I try to keep the smile off my face but fail miserably. I like Jasper standing up for me, more then I should. “Well he probably just feels sorry for me because I am the new girl.”
“Umm, no. Jasper Johnathan does not feel sorry for anyone. Not to mention, the rumor is you eat lunch with him and his friends. That tells me right there he likes you.” She finishes with her rant just in time for the teacher to tell everyone to get to work.
I take out my English book and start going over my homework. “A bunch of kids are going to hang out at the abandoned railroad tracks here in town. I’ll come pick you up at seven thirty.”
“I can’t go out tonight. I have to finish my math at home.” She refuses to take no for an answer,
“You have all week to do that, I know because my friend Drew is in your class. Besides I won’t go without you, and you don’t want to upset your new friend.”
The hopeful tone in her voice causes me to make my first mistake of the day, “I’ll go, remind me to give you my address after class.”
She laughs and tells me “I already got it silly, you’re new here. Everyone wants to know everything they can about you.” She has no idea how that makes me panic on the inside. If people find out everything, it will destroy me.
Izzy arrives right on time. I hear her knock on the door, and then Aunt Stacy’s voice introducing herself. They seem to be fast friends because by time I make it to the door they are laughing at something Izzy said. Putting on my hoodie I turn around to tell Aunt Stacy bye and head out the door. Her car is waiting at the end of the curb, sitting there looking as if it barely made it here. I start to turn around, because there is no way I am getting into that death trap, but Izzy reassures me that the car is a classic. I can’t help the comment flying out of my mouth, “Classic POS.” My hand comes up over my mouth and I am about to apologize when she just laughs and says, “What better kind is there?”
The drive to the hangout only takes a few minutes, we were quiet the whole ride, letting the music fill in the silence. I am an absolute nervous wreck and try my hardest to hide it. It must not be working because Izzy turns to me, “I will not let anyone hurt you, and we won’t stay long.” I start to ask how she can save me, when we are the same size, but the thought was genuine, and I appreciate it.
Walking up to the different groups, I find myself looking for the closest secluded spot I can find. Too bad that it seems to be pretty open, but I do notice more people surround the fire. Going to the far left I take a seat, and watch all the kids around me have a good time. Izzy must realize I’m no longer behind her because she comes up to me after searching, “Where did you go?”
About to answer her I get side tracked by a figure walking up to us. He is tall, with broad shoulders, and a big chest. He is wearing a baby blue t-shirt that says Uptown Gym and his pants are tight in all the right places. As he gets closer I can see his features from the little bit of light we are getting from the fire. He has some stubble on his face like he just rolled out of bed this morning, it goes up to meet at his sideburns then straight to his short brown hair. He is looking at me with those green eyes that could get most girls to do whatever he wants. Walking toward me he takes the seat to my left.
“Hey Candice!” he says while holding out his hand, “The name is Liam.” Not taking his hand to shake it, I say, “Umm. How do you know my name?”
He smiles at me and simply states, “Isn’t every beautiful girl named that?” Knowing it’s a pick up line doesn’t mean I’m not swooning. He seems really easy to talk too, so I throw caution to the wind and find myself answering back.
“Well Liam did you know I was a thief.” He looks at me with one eyebrow up, I start to laugh and finish my stupid pick up line, “I’m here to steal your heart.” The laughter that follows eases my mind and helps me to relax.
We all three set there and talk for a while. I tell them about being from Texas and Liam tells us he goes to Jefferson High on the other side of Tampa. I find that between the three of us conversation is easy, and I’m actually having fun. So when Izzy starts to tap me on my arm in warning, I look up and my eyes instantly make contact with Jasper. He is standing about five feet away, staring at Liam like he is about to kill him.
Chapter 6
Jasper
I’m outside doing laps in the pool at the house with Dalton and K.J. It’s a huge pool with a water fall that separates the pool area and the hot tub. Dalton is trying to play Dr. Phil and ask questions about Candice. I can’t explain my reactions to her. She is even more guarded than me and by the looks of it, something bad has happened to her. I saw the scar going up her arm today, after her anxiety attack in the cafeteria. I see a darkness in her that pulls me in. I have only had one obsession my whole life and that is fighting. With fighting I can control my darkness, but maybe with Candice I can share it.
“You let her touch you man. You don’t like for anyone to touch you.” Dalton says, while pointing back and forth between him and K.J.
“You stood up in front of the whole damn school and called out London for her. What happened to you not liking to be the center of attention?” I don’t have an answer so I just shrug and play it off, “She is hot, plus I hate London. That bitch needed to be put in her place a long time ago.”
“I think she has demons, even you might not be able to fight off.” K.J. states right before he gets out of the pool to go back in the house.
“He’s right, the way she freaked out at lunch today was fucking scary. That girl is damaged; she can’t handle someone like you bro.” Dalton says this to warn me. I can tell he likes her, by the way he jokes with her, so I know he is just trying to look out for the both of us. For once I can touch someone and have them touch me back and it not creep me out. There is something about her, my body responds to her, and hers to mine. She may be damaged, but she will be mine.
We arrive at the normal hang out spot around nine. I see everyone sitting around and talking so I make my way over to the right of the group to take a seat away from the majority of the people. Dalton is immediately socializing, trying to pick up his girl for the night. K.J. and I sit by one another while kids around us talk about school and sports. I hear a guy whistle and look up to see London and her friends walking up to me, she is in a tiny dress that is black and looks to be melted onto her skin. How she breaths is anyone’s guess, but being a demon spawn probably means she can survive long periods of time with no oxygen.
“Hey Jasper, you like my dress?”
Not really wanting to waste an opportunity to piss her off I ask “Is that the one you left on Dalton’s floor this summer?” I know what she is about to say will piss me off because she is too happy for just being turned down by me, yet again.
“Aww. You must be upset because your new whore is over there with Liam Kyler right now. She has been all over him all night.”
I don’t hear anything after that. I shove my way through the crowd and head for the direction she was looking in. Jealousy is something I haven’t felt since a child. I use to be jealous of my mom’s boyfriends, for getting her kind words and attention. This is something I can’t control, he may not have known she was mine, but he will when I get done.
I find them over on the left side of the fire pit. It’s Candice, Liam, and that weird girl who she hangs out with. He is huddled close to what mine. I’m about five feet from them when she looks up and notices me. Those beautiful blue eyes grow wide and her chest starts expanding with her heavy breathing. Oh yeah, this mother fucker is about to die. I walk up to Liam and kick his chair with my booted foot. The chair is iron so it doesn’t break, but it jars him and I take some pleasure out of that. He immediately jumps up, “What the hell do you think you’re doing man?”
My only response is to swing at him. The punch lands on his right eye, and I’m going in for the upper cut to the ribs when I feel someone grabbing me from behind. Not being able to see through the haze of anger I turn and land a punch to his jaw. K.J. just absor
bs my punch and gets in my face. “Are you finished acting like an asshole?” He says this while cocking his head to the right. It’s then I notice Candice, she is still sitting in her chair, white as a ghost and shaking. She has tears streaming down her face, and her friend is trying to get her attention.
Picking her up off the chair, I cradle her in my arms and spin around to walk to my truck. On the way, I see London smirking, thinking she won this round. I’ll shoot K.J. a quick text in the car, to let him know London needs to be dealt with. This is the second time she has targeted Candice, and this time she used me to do it.
The walk to my truck doesn’t take long, Candice is snuggled up in my arms, and her shaking has calmed considerably. I really want to keep holding her, but I choose to put her in the passenger side seat, and I walk around and get into the driver’s seat.
“Candice I need you to look at me.” I try the same thing I did at lunch today but she is still in her head. So I lean in and whisper in her ear, “Look at me gorgeous.”
That gets her attention and she turns her head toward me.
“I’m going to take you home, but first I need to know if you’re alright?” She blinks up at me and shakes her head no.
“No you’re not okay, or no you don’t want to go home?” I ask her.
Her response is so low I almost don’t hear her, “No to both” she says.
“Then we will sit here until your answer is yes.”
I say this while tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and she flinches. That flinch makes my stomach drop and I realize she is scared of me. “Candice, why are you scared of me?” I’m sure it has something to do with that scar on her arm, but I’m only asking easy questions right now.
“Tell me why your scared of me gorgeous.” I use the nickname hoping she responds.
“Who said I was scared?”, she asks while turning her head to look out the window. I just sit here waiting on her to answer my question.
“Anyone would be scared, if they saw the way you just attacked Liam. He didn’t stand a chance against a MMA fighter, especially one bigger than him.” Her voice stays low; like she is trying to please me by answering but scared of the reaction it may cause.
“Liam fights just like me, actually he is the guy I’m fighting in November. He would have defended himself if K.J. wouldn’t have stepped in.” She looks up at me, looking in my eyes for the truth and when she finally sees I’m not lying she exhales a big breath.
Violence, no matter how small, is a trigger for her, that is obvious by her reactions today at school and tonight with Liam and I. Now is not the time to bring that up, or ask any more questions.
I roll down my window because I can see Dalton walking up to the truck with some short girl with black hair. He has his armed draped around her shoulders, and they are both laughing at something he must have said. “Dude, what the fuck? I just heard about what happened. You could get into trouble with the AFC league.” I can tell he is mad because I just jeopardized my fight, but I am not explaining myself to anyone. I just roll up my window hoping he will get the hint to leave me alone.
“Asshole!” He yells out before walking off again.
“Is it true?” she is twisting in the seat trying to get comfortable, when she asks me the question. I wait for her to settle and smile, “Yeah, I’m an asshole.”
I know this is not the question she meant, but I can’t help teasing her. She smiles a real smile and a giggle escapes her lips. My new goal all night will be to hear that sound as much as I can.
“Well I know that, I meant will you get in trouble for hitting Liam?”
“There is a chance I could, if he tells them what happened tonight, but he won’t because he’ll want to fight me even more now.” I say this with confidence because Liam is a standup guy that I never had a problem with until now. This girl next to me is a weakness, one that is already messing with my head.
“Knowing you could get into trouble, why did you hit him Jasper?” She says my name on a whisper and it makes my blood run hot.
“Because he was trying to take what I already see as mine.” That may be a fucked up response, but it’s the truth and there is no need to lie to her. I can see the moment she understands, because she shakes her head and starts to say something.
“You barely know me, we just met. I am not someone you want to get involved with.”
Her response does nothing but make me smile. “I can see the demons you constantly fight, I see the way you try to hide from everyone, and I see the broken girl that thinks she can’t be fixed. I don’t want to fix you gorgeous, I want to show you how beautiful you already are.”
Chapter 7
Candice
After making sure Izzy knew I was Okay I agreed to let Jasper take me home. I just kept thinking about what he had said, is there more to Jasper Johnathan then just fighting. The way he seems to understand me, makes me believe there is. Can I overcome my anxiety with violence, and try to figure out this attraction to him? Should I allow myself to feel for the first time in four years? Do I deserve a second chance at life, when I took someone else’s away?
Pulling up to the curb at my house he gets out and walks around to open my door. He holds his hand out for me to take. Thinking he is trying to help me step down out of the truck, I take his hand. When I’m out, I expect him to remove his hand but he surprises me by tightening his hold. He stops me before I can reach for the door handle, “Let me see your phone.”
It’s not a request, more like a command. I take my phone from my back pocket and hand it to him. I can see he his putting his number in my phone and it makes me smile. How has this boy managed to break down some of my walls in just a few hours? He notices the smile on my face and reaches down to tilt my face up, so we are looking into each other’s eyes. My heart starts beating out of my chest when he starts to lean down, coming closer to my lips. Just when he is about to make contact he stops and whispers “Sweet dreams, Gorgeous.”
Going through the house, trying to make it to my room I’m mumbling under my breath about my traitorous body when my Aunt Stacy calls out to me from the kitchen. Walking to the kitchen, I open the door and set at the island. “I thought I heard you come in, I was just making me some warm milk, would you like some?” I know she stayed up waiting for me, I can see she is tired, but I shake my head yes and say “Sure.”
“So who was that boy that dropped you off?” Now I know her reason for asking me to join her for a cup of milk. She wants to talk, which I normally wouldn’t do, but she did stay up to make sure I was safely home. Maybe it is time for me to try to let someone in, maybe she really does want to know me.
“That was Jasper, a boy from school.”
She gives me a knowing look, remembering my outburst at breakfast this morning. “What happened to Elizabeth. I thought you were with her.” She asks.
Most kids would think they are being accused of something, but my aunt is just curious.
“I wasn’t feeling well so Jasper offered to bring me home early.” That seems to be enough of an explanation for her. We continue to talk for a while, until my aunt yawns and tells me she is heading to bed. I thank her for the milk and do the same.
I’m lying in bed after changing into my boy shorts and tank top, and brushing my teeth, when I hear my phone beep. Not recognizing the sound, it takes me a minute to realize someone is texting me. I grab the phone from under my pillow and there is a text from Jasper. He must have gotten my number when he was programming his.
Meet me in the alley between the school and gym tomorrow morning.
Felling a little brave, not being in his looming presence, I type back a cheeky reply.
What happens if I don’t ?
Do you really want to find out?
Maybe, it’s not like you can have me arrested?
No, but there are other things I can do with handcuffs.
You win, I’ll be there
I knew you would see it my way.
When I
get to the alleyway, Jasper is already there waiting on me. Like always, he looks eatable, wearing a black t-shirt with UFC on the front. His jeans are not as tight today, but he still makes them look good. It’s like he just rolled out of bed and ran his fingers through his hair, and came to school. I have seen the serious Jasper, the scary Jasper, and the self-assured Jasper. Looking at the relaxed version, I would have to say, it is my favorite. The messy hair, makes him look more approachable, not quit so domineering.
Walking up to him, I stop when I’m three feet from where he stands. I set my backpack down by my feet and lean against the opposite wall. He is watching my every movement. I’m no used to having someone’s eyes on me for so long so I start to shuffle my feet back in forth.
“Do I make you nervous?” He asks, looking over at me.
I manage a shy smile and reply, “Anyone watching me makes me nervous.”
“What if watching you has become my favorite part of the day?”
“Then you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. I’m not special, in fact I’m plain.”
“The only thing plain on you is that hoodie. Aren’t you burning up in that?”
I didn’t want to wear a long sleeve shirt today; in case it rode up my arm again. He has not mentioned my scar, so I’m hoping he didn’t see it. I can’t afford to be careless again.
“I’ll be fine, if I get to hot I’ll just take it off.” I lie trying to please him and not have to talk about it any further.
“Have you ever noticed that when you lie, you blink a lot?”
I immediately stop blinking and realize I’ve been caught. Saved by the bell, he walks over to me and picks up my backpack before taking my hand and walking towards the school.
Tearing Away (Fatally Flawed Book 1) Page 4