Here With Me

by Alla Kar

  I let my smile slip, and she tries to wiggle away from me. “Just forget it!” She tosses her hands in the air.

  I laugh and drag her back, resting my lips against hers. “You can tell him we’re together. He doesn’t need to know the details. Don’t tell him I rock your world in the bedroom or anything like that.”

  She smiles. “Good. Now come eat, I need to feed you.”

  “There are other ways to be fed.”

  She sashays over to the table and takes a seat. “After we eat. Don’t make me send you to bed without supper.”

  I crack a smile and take the seat beside her.

  ***

  After the kitchen is clean and all the dishes have been washed, I set a blanket out in the living room.

  The old box TV and the tattered lamp cast a glow over our living room and piece of shit recliner I’m sitting in. The only thing that looks good is where Jaden and I painted the room that bright yellow color she picked out. But it doesn’t matter to me, and I can tell it doesn’t matter to Jaden.

  She’s happy. Content. She’s better than yesterday and a huge leap forward from this morning.

  Jaden walks in with two glasses of wine, and I lift a brow at her. She rolls her eyes and dares me to call her out about underage drinking.

  She settles between my legs, and I run my fingers up and down her arms. “You’ll have to go down to the jail tomorrow so that they can get your statement,” I whisper, watching as she slowly relaxes more and more into me. “So we can catch Will.”

  “It wasn’t his idea.” She twirls the tip of her finger around the edge of her wine glass. “It was her.”

  By her I’m assuming she means Selena. Shit. “Oh, God,” I say and slowly shake my head.

  “What?” she asks over her shoulder.

  “It was her. I saw them together at the bar the other night. I should have known. They were making out and all over each other. That fucking bastard.”

  “She must have some kind of voodoo power over guys,” I say.

  “Nah, Will had it out for us. He’d been dropping hints about us sneaking around, and I think it pissed him off.”

  “It’s okay, Cade. There isn’t anything we can do about it now, other than wait on the cops. You turned in his cell phone?”

  I nod. “Hell yeah. There wasn’t a chance in hell that I was going to let him get away with it.”

  “Thank you for sticking up for me. I’ve never had anyone do that for me before.”

  That makes me sad. I crawl on top of her, propping my head on my elbow. “I’d do anything for you. You know that right?”

  She nods slowly. “I know.”

  We watch each other for a while before I pull up to my knees. “Want to play a game?”

  A look of excitement crosses her face as she crawls up to her knees, tucking her long hair behind her ear. “Like spin the bottle?”

  I snort. She’s too damn cute. “I think we’ve outgrown that game. How about we play ‘never have I ever.’”

  She frowns. “I thought this was going to be sexual.”

  “Someone’s turning into a little freak.” She blushes and starts to get up. I laugh, grab her arm, and drag her back down. “I’m joking. It’s going to be sexual.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Every time you don’t get one, you take an article of clothing off.”

  She nods. “Okay. You go first.”

  “Never have I ever kissed a guy.”

  She rolls her eyes. “So, that’s how it’s going to be, huh?” She smiles and pulls her shirt over her head.

  I take in her just-right tits in a lacey pink bra and her flat stomach.

  “Is it my turn now?” she asks.

  I nod.

  She bites her lip in concentration and then snaps her fingers. “Never have I ever smoked a cigarette.”

  I smile and fist the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head. Jaden’s eyes rake over me. That wide-eyed, lip-biting look drives me insane. I close my eyes to steady my focus.

  “My turn, right? Never have I ever had sex with a man.”

  “Neither have I,” she says casually, picking at her fingernails. “A boy or two but no—”

  She squeals when I grab her around the waist and pin her under me. “No man, huh?”

  She giggles and I bury my face in her neck, nipping and licking my way up to her mouth.

  “Maybe a little bit of a man.”

  I grind myself into the V of her jeans, and her gaze falls to a hooded stare. “Okay, definitely a man.”

  “That’s what I like to hear.”

  “Want to play another game?” she whispers, her mouth an inch away from my own.

  “What game is that?”

  She gives me a sultry smile that goes straight to my dick. “Seven minutes in heaven.”

  ***

  My phone rings as soon as Jaden walks into the kitchen. Her eyes search mine.

  We both know it’s Adam.

  Neither of us have talked to him since it happened, or talked about Jaden and me. And frankly, since we spent three hours at the damn police office today, I don’t have the patience for Adam’s bullshit.

  “We should answer,” Jaden says. “I know Adam can be an asshole sometimes, and he blew things out of proportion, but he is my brother. We could at least talk to him.”

  I groan and drag my hand down my face. “I guess you’re right. Let me take a shower, and we’ll head over there. I’d rather do this face-to-face.”

  ***

  Forty minutes later, Jaden and I walk up the stairs to our apartment. Will’s truck isn’t in the parking lot. I have no idea where he is right now and frankly, I don’t give a shit. I wanted to kill him. I couldn’t stop my fists from pounding his face. If Adam hadn’t come when he did, I probably would be in a jail cell right now. Luckily, Adam vouched for me with the cops. Not that it didn’t get me a court date, but they let me go when they saw what Will done to Jaden.

  I push the door open, and Adam is sitting in the living room. He immediately stands when we walk in and places his interlaced fingers on the back of his head.

  “Hey,” he says.

  Jaden’s grip on my hand tightens, and I squeeze it back. “Hey.” Adam gestures for us to sit down. We take our seats across from him.

  Adam’s gaze keeps going back and forth between us and our interlaced fingers, and my patience runs thin. “Maybe I should start,” Jaden says, clearing her throat. “Don’t be mad at Cade. I pursued him—”

  Oh, no.

  “No,” I stop her, sitting up to look Adam in the eye. “I tried to stay away from your sister. God help me, I did. But I faltered, and I’m not sorry for it. I really care for her. And I’m not here to get your permission. I’m here to tell you that I’ll take care of her.”

  Adam stares blankly at us for a minute and runs both hands over his hair. “I’m not happy about you fucking my sister—”

  “I’m not just fucking her,” I snap.

  He laughs. “Yeah, you’re not just fucking her, huh, Cade? Christ!” He starts to pace back and forth. “You’re having sex with my baby sister, Cade! You’re supposed to be my friend.”

  “I am your friend, and I’m not just sleeping with her. She isn’t a fucking little girl anymore. Stop treating her like one!”

  “You don’t know what she’s been through. I can’t let another asshole break her heart!”

  “I know exactly what she’s going through, and I won’t break her heart. I love her.”

  Beside me, Jaden gasps, her eyes popping wide. It wasn’t that she didn’t know I loved her but because I’d admitted it to her brother. And she valued his opinion more than she realized she did. Adam swallows and watches me closely. But I’m not bullshitting him. It’s the truth, even though he probably didn’t want to hear it. I turn to Jaden, and she slowly looks at me. “I do,” I whisper, rubbing my fingers over her knuckles.

  Adam laughs. “You love her? You don’t love anyone, Cade. You’re t
he one who gets ass like there is no tomorrow. Why Jaden?” He sighs. “Why does it have to be her?”

  “I didn’t pick her specifically. I tried to stay away from her. She’s a temptress—”

  “Ew,” Adam says, shaking his head. “Just stop.” He holds his hands up. “Okay, let’s say I’m okay with this. What now? My other best friend hung naked pictures of her all around school. I don’t know how to handle this.”

  God, he sounds like a woman. “Shut it, Adam. I’ve taken care of everything with the police. We went today and filed everything. Where is that best buddy of yours anyway?”

  “The hospital. You fucked him up, Cade.”

  “Isn’t that a good thing?”

  Adam smiles. “Hell yeah. Someone had to do it, and we both know my ass can’t fight.”

  I grin. “And I’m sorry about your Dad. But when he hit Jaden—,”

  “Wait, he hit you?” Adam turns to Jaden. “Wow. I mean the first time I thought it was just an accident but now—damn.”

  The first time? “He’s hit you before, Jaden?”

  Jaden’s eyes drop to her lap, and she nods. “Yes, once before this summer. He was mad at me for not wanting to go to my appointment and he just hit me.” A tear drops from her eye, and I catch it with my finger.

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. He won’t lay a finger on you again.”

  She nods and turns to face Adam. “Does this mean you forgive me?” Adam looks down at her and gestures for her to get up. She does and walks over to his waiting arms.

  “I’m not Dad, Jaden,” he whispers. “I love you, baby sister.”

  She sniffles into his shirt. “I love you, too.”

  And even though we both know this won’t be easy for him, I can sense everything’s going to be okay.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Jaden

  Two weeks later

  Cade’s finger drags down the tip of my ear to the hollow of my neck. I swipe the last bit of mascara over my eyes.

  It’s been two weeks since I’ve been to school. Once we let them know that I didn’t toss the pictures out for everyone to see, and I had hidden long enough from everyone, I felt like I was ready.

  And I’m not sure if two weeks is long enough. Everyone is going to remember. The dean offered to have me transferred out of journalism, but another class will only make it worse. Words spread across campus, and I’d be the center of attention in that classroom too. I guess facing my demons is the only way out of this one.

  “You nervous?’ Cade whispers into my ear from behind. His hands are braced on the counter, his mouth doing wicked things to my neck and ears. We’re back at the apartment, but take random trips to his mom’s house for private time.

  Adam stills avoids us like the plague when we’re watching a movie or if we’re close to one another. He makes a face and leaves the room. Cade keeps saying he’ll get used to it, but I’m not really seeing any progress.

  We visited his Mom the other day, and she’s been doing great. She looks better than before, and looks like she’s gained a little weight. Cade seems optimistic about his mother, and I know he needs my support because sometimes I see the worry line in his forehead.

  “I’m petrified,” I whisper. “Everyone saw it, Cade.”

  He growls and turns me around. “What did we talk about? We talked about being strong. Not giving a rat’s ass about what other people think.”

  I nod and breathe out a shaky sigh. “I know. I just don’t want to see her again.” I pull at a string hanging from the hem of my shirt.

  Cade’s grip tightens, and he tilts my head to get me to look him in the eyes. “You’re going to see her, Princess. But you’re going to have to push through it.”

  I swallow the terror in my throat. My lip trembles, and he stops it with his mouth. He molds it to mine, tracing my lower lip with his tongue before pulling back. “You’re going to be okay. And if not, I’m only a phone call away.”

  Pulling back, I run a comb through my hair in an attempt to get some air. I’ve got this. I have to have this. “They’re going to talk.”

  Cade nods. “Hell yeah they are. They saw your sexy ass naked.”

  I roll my eyes. “This is serious.”

  The smile on his face turns somber. “I know it is, Princess. And I’m being serious when I tell you that I know you can do it.”

  I swallow. “Okay.”

  Cade takes me to school and drives extra slowly. He doesn’t say anything, only runs the pad of his thumb over my knuckles.

  ***

  Cade watches me closely once we’re in the parking lot of my first classroom building. “You don’t have to go, Jade but I think it’s a good idea.”

  I sigh and tighten my grip on the door handle for the fifth time. “I’m going.”

  Cade reaches over and cups the side of my face. “Princess, don’t make me turn this car around. It’s either that or I’m going to carry you into the classroom.”

  I smile. “I’m going.”

  He winks and presses a swift kiss to the corner of my mouth. “My phone is on loud in my pocket.”

  “Won’t you get in trouble if it rings in class?” I ask, trying to waste time. We both know that Cade doesn’t give a horse’s butt about getting into trouble.

  He lifts a brow. “You’re stalling, Princess. We can go—”

  I jut my palm out and shake my head slowly. “No, I’m going this time.” Cade leans over and gives me a soft kiss.

  “I’m here.”

  “I know.” I grab my bag and hop out of Cade’s pickup.

  I start walking toward the door, and I hear Cade pull off as soon as I shut the building’s glass door behind me. His tailpipe is loud, and I miss it as soon as it’s gone.

  ***

  With my hand tightly clutching the strap of my bag, I make my way down the hallway. The last time I was in here it’d been littered with naked fliers of me. I briefly screw my eyes shut. I can do this. I’m strong. She doesn’t have any power over me.

  The door is open wide like last time, and a few people are already sitting in their desks. I take a shaky breath and walk in. Everyone’s eyes pop up to mine, some snicker, and others toss me compassionate glances.

  I bite the inside of my lip, tilt my head up high, and trudge through the aisle until I’m at my seat. I feel them watching me, but I don’t look up.

  My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I dig it from the depths of my jeans.

  Cade: Everything okay?

  The professor walks in and puts her books on her desk. Her gaze settles on me, and I see the pity, but I look the other way. I don’t need it.

  I hurry and reply before shoving my phone back into my pocket. Several minutes pass, and my body starts to relax. Tons of my classmates are staring at me, they’ve all seen what I’ve got, but I ignore it.

  The professor turns the overhead on when the doors swings open. Selena walks in with the same guy she’s always with, the same guy that poured the liquid on me. His shirt is wrinkled and they both look like they’ve been banging behind the building.

  “Take your seats,” the professor says.

  Selena ignores her, searching the rows until her eyes land on me. A sickening smile rises from the corner of her mouth. My heart sinks as she leans over to whisper something in the guy’s ear.

  My pen clutches in my hand and snaps in two. The guy next to me turns his head slightly toward me with a lifted brow, but I don’t meet his gaze directly.

  The professor is talking now, but all I see is red. My heartbeat thumps wildly against my ribs, something building within my chest. “I know. She’s such a slut,” someone whispers.

  The redhead must have come trailing in afterwards because she takes a seat next to Selena, and automatically turns toward her.

  They giggle and pull out one of the fliers, examining it so that everyone in the classroom can see.

  “We stopped on page one hundred last week,” the professor says, skimmin
g her book.

  My throat clogs as I watch her pass the paper to the person sitting behind her, who looks at it and then over his shoulder at me.

  No. No. No.

  “Yep, we stopped on page one hundred. Let’s turn our pages there, class—”

  Red swarms my already dizzy mind, and I’m up out of my seat before I can think twice. “Ms. Baker? Take your seat. Ms. Baker!”

  My legs carry me across the classroom quickly, the opposite way I would have run last week. Now I’m standing over Selena’s desk.

  “What?” she snaps, crossing her arms over her shirt and sneering. “What do you want, slu—oh!”

  I punch her. With all my might, I swing and pop her in the jaw. Her head slings to the side, spit flying from her mouth.

  The class erupts in a fit of laughter. “Fight. Fight. Fight!” And I’m done. All my pain and torment spills out of me. Grabbing her by her two-hundred-dollar jacket, I sling her out of the desk. “Is this what you want, huh? You want your ass kicked in front of everyone?”

  I slug her again. This time she falls to the floor and curls into a pathetic ball. “All because of a boy that doesn’t give a shit about either one of us now!” I’m screaming, shaking, my body humming with adrenaline.

  I tighten my fists, but Selena looks up at me over teary eyes. And I know I shouldn’t feel bad for her. I should kick her ass now while I’m here, but I don’t. My fist unclenches, and I stare down at her. Pathetic and crying.

  I smile. “I feel so bad for you because you have to be one lonely bitch to be so mean. I pray that Satan takes it easy on you.”

  “Ms. Baker!” someone yells from behind me, but I don’t turn. I watch her as someone—I assume the dean of the department—drags me from the room because I can hear someone telling the students to calm down around me.

  And I don’t cry because I’m in trouble. I smile on the way to the dean’s office. They always say “violence isn’t the answer,” but I’m not sure that’s always the case. Because I know now that Selena won’t mess with me anymore. She was just a bully. Someone so unhappy with her life that she tried to ruin mine.