by Rachel Leigh
“You’re playing with fire.” He points his finger at me like he’s my father. “You don’t know what you’re getting into with her.”
“I can think of a few things.” I smile devilishly and I can see that it’s eating through him. It’s affirmed when he grabs the collar of my shirt and grips it in his hands until his knuckles turn white.
“She’s not okay, Jasper. Don’t you get it? Leave her alone.” His face is so close to mine that I can feel the heat rolling off the words on his tongue.
“You don’t know what you're talking about. Being her friend doesn’t mean you get to dictate her life. Let her do what she wants.” I slap his arms away, but he doesn't budge right away.
“You’ll never understand.” He releases his hold and turns around. Pacing the room as he bites his lower lip. “She’s not okay, Jasper. And I don’t mean she’s got a cold.”
I’m not surprised that he’s looking at every opportunity to keep me away. He will feed me whatever lies necessary to try and satisfy my hunger for her.
“You’re just jealous. You’re in love with her and you don’t want anyone to be with your precious Blakely.”
“I don’t want you with Blakely. Let’s get that straight. You can’t handle her. You can barely even handle yourself.”
“Admit it. You’re in love with her.”
“I’m not admitting shit to you. I don’t owe you anything.”
“And I do, you? You think you telling me to stay away is going to make me listen. Hell no, makes me wanna go over there and fuck her brains out right now.”
The next thing I know his fist is meeting my face. Ignoring the blood dripping on his bed, I swipe my hand across my sticky skin and swing the remaining droplets on the floor. In an instant, I’m barreling toward him and taking him down to the ground. Watching as my blood continues to fall carelessly on his face. If it wasn’t confirmed before, it is now. He wants her, and for that, I want to destroy him. I throw a punch down, marking the side of his face. Another, meeting the other side. I can’t even hear the words he’s yelling. Blind to the image in front of me, deaf from the thoughts in my head, and numb from the pain in my hands.
“What the hell!” Val screams, as she plunges at me, knocking me to the floor. I close my eyes tightly. Opening them slowly, I get to my feet and walk toward the door.
Val is hovering over her broken son and coddling him like he’s a fucking baby.
I slam the door shut, hard, rattling the walls. I go in my room and pack a bag full of clothes. I know what’s coming next.
“Where ya heading, son?” Dad asks, as I push past him on the steps. “What the hell happened?” He gasps at the blood. Once he hears, he’s sure to kick me out.
I don’t respond; I just walk out the door, slamming it behind me. The possibility of him following is quickly diminished. I’m sure he’s talking to Val and Knox by now. They will make me out to be the bad guy, and Dad will take his side.
Enjoy your family, Dad. I’m no longer part of it.
As I’m walking to my car, I give a double take when I hear someone calling my name.
Oh hell, Anna again.
I keep walking, but her pace has picked up and she’s at my side.
“Jasper, everything okay? Oh my gosh, what happened?” She runs her hand over my cheek,
“I’ve gotta go. Sorry.” I reach for the handle of my car, but she stops me.
“You need to get cleaned up. Come with me.” She begins to pull at my arm.
“No, I really have to go.” I jerk away.
I can hear Dad yelling my name from inside the house. In 2.5 seconds, he will be busting out the door.
“Ok, ok. But, quickly.” I bolt to the middle of the lawn, and she follows until I let her take the lead. Instead of going inside her house, we walk around the side and out back.
“Jasper Scott !” I hear Dad yell again. Only I’m not in sight and we made the turn before he could see me.
I keep following Anna as we walk into another house. Another very large house that sits on the back of their property. This must be the guest house that B was talking about.
Chapter Fourteen
Blakely
How dare Jasper think that he has any control over who I spend my time with. I’m not sure who this guy thinks he is, but I do what I want, when I want, and with whomever I want. Just because we fooled around a little bit doesn’t mean that he’s suddenly my boyfriend. I don’t even want a boyfriend. Not even Levi. My goal right now is to get revenge on Petra. Only, Jasper doesn’t know that—not exactly, anyway. He knows I can't stand the girl, but he thinks that I actually want to be with Levi. Part of me always knew that it wasn’t Levi himself who I wanted; it was all because of my desire to stick it to Petra.
This vendetta with Petra started long before our fallout. She has been in competition with me her entire life. Our parents were in labor together at the hospital, she was born a mere three minutes before me. That’s when it all began. The race out of the womb became a race at life. Who will get the new doll house? Who will get the best car? Who will get the better grades? Who will get the guy? Although we were best friends, we were also the worst of enemies. It wasn’t until the incident with Wyatt that we called it quits for good—on our friendship, not on our competition. I’ll never admit it to anyone else, but she’s winning. She gets to me. She hurts me. She makes me bleed inside, and lately, it’s getting worse and worse. The thick red blood is beginning to ooze out and onto everyone I care about. My hatred for her has consumed me, and it’s beginning to put a wedge between myself and the world. I can’t give up, though.
I make one more attempt to reach Jasper, but he doesn’t respond. I don’t know why, but it bothers me. He’s ignoring me, and I don’t like to be ignored. A sudden knock at my bedroom door startles me out of my slumber.
“Blakely.” Knox rushes in. “Where is he? Where the hell is he?” His voice is loud, muffled, and he doesn't resemble the sweet Knox who I know. He looks like a rabid wolf ready to attack. He begins pacing my room, looking behind curtains.
I jump out of bed. “Knox, what the hell are you doing? What is going on?” That's when I notice his face. I clap my hands over my mouth. “Oh my God, Knox. What happened?”
“As if you don’t know.” He brushes past me, continuing to rummage through my bedroom like it’s his own personal space.
“I have no idea what is going on, but you better start talking.”
“Your new boyfriend. Where is he?”
“Jasper?” I question. Of course, that’s who he is talking about.
“Yes, Jasper. I know he’s here. His car is still in the driveway, so he couldn’t have gone far.”
“Jasper is not here. I haven’t even talked to him. Please, tell me what’s going on.” I grab ahold of him again, this time not letting go. “Did you hurt him?” He doesn’t respond. “What did you do to him, Knox?”
“That’s all you care about, isn’t it? If I hurt your fragile boy toy.” He scowls.
“No, I just don’t know what's going on, and I’m worried about him... about you.”
“No, Blakely. You had it right the first time. You’re worried about him. Ever since you started hanging with that guy, you’ve changed. You’re not the same girl I knew.” He pushes past me with pain behind his eyes. Pain that rubs off onto me at the release of his touch.
Not only is my best friend mad at me. Jasper is out there somewhere, likely looking as bad as Knox. Only Jasper is alone. He doesn’t have the support that Knox has from the people around him. He only has himself. A feeling of loneliness that I know all too well.
I tried like hell to sleep. But the nightmares began before my eyes even closed. I wanted so badly to call Knox, but I didn’t. I haven’t talked to him since he stormed out of my room in a fury. I didn’t go after him. Because of that, I didn’t sleep at all. I can see the sun coming up, and I finally give up trying.
I swing my legs over the bed and slide my feet into my white plush slippers,
making my way to the bathroom.
The house is quiet, which can only mean one thing, Dad has left on another business trip.
Bye, Daddy. I’ll miss you. Not. I haven’t said those words since I was eleven years old when I realized there was no point. Now he leaves without even telling us, and he gets back whenever he feels like it. The people who live in this house are so dysfunctional. We basically just soar through this place like ghosts, careful not to bump into each other or make a sound. Six more months and I’ll have my trust fund, and I can get the hell out of here.
“Blakely!” I hear Talon holler. Only his voice is different. It’s strangled— scared.
I bolt down the hallway to the top of the staircase. “Talon,” I shout, “Are you ok?”
“Blakely.” He groans again.
I spring down the steps, almost falling over my own feet. That’s when I see him. Lying on the cold, hard kitchen floor.
“Talon, oh my gosh, Talon! Are you okay?”
Please be ok.
He’s as white as a ghost, lying next to a puddle of his own vomit. “Don’t move. I’m calling 911.”
“Noooo,” he groans again.
“What do I do? What do I do?” I place my hands on top of my head as panic ensues. I don’t know what he’s taken. I don’t know how much trouble he could get in, but right now, I don’t care. I just need him to be okay.
“I have to, Talon.”
I run up the stairs as fast as I came down and punch in the numbers.
“911, What’s your emergency?”
“My brother, he’s hurt... he’s passed out. Well, he’s awake, but he’s out of it. He’s lying on the kitchen floor.”
I run back down the stairs with the phone pressed firmly against my ear as I give the operator our address. I remain on the line with her.
“Mom!” I shout at the top of my lungs, as my voice echoes through the quiet house and into the ear of the 911 operator. “Mom!” I shout again.
“Please hurry.” I beg.
“They’re coming now. You should hear the sirens soon.”
I do. I hear them.
It’s faint, but they’re getting closer and closer.
“It’s going to be okay,” I tell Talon, who seems to be in and out of consciousness. I lean down and kiss his cheek, “It’s going to be ok.”
I run to the front door when I see the flashing lights bounce off the walls of the living room. I swing the door open and a couple of medics rush in. I point them in the direction of Talon. The slamming of the back sliding glass door causes me to swing around abruptly and I see Mom come into view. She’s combing her fingers through her bed head hair like she did that day I caught her with Principal Somers. Lord help me, if anything happens to Talon and she was in the guest house screwing around while he was lying her lifeless, I may not be able to refrain myself from causing her harm.
“Talon.” She rushes to his side as her dramatics begin. “What’s wrong with him?” she asks, as she begins to sob. I just stand and watch as the black mascara streaks down her cheeks. She’s hovering over him like he’s dead. One of the medics begins to pull her away, so they can proceed, but she puts up a fight.
“Mom!” I shout. “Let them do their job. You’re not helping anyone.”
I pull her away, and she drops her weightless body into my arms and begins to cry into my shoulder. “What happened?” she asks. I wrap my arms around her and comfort her like a child.
“I don’t know. But you need to get ahold of yourself. Talon is going to need you to be strong.”
Emotionally unstable isn’t even the word for what she is. I love my mom, at least I think I do. If that’s what love is. But there is another part of me that thinks I hate her. I mean, what really defines what love and hate are? If I had to describe how I felt about my mother, those are the words I would use.
My attention is drawn to the back door again when it comes flying open, but this time, it doesn’t close.
“Jasper,” I breathe out, “What are you doing here?”
He walks over, but his eyes are not on me. They’re on my mom. “I heard the ambulance and wanted to make sure everything was okay.” He looks to Talon, who is now being put onto a stretcher. “Is he okay?”
“Where were you?” I ask. Puzzled. Completely dumbstruck. And completely curious as to where in the hell he came from walking through that door. My mind goes to one place. A place that it doesn’t want to go. A place that makes me feel dizzy—faint, nauseous.
I begin to shake my head and back away slowly. Glancing back and forth from Mom to Jasper. “No!” I gasp. “No!” I continue to back up, bumping into the couch. I grip it, digging in my nails and feeling as they attempt to pierce the suede fabric. For a moment, I allow myself to focus on the texture to try and alleviate my distaste for what I just witnessed.
Distract yourself, my therapist would say.
It doesn’t work.
They wouldn’t. Would they?
I’m going to be sick. I swing around and storm out the door. The paramedics follow behind me, but not at the rapid speed that my feet are moving. They are slow, almost too slow.
“Can I go with him?” I turn around and ask.
“One person can ride along.”
“Me. I’m going.” I spit.
“B,” I hear Jasper yell, “Wait up.” He hurries to my side.
I cross my arms over my chest, realizing that I’m still in my pajamas without even a bra on. At least the sweatshirt is thick enough to mask that missing article of clothing. I don’t even care at this point. I just have to get the hell out of here.
“All set,” the paramedic says. “You’ll have to ride up front. Safety requirements.”
I nod and head to the front of the ambulance as Jasper follows.
“If you know what's good for you, you will get the hell away from me and never show your face near this house again.” I grit my teeth.
The look of confusion on his face is infuriating. I know what he did—what they did. I can almost feel his rapid heartbeat as he stands inches away from me. I don’t even care. Let him hurt. Let him wallow in his own self-pity. He will rue the day he ever crossed me.
I slam the door shut and watch in the rearview mirror as we drive off. Jasper is still standing there, only he’s not alone. She’s by his side.
Chapter Fifteen
Jasper
“She’s just worried about her brother. Give her some time.” Anna says, wrapping her arm around my shoulder.
I watch as the ambulance drives off with its flashing lights fading in the distance, wondering why this lady is still standing beside me and not following behind her son. I walk away without saying a word, allowing her arm to fall to her side. I appreciate what Anna did for me, giving me a place to crash last night, but I’m beginning to see why B is the way she is. Why she is so bitter–so angry. I barely know the Porters, but I can see now that B and her brother have not had the love and guidance that they need.
I stand in the front of the Porter house with a feeling of estrangement. Unsure where to go from here. I can’t go back to Val’s. That may be Dad’s home, but it’s not mine. I can’t live in that house and pretend that life is normal. It’s like one day we just packed up our entire past and brought it into a stranger’s house and expected the future to be bright. It doesn’t work like that and I’m certainly not going to fake it for anyone, not even Dad.
Anna had told me that I was welcome to stay in the guest house as long as I needed, but it doesn’t feel right. Not after what happened. Staying in a stranger's house while she drank endless glasses of wine, to the point she could barely even walk. I found myself picking her ass up off the floor and tucking her in on the couch. There is more drama in that household than I’ve encountered in my entire life. I need to get away from here. I need to go home.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and realize that I’m going to be late for school if I don’t get going right now. There goes another day of working
on our project. I can’t imagine that B will show up to school today. It’s ironic how the morning started off with me still being pissed at her and now she’s sharing the same emotion. Maybe it’s best this way. We continue to go round and round, and I’m not sure that I want to try and figure this girl out. She has too much going on in that head of hers, and I need to stay focused.
“Jasper.”
I turn around and see Knox coming toward me.
Fuck my life.
“What do you want?” I hiss, glaring at him with a stare that screams, don’t try me right now.
“We need to talk. Whether you like it or not. We have to figure this shit out.”
I can see the effects of our fight last night on his face. A black eye and a swollen cheek. Shit, I didn’t think it was that bad. That’s what he gets. He threw the first punch and gave me this fat lip that’s been bleeding nonstop. Maybe he’ll get the hint that nobody fucks with me without repercussions.
“I don’t have time for this. I have to get to class.” I push past him and make my way toward my car. When I round the corner to get in, I see him opening the passenger door. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Catching a ride. We can talk while you drive.”
“Get lost, Knox. There isn’t anything to talk about. You hate me, I hate you. The end. Just stay out of my way, and we will be just fine.”
“This isn’t about you or me. This is about my mom and your dad. Now get in the fucking car and drive or we’re both going to be late.” He opens the door and gets in, slamming it shut.
I release a drawn-out sigh and climb in. “If you think we are going to have some heart to heart about life, you’re sadly mistaken.” I start the engine and back out of the driveway. “Aren’t you even going to ask what happened to Talon?”
“I already know. Blakely called me from the ambulance. He’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time that Talon has drank too much.”
“You all act like this shit is normal. It’s not normal. How can you sit back and watch what B and Talon have to go through on a daily basis and do nothing about it?”