day I discover something new about him that makes me unbelievably attached. “If you’re not careful, you’re going to make me fall for you, Colton Carrington.”
His thumb rubs back and forth over the top of my hand. “Right back at you, Jade.”
I have to tear my gaze away and stop myself from swooning as we step through the entrance of the church, but even had I not looked away, it wouldn't have mattered because the second we get inside and see the marble casket at the front of the church, heaviness settles into my heart.
Harrison stands at Maryne’s side, one hand resting over the casket and complete agony on his face as Maryne’s family slowly begins to trickle in. “Did you know they were together?” I ask Colton, keeping my voice low so no one assumes that I’m here to gossip.
He nods. “They were together for years.”
I gape up at him before looking back at Harrison as all the pieces of the puzzle finally come together. “How could I not know that?”
“They kept it strictly professional,” he tells me. “He asked Dad for an advance on his pay just last month. I think he was planning a proposal.”
My soul shatters and my steps begin to slow. How could I have not known that about the people I spend every single day with? Am I that shallow?
Colton’s arm falls over my shoulder and he pulls me along. “Come on,” he tells me, pressing a kiss to my temple and leading me toward the front of the church. “Maryne wouldn’t want you falling apart like this.”
I let out a shaky breath. He’s right. I can fall apart in private when I get home, as for now, I need to be strong for Maryne’s family and friends who are no doubt feeling it a lot harder than I am.
With that understanding, I meet Harrison up front and give him a warm hug as I prepare to say goodbye to the woman who was so much more than just a colleague.
Chapter 23
I slam my way through the door of Kairo’s apartment. “WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?” I yell, marching my ass toward his bedroom and listening to the panicked scuffles coming from within. “I SWEAR TO GOD, KAIRO. IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER GIRL IN THERE I’M GOING TO BREAK SOME MOTHERFUCKING FACES.”
“Fuck, babe. Get up, get up, get up,” Kai rushes out on the other side of his door, no doubt shaking the girl wh
o sleeps beside him, desperately trying to get her up and out of his bed. “She can’t find you in here. She’ll fucking kill you.”
My fingers curl around the door handle and finding it locked, I slam my fists against the wood over and over again. “WHY THE HELL IS THIS DOOR LOCKED? WHO IS SHE?”
Kai’s voice calls out. “Babe, you’ve got it all wrong. There’s no one here.”
There’s a panicked feminine wail coming from within the room and I slam my hand on the door again. “KAIRO, OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR RIGHT THIS GODDAMN MINUTE.”
“I’ll be there in a sec,” he calls back.
“NOW!” I yell, feeling good about actually getting to scream for once even though it’s at a wooden door. I bring my foot up and slam it hard, watching as the door rattles on its hinges. It’s not the first time I’ve had to knock this thing down. It’s pretty durable. Maybe another three kicks and it’ll come flying off its hinges. “I’m getting in there whether you want me to or not.”
“Fuck,” the girl in the room panics. “You didn’t tell me you had a girl. What am I supposed to do?”
“The window,” he screeches. “Get your ass out the window. If she gets in here, it’s going to be a fucking bloodbath. Trust me, you don't want to mess with this bitch. She’s in-fucking-sane.”
I hear rattling around the room as the girl hurries to collect her things and I put my face up against the door. “Listen here, bitch. You can fucking have him if you want him but you’re going to have to come out here and fight me for him. I haven’t cut a bitch in months so I’m really going to enjoy this.”
The bedroom window slides open and I slam my foot against the door even harder. “COME OUT HERE,” I screech, banging my fists rapidly. “My man ain’t going to have some trashy side piece.”
There’s a high-pitched squeal of terror then Kai’s deep rumble. “Hurry the fuck up, girl. The door won’t hold much longer.”
There are a few loud bangs from within the room and when I kick the door again, it goes flying off its hinges, though not in the same way it would had it been one of the boys kicking it down. I’ve seen Nic kick a door down when he thought someone was hurting me and that fucker splintered into a million little pieces.
I storm into the room and find a blonde in nothing but a skimpy thong with all her things in her hands. She’s halfway through the window and staring at me wide-eyed and terrified.
I start racing towards her. “GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE HOMEWRECKER.”
She screams and starts moving faster as Kairo dives in front of me, holding me back with everything he’s got. His arms curl around me like steel rods and lift me off the ground. I kick my legs out. “LET ME AT HER.”
Kai looks back at the escaping girl. “GO,” he yells. “HURRY UP.”
The girl practically drops out of the window and I look over Kai’s wide shoulder to watch as she scampers across the grass. Her thick ass jiggles as she runs and as Kai’s eyes drop to mine, we both burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“That was the best one yet,” he tells me, relaxing his arms around my waist and turning his hold into a tight, warm hug.
“I know. I figured she'd at least pull her dress on first.”
“Can’t blame her,” he says, shaking his head as the amusement shines in his eyes. “You did come storming in here like a jealous girlfriend ready to tear her ass in two.”
“I know, I was feeling a little theatrical this morning.”
He rolls his eyes and presses a kiss to my forehead. “I’ve been trying to get that girl out of here for two days,” he explains. “I asked Sebastian to help me out and the fucker just sat back and laughed.”
“Then why the hell didn’t you call me two days ago? I would have come sooner.”
His face twists as he pulls back. “Come on, O,” he says, moving around his room and grabbing a shirt. “You and I both know that I wasn’t about to call you while you were dealing with another death. That’s not fair.”
“Trust me, I would have preferred the distraction. I’m getting kind of sick of always having death on my mind.”
“Sorry, O,” he says, stepping into a pair of sweatpants. “We were all trying to give you space.”
“I know,” I tell him. “It’s fine. I actually really needed a few days just to sit and be sad but I’m feeling alright now. You know, when I’m not thinking about it.”
“How’s your mom handling it? She was friends with the woman, right?”
“Yeah,” I say, briefly looking away not wanting him to see the pain on my face, knowing damn well that if he did, he’d start treating me with kiddie gloves, which would then have the rest of the guys doing the same and I seriously couldn’t handle that right now. “We all were. Maryne was the best. She was one of the good ones.”
“I’m sorry,” Kai says with a deep sigh, walking back across his room and pulling me into his arms. “I didn’t realize how fond you were of her.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Yeah. There’s nothing we can do about it now. She’s gone.”
Kai scoffs. “Bullshit, O. There’s a shitload we can do about it. You know who did this right? They put your life in danger and terrorized your mom and friends. Those other fuckers in Bellevue Springs might be out of our league, but home invasions, trashing homes, and shootings—this is our territory. We fight fire with fire, babe. We’ll handle this. I don’t want you getting yourself involved.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to be involved. For once this actually has nothing to do with me. This is Colton’s business shit that his father left behind for him to handle. He says he’s going to deal with it and we need to let him. I don’t want you guys going down for something that has nothing to do with us.”
“Babe,” he says, his voice low and warning.
I shake my head and start walking out of his bedroom. “I said no, Kai. So don’t even think about it. This is Colton’s mess to clean up, not yours.”
He huffs and scoffs under his breath. “Try telling Nic that.”
I groan as I make my way into the kitchen and scan through his near-empty fridge. I’m not stupid. There’s no amount of pleading or warnings that I could give these boys that are going to make them let this go. It just means that it’ll be taken care of without my knowledge and I don’t know if I should love them or hate them for it.
I grab his orange juice and uncap it before taking a drink and waiting for his slow ass to get ready for the day.
He appears by my side five minutes later and we walk out the door together. “Where are we going?” I question, not having been invited along but going with the flow just as he knew I would.
He scoffs again. “Where do you think? If you’re down for spending the day at home, then we’re chilling with the boys and for just one day, we can pretend that you never left.”
I give him a wide beaming smile and he rolls his eyes before gently nudging me into the wall, silently telling me to knock it off. But what can I say? Kairo is never really one to talk. He’s more of a grunt and glare kinda guy but when he’s willing to say something sweet, I’m like a sponge ready to soak it all up.
“How’s your new boyfriend?”
My face scrunches up. “He’s not my …”
Wait. Is he my boyfriend? We’ve been inseparable for the past few days and he hasn’t tried to hide me away when in the public eye, so I guess that means something. I know we’re kinda together but is it official? Do I have the right to call him mine?
Kairo shakes his head and gives me a grin. “That’s what I thought,” he grumbles, his eyes lighting with excitement. “I swear, I will do anything you want if you let me be the one to break it to Nic.”
“Oh, hell no,” I shriek, my eyes widening in horror. “Do you have a death wish?”
“Not a death wish,” he explains. “But I’m down for a good fight. It’s been a while.”
“Then remind Eli how you slept with his sister last year,” I suggest. “He’s always ready to go and never knows
when to give up, but just leave the brass knuckles out of it, okay? Though, give the kid some fair warning and don’t damage his pretty face.”
Kairo doesn’t respond but the way he sets his jaw tells me that he’s actually considering it and I make a mental note to fill Nic’s freezer with ice for when they're both sitting on the couch feeling sorry for themselves. Though, if I’m lucky, Kai will wait until I’ve gone home to pick that fight. It’s not like I’m not used to them fighting, it’s sexy as all hell but I don’t like seeing my boys hurting.
After realizing that I had no choice but to drive one of Colton’s car’s here, Kairo quickly dives into the driver’s seat and leans across to open the passenger’s door for me. He holds his hand out while grinning like a damn fool in the black Ferrari. “Keys, please.”
Knowing I have no choice but to give up the goods, I toss them toward him and he plucks them out of the sky like a lion diving for a meal. Before my ass has even hit the seat, the engine is revving and Kai is having the time of his life.
I look over at him and he instantly holds a hand up, knowing damn well what I was about to say. “Don’t you dare ruin this for me,” he demands. “I’m probably never going to get another chance to drive one of these.”
I let out a heavy sigh and get comfortable. “Good point,” I tell him, “But if you break it, you buy it.”
He scoffs and with that, he takes off at the speed of light, leaving all our worries behind.
We reach Nic’s apartment building within six minutes and the whole way here, Kai laughed at the way all the people on the streets would stop and stare as we drove past. This car really doesn’t belong in a place like this but I was sure to bring the cheapest one in the massive garage. It’s probably going to be stolen or stripped for parts by the time I emerge out of here this afternoon, but I need this day with my boys more than I need to worry about a billionaire’s cheapest toy.
Cocky F*ck: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 2) Page 24