Fucking hell.
Below that the message read, My cock is too big for a virgin pussy like yours.
Kristen had responded, Chris?
Of course. Being in art class make you forget how to read?
My stomach churned as I continued to read the messages. Chris, what’s wrong with you?
Just waking up from the horrible dream I might have fake dated you.
Kristen’s messages stopped for a bit, but the insults kept coming. At some point in the conversation, Kristen must have figured out it wasn’t Chris. Then the tone of the messages changed. My guess was that Chris had taken over responding. Who the fuck are you, and how did you get my phone?
The sender responds with a video of a life-size picture of Kristen’s face, a hole cut out where her mouth was supposed to be and Jarrod shoving his dick into that hole. He’d added to the horrifying scene by screeching, “Fuck my mouth, Jarrod,” and, “You’re so much bigger than Chris,” in a girl’s voice. The video was captioned Gonna do this to your girl after school at her house.
I closed my eyes, trying to suck in a full breath and not throw the phone. How could anyone think that shit was okay? Once I knew I could ask them questions without completely losing my shit, I opened my eyes to the two of them watching me. I never ratted on Sam when I should have more times than I could count, but this little shit?
He was done.
I wasn’t worried about being the popular kid or the NFL star anymore. I knew how much this kind of thing could hurt someone. I’d seen the pain in Mari’s eyes the first night I’d figured out who she was.
“Chris, I have to ask. Where’s your phone?”
“I have no idea. You can search my bag, my locker, whatever you want. I haven’t seen it since this morning when I got off the bus.” He reached for his bag to hand it over.
“No, that’s okay, although, the police may have to search it. This goes well beyond cyber bullying. Jarrod’s now stepped into sexual harassment and sexting. Before we take this to the principal, I need to hear the story from both of you.”
God, give me the patience to sit through this shit and not hunt the little bastard down.
Kristen swallowed hard. “I got the first text at the beginning of third period. I know my phone is supposed to be in my locker, but too many have been stolen recently. I figured it was safer with me.”
“What happened after you got the text?”
“I knew it came from Chris’s number but the texts didn’t sound like Chris. I couldn’t stop myself from responding. I wanted to know who was sending those texts.”
Tears began to spill from her eyes. “They kept coming. Even when I ignored them, they wouldn’t stop. I knew I’d lose it if I stayed in class, so I shoved my phone in my back pocket and asked to go to the bathroom.”
Kristen shook her head and looked pleadingly at Chris. He took her hand and turned to me. My eyes zeroed in on that simple gesture. For a split second, it made me wish I could have been Mari’s Chris.
“I ran into Kristen in the hall. I wanted to know why she was so upset. She yelled at me about some text I’d sent but I told her I had no idea what she was talking about. She showed me and I wanted to punch something. I’d already gotten one detention for my phone and really didn’t need another so I’d started leaving it in my locker. We checked my locker but it was gone. I thought about going after Jarrod, but Kristen convinced me to come talk to you.”
I looked over at Kristen, whose eyes were puffy and red. “Good. I need to keep your phone for now. We’re going to take it to Mrs. Sloane’s office. She’ll handle everything from here.” Their entwined hands drew my focus once again. “She’ll need to call the police and you’ll both have to answer some questions. For now, Chris, I wouldn’t go anywhere near your locker and keep your bag with you. Let Jarrod do with your phone whatever he’s gonna do and let the police deal with the fall out.”
“Okay.” He clenched the fist of his free hand tight, his teeth grinding together.
I could see he was near losing it, not to mention, Kristen looked like she wanted to cry again.
“Kristen?” She peered up at me. “I’m gonna let you into the girls’ locker room, give you a few minutes to yourself while I talk to Chris. Is that okay?”
Her eyes shot to Chris, who smiled and gave her a nod of encouragement. “We’ll fix this,” he said.
“All right.”
“You wait here,” I told Chris. I walked with Kristen a little way down the hall and let her into the locker room. On my way back, I gave the girls’ gym teacher a heads-up that Kristen was in there, telling her I was taking care of everything and Kristen just needed a moment. By the time I got back to my office, Chris was wearing a path in the carpet.
He rounded on me the moment the door shut. “That asshole stole my phone and thinks it’s fun to torture my girlfriend? I’m gonna kill him.”
“Sit down.” The tone of my voice left no room for argument. He took the seat and I continued. “I’m guessing you dating Kristen is what set him off.”
He slouched in the chair. “Yes and no. After our talk in the fall, I really started to watch how he treated people. I saw what a total dick he was.” His eyes snapped to mine. “Sorry about the language.”
I waved him off. “I’d rather you be in here with every curse word in the book than out there putting your hands on Jarrod, but get it out of your system now because Mrs. Sloan won’t appreciate it.”
“Thanks, Coach. Anyway, after that, I tried to stay away from him, so did a couple of other guys on the team. We were tired of getting shit for his crap. One day I sat down with Kristen at lunch to apologize to her. Jarrod called me every name in the book, but I didn’t give two shits what he said to me.” He stopped and rubbed the back of his neck. “Kristen and I became friends and things shifted. Some of my friends began sitting with some of her friends. Things were fun again. Jarrod started targeting us for ‘ditching him.’ Like I said, I didn’t care as long as he left her alone. And he did. Until today.”
So many parallels. Except Chris had learned much sooner than I had.
Another regret.
Could Mari and I have gone to college as high school sweethearts? Maybe, maybe not. Something told me that Mari had to take the path she did. I focused on Chris. “I’m really proud of you. Not just for coming to me today, but for taking my advice all those months ago. It’s not easy to walk away from the people we think are our friends.” I stood and walked over, clasping him on the shoulder. “You did good. Now let’s go get Kristen and get this phone up to Mrs. Sloan.”
He beamed as he stood, the first true smile I’d seen from Chris since he stepped into my office. We got Kristen from the locker room and I took them both to the main office where they waited while I explained the whole story to the principal. Her eyes darkened with each word. After showing her the phone, she called the school’s resource officer then brought Kristen and Chris into her office. I had a class to teach, but Mrs. Sloan promised to come see me at the end of the day with an update.
Turned out, I didn’t need to wait until the end of the day. Gossip burned through the school like wildfire. Parents had been called in. After a search of Jarrod’s locker, they were able to find Chris’s phone, all the messages still on there. Jarrod was taken out of the building in handcuffs. While it was sad to see someone so young ruin their life over petty bullshit, there was a lightness in my chest as I drove to Mari’s later than night. I’d put a stop to it. I’d saved someone the heartache Mari went through. Every day I thought about how I should have done something sooner.
Sawyer was already gone by the time I arrived and even though I’d offered to take Mari out for the night, she voted to stay in. We’d settled for pizza and binge-watching Netflix. It still amazed me how much we had in common and for the hundredth time I wondered how things would have been different if I’d bothered to get to know her before. Then, I thought about Chris and part of me wished I could turn back time.
> Mari was lying with her head resting on my chest, her arm slung across my waist, while I played with her hair. “Remember that girl I told you about months ago? The one the football players were messing with?”
Her whole body stiffened. “Yeah?”
“She came to me today.”
“Assholes,” she spat.
I ran my fingers along the skin of her back hoping to settle her. “Actually, only one asshole. One of the kids listened to what I said to him and stopped hanging out with the other one.”
I told her the whole story, from the time Chris and Kristen walked into my office until I heard what happened to Jarrod. Wetness splattered on my chest. I tucked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to mine. “Please don’t cry.”
“That little shit deserved to be arrested for what he did.”
I brushed a tear from her face. We both knew she was talking about more than Jarrod. Sam deserved a whole lot more than what he got. “Yes, he did. Today made me regret not stopping the bullshit for you.”
“That’s not your fault.”
“But it really is. I could’ve stood up to him at any time.”
She shook her head, brushing her cheek against my chest. “Let’s not live in the past.”
It was hard not to sometimes, but it wasn’t fair of me to force her to dwell on it when she obviously didn’t want to. It was my guilt to live with. She lay her head back on my chest and was quiet for another moment.
I ran my hand over her back in a soft caress, stealing my nerves. The worst she could say is no, but I hated the thought of her reliving all the shit she went through again. “I got Kristen’s email. Would you mind talking to her? I think it would do her good to hear from someone else who has been there.”
Mari lifted her head once again to stare at me. “You really think I could help?”
“More than you know.” I brushed my thumb across her bottom lip.
“I would love to talk to her. Thank you for standing up for her today. The world needs more people like you and Chris in it.”
Sometimes I wondered if Mari put me on a pedestal I didn’t deserve.
CHAPTER 25
Cole
The music in the car cut out, my phone ringing over the speakers. Seeing Mari’s name pop up on the screen, I hit talk.
“Hey, sweetheart, I thought you were at the studio today?”
“We are.” Her voice was a few octaves higher than normal. “But I had to call you.”
I turned into my driveway and shut the car off. “Well, you know I love hearing your voice. This mean you’re gonna sing for me?”
She giggled. “Tonight. The studio asked us to be the opening act for one of their bands. One of the original band members has the flu and can’t perform so we’re on.”
“Oh my god. That’s fantastic!” Fuck, I loved seeing her succeed at what she loved.
“Will you come with us?”
“I’d love to, but don’t I need a ticket?”
“You would if you were sitting in the audience, but I want you backstage with us.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “Are you sure I won’t make you nervous? I know you’ve never played to a crowd that size. I wouldn’t want to do anything to distract you.”
Her voice lowered to a whisper. “Please. You won’t make me nervous. Knowing you’re there will settle me.”
My chest swelled, the idea that me being there would help her making me feel like I could fly. “Then I’ll be there. What do you need me to do?”
“I already have a badge ready for you. Do you think you could stop by my place and grab the black tank top from my closet?”
All the time I’d spent watching her perform was paying off. I knew exactly which one she meant. I knew it was her go-to shirt when she sang for an audience. Luckily we’d traded keys to make it easier to meet each other after work, so I could just swing by without having to get a key from her. Our relationship was moving forward. Yes, it was slow, but I was just happy to be with her. I’d take anything I could get.
“I can. What time should I be there?”
“Can you get here by six?”
I glanced at the time on the dash. That was a little over two hours away. “Yeah, but I have to go if I’m gonna make it there in time.”
“I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me, too.”
I disconnected the call and ran into the house to change. Ryan lifted a brow in my direction as I raced around. I didn’t have time to stop and explain so I promised to text him later.
After a quick stop at Mari’s, I was on my way toward the venue. With time to spare, I pulled into the parking garage of the address she’d texted me and went to the side door. After presenting ID, I was given an all-access backstage pass and shown the way to her dressing room.
The moment I stepped into the room, she launched herself at me. “Can you believe it?”
Her ass firmly cradled in my hands, I carried her over to the couch that sat along one wall of the room. An entire counter of cosmetics and a mirror large enough to give any hair salon a run for its money filled the other wall. The rest of the room held a rack full of clothes and table with all kinds of drinks and snack foods.
I sat down, placing her so she was straddling my lap, and gazed up into her eyes. “I’m so proud of you.” I brought her lips to mine, savoring the taste of vanilla that lingered there.
“Thank you for coming,” she whispered against my lips.
Sometimes I wondered if she still didn’t get it. If not, I’d keep saying it until she did. “I told you, anything for you.”
“I know.” She smirked. “I just like hearing you say it.”
I reached around her hips, tickling along her ribs. She jumped out of my lap and across the room, laughter pealing from her lips. I stood advancing on her, waggling my fingers. “Aww, what’s wrong, sweetheart? Everything okay?”
“Don’t you dare.” She hid behind the clothing rack, using it as a shield.
“Don’t I dare what?”
She stepped out from behind the rack, hands on her hips. “You know what.”
The mirth in her eyes, the sexy way one hip jutted out to the side . . . I didn’t bother trying to control myself. I stalked her step for step, moving backward until she ran into the wall. I bent my head and devoured her lips like I needed her to survive. Her hand slid up my chest and fisted in my hair, pulling the strands until the sharp pain combined with the sensation of her breasts pressed tight against my chest broke what little control I had and I snapped my hips forward, letting her know exactly what she was doing to me.
I slipped my hands up under her shirt, gliding along her ribs until I reached the underside of her breasts. Thumbing under the bottom of her bra, I heard a groan in the back of her throat.
A knock sounded at the door. “Twenty minutes,” a voice called.
I dropped my forehead to hers, my breath coming in pants. “Why do we always seem to get interrupted?”
She nipped at my bottom lip. “After the show tonight, there won’t be any interruptions.”
I stepped back, knowing she needed to get ready. The heat in her eyes and the flush to her cheeks had me reaching down to adjust my straining erection.
“Get ready,” I begged. “I’m not sure how long I can control myself, otherwise.”
The corner of her mouth pulled up as she picked up the tank top from where I discarded it on the couch. She whipped her other shirt off over her head, taking entirely too long. I growled, slamming my eyes shut. “You’re such a tease.”
“Only for you. You can open your eyes now, I’m dressed.”
I cracked one eye open to make sure. Mari was in a mood to be a tease and I had no doubt she’d tell me she was dressed just to see my reaction when I realized she wasn’t. A mixture of relief and disappointment filled me when I saw her tank top-covered back as she looked in the mirror, fixing her hair and makeup. I opened the other eye and sat back down on the couch to watch.
/> Another knock came. “Five minutes.”
She held out a hand to me. “Ready for this?”
“Better question is, are you?”
“With you here, I am.”
She pressed a brief kiss to my lips and led me out the door, navigating the maze-like hallways until we reached the rest of the guys.
“Hey, Cole. Glad you could join us.” Heath clasped me on the shoulder.
“Thanks. This is pretty amazing.”
Sawyer twirled a drumstick in his one hand, his eyes zeroing on Mari. “Good?” he asked.
She grabbed his arm, squeezing his bicep. “Good.”
She winked and he beamed at her. I placed my hands on her shoulders, massaging the muscles there. Just a little reminder to Sawyer. We’d gotten along great since that first dinner, but there were still times where it was hard to ignore the relationship that existed between them. Mari leaned into my touch. “You’re going to be great,” I said against her hair.
The door opened. “Jaded Ivory?”
“That’s us,” Jackson answered.
He held the door open. “You’re up.”
The guys led the way, Mari following behind, bringing me with her. The guy glanced down at my badge and tilted his head, giving me a strange look, probably wondering what I was going backstage for. I ignored it.
Mari squeezed my hand and walked onto the stage.
The crowd went crazy. Cheering, screaming. When I peered around the corner and into the audience there were people holding signs up. We missed you, Jaded Ivory and We love Mari. Word sure as shit traveled fast. They’d only found out a few hours ago they’d be playing. Their loyal fans must have scooped up any available tickets when Heath updated the website and social media pages.
The smile Mari gave the audience was brighter than the sun. “Fuck yeah,” she called into the mic. “We missed you, too. For those of you who don’t know us, we’re Jaded Ivory.”
Sawyer started the beat and the music flowed in behind it. It was different watching them from backstage. The way Mari swayed, the music seemed to take over her whole body. The crowd grew rowdier with each song they played, and that was before they played the single the studio had released to the radio.
Rock Me (Jaded Ivory Book 1) Page 21