A Broken Jewel (Jade Book 1)

by Lucy Rains

  Kyson slung his messenger bag over his shoulder and grabbed my hand to lead me out of the classroom. His large hand held mine firmly, yet gently. My mind stuttered for a second, as I contemplated pulling my hand away. It was knee-jerk reaction to any physical contact.

  Other students were filing past us as we merged into the hallway. The congestion forced us to squeeze our way through the busy halls.

  “Like what?”

  I rolled my eyes at him, “You know, girl things. Mascara, a blow dryer, things like that.”

  He huffed, staring forward was we walked, “Not necessary.”

  I yanked on his hand trying to get his attention. “Um, yes necessary. Don’t blow me off. These are for feminine survival.”

  “You seem to be surviving just fine to me.”

  “Your definition of survival doesn’t match mine. I feel like a frumpy-”

  Kyson interrupted my negative self talk by suddenly turning to face me, pushing me up against a wall in the hallway and invading my personal space. I gasped in shock and stiffened in surprise. A hand went up by my head and his eyes narrowed on mine. His usually casual demeanor had shifted into a dark trance that caught me off guard and froze me in place.

  “Listen to me very carefully.” He spoke slowly, with a deep even tone that seemed oddly threatening. “I don’t want to hear you talk badly about yourself. Ever. I know there hasn’t been someone in your life to help you build confidence in yourself, but I just can’t stand to hear it. Second, there’s a reason why your mother kept you in an all girls high school. I know it, and the guys at home know it. I don’t want to be responsible for bodily harm to the first guy that tries to hit on you.”

  “But,-”

  His face came closer to mine and I choked on the word. The people around us disappeared. The hum in my chest thrummed in excitement. My breath was stuck in my throat and my stomach fluttered. The desire coming off his senses was intoxicating.

  “Now, obviously, I’m not your mother. And if wearing mascara and having a blow dryer will make you happy, I will take you to the store.” He leaned back and grabbed my hand to keep walking, “But just remember I warned you.”

  Not waiting for me to catch my breath, Kyson pushed us through the hallway until we were outside and continued to hold my hand as we walked down the cement steps.

  Kyson walked along like everything was fine. His breathing normal, his posture comfortable. I, on the other hand, was struggling to stay up right. Did being close to him not affect him like it did to me? Perhaps it was my inexperience with guys. Maybe they had lots of experience being in close personal spaces of other girls. The idea made me want to vomit.

  My mind caught on the reaction. No, I chided myself. Just because my chest hummed when they were around and I could feel their emotions and we had weird bodies in common, it gave me no claim over them. I repeated this to myself, over and over, resolved to try and remain impassive.

  Kyson led me into a food court area with several dining options. Students were filed into neat lines for their food of choice. Most were on their phones while some had a companion to talk to.

  “Anything you want?”

  I shook my head, “Just get me whatever.”

  He motioned to the eating area with his head and let go of my hand. “Can you go find a spot for us?”

  I nodded silently and walked towards the edge of the room, where there were tables lined up under the windows. I found a clean, empty spot and sat down. My head tilted up to look at Kyson to show him where I was, but found that he was being talked at by a tall blonde girl. She spoke quickly, trying to catch his eye, her pouty mouth held a friendly smile. Her face reminded me of Tiff and my stomach tightened.

  She kept trying to talk to Kyson, engage him, but he shook his head at her then turned his attention back to his phone. Thankfully their conversation didn’t last long. When he didn't converse back with her, she touched his elbow, spoke a few more words and then walked away. She gave a subtle glance in my direction and exited the eating area.

  My skin prickled on the back of my neck and my fingers tightened into fists. I was being ridiculous. How was I ever going to be in public with these guys if I couldn’t handle other girls talking to them?

  I suddenly felt completely drained. Tired of myself. Tired of the guys. Tired of everything. I had only been with them for a few days and every minute felt like a mental and emotional rollercoaster.

  Kyson walked over a few minutes later with a tray full of cheeseburgers and french fries. I moved the burgers around to count them. 6 burgers, 2 salads and 3 french fries.

  I peeked up at him, “Um, that’s a lot of food.”

  “Well, I just wanted to get enough. I’m meeting my study group in here, so I’ll be nearby. But just in case you got hungry later, I got extra.”

  “Okay,” I shrugged, while unwrapping a burger. I kept my voice even, my hands controlled. I didn't want Kyson to know that I probably hadn't eaten a fast food cheeseburger since I was 9 years old. The smell was intoxicating.

  Kyson pulled out a textbook that looked like it could break my foot were it to be dropped on it, and a couple notepads. “I’m going to study, if that's ok?”

  “Of course,” I mumbled, very unladylike with a mouth full of food.

  At first the burger tasted fantastic. The smell and taste of grease was oddly satisfying. Halfway through the second burger though it felt like a brick had formed in my stomach and there was no way I could finish it. I wrapped the offending burger up and set it on the food tray.

  While Kyson was in his study group a few tables away from me, I got up to go use the bathroom. He sensed my movement immediately. His head turned, his eyes followed me, questioning my actions. I mouthed ‘bathroom’, and he pointed in the direction I needed to go.

  One of his study mates looked up to see who he was talking to; a messy haired fellow with a spatter of freckles. He looked to see who Kyson was talking to and when his eyes landed on me, he broke into a sly smile. I saw him ask Kyson something, and Kyson responded with a smack to the back of his head.

  I quickly located the bathroom and made my way inside to find a trio of girls touching up their makeup. One of them was tall Blondie from earlier. The others were petite, both had dark hair. The curvier of the two had thick black framed glasses. They saw me walk in and their conversation came to an abrupt halt.

  As I was washing my hands afterwards, a voice spoke up beside me.

  “I haven’t seen you with Kyson before, did you two just meet?” Blondie asked, trying to look nonchalant, but her eyes couldn’t hide the burning curiosity.

  Her large blue eyes were rimmed in black liner, her long blond hair was styled to a high shine. So much like Tiff. And just as with Tiff, I felt plain next to her model-esque features.

  “We met a few days ago,” I responded blandly.

  “Hu, okay,” she said while applying powder to her cheeks.

  “I haven’t seen him with someone since that one girl,” the one with glasses stated.

  Tall Blondie nodded, “They seemed really serious too. Like, really serious.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Like really serious?”

  Her mouth turned down, “I don’t mean anything by it,” she said, “I was just surprised that's all.”

  “Do you know what happened with them?” asked the third one.

  I smiled like I was letting them in on a secret, “I heard she cheated on him.”

  All three leaned back from me, their eyes wide.

  “Who would cheat on Kyson?” Glasses asked. The other girls shook their head, as if the idea was unfathomable.

  I shrugged and dried off my hands.

  I turned to leave when one of them called out, “So wait, are you guys together then?”

  All three looked me up and down at that point, trying to understand what I had that they didn’t. “Because,” blondie chuckled, “you’re a lot different than the last girl.” She looked to her friends as they gave her knowing
smiles.

  Before I could brush off her words, my cheeks burned hot with shame and embarrassment. I wanted to hide, pull a hood over my head and cover myself. They had hit where it hurt. I left without responding.

  I let the door swing shut behind me and headed back to my table. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see Kyson’s head come up. I avoided his eyes. My feelings would show on my face but there was no way I could hide it. He would feel my emotions through his own senses. Damn it, he would be concerned, curious. He would want answers.

  I sat down on my chair and faced the window, trying to calm my heart.

  A serious girlfriend? Of course he would have a serious girlfriend. I shouldn’t be surprised. Probably, all of the guys have been in a serious relationship or two or more. They were gorgeous, smart, and with the exception of Gavin, sweet and fun. Who wouldn’t want to date them?

  I thought back to Blondie’s information, how long ago had Kyson been in a relationship? A year? A month? How did I know he didn't still have feelings for this girl?

  My eyes stung and my throat thickened. I took deep breaths to keep my emotions under the surface. My heart had dropped to my stomach and I was losing control. Why did I care so much?

  I closed my eyes, and tried to tell myself it didn’t matter. I focused on relaxing my muscles, trying to think about swimming and the sensations I had felt. I drank a bottle of water, knowing I had to get myself calm before Kyson was done, as I did not want to discuss the source of my distress. It was necessary. He was an adult. A male adult with hormones and freedom. I had no claims on him. My chest argued otherwise, but I didn’t even know what that meant.

  Looking at my watch, I had only a few minutes left. My eyes fluttered to dry the extra moisture and I shoved a few cold fries in my mouth. I just had to get home. Then I could be in my own space and deal with this.

  When I relaxed into my seat I felt Kyson’s concerned emotions drift over me. I sensed his desire to connect with me, make sure I was okay. He needed to see my eyes, look over my face. But I didn’t turn around.

  My ears picked up on the relaxed chatter from his group as they began standing up and gathering their things. I took this as my cue to pack up my purse and get ready to go. I was piling the leftover food in the middle of the tray, wondering what Kyson would want to do with it, when my hand was grasped in a warm enclosure and I was being led out of the cafeteria. Kyson was moving quickly, his strides long, demanding silently that I keep up.

  It wasn’t until we were inside his car and I had nowhere to go that Kyson cornered me. “What’s wrong?” he demanded.

  I worked hard to keep my face relaxed and feigned innocence. “What do you mean?”

  He pinned me with a look, his torso turned in my direction. “Something is wrong. Elevated blood pressure, swollen glottis, heightened cholesterol and cortisol levels, lubricated eye glands.”

  Crap. My head dropped in defeat. “I don’t want to talk about it.” I looked away and buckled my seatbelt. Kyson was still watching me, waiting for more feedback. I motioned towards the road, “Let’s just go home.’

  He watched me a bit longer, hoping I would break. But finally turned away, dissatisfied. I could feel his own distress. If it wasn’t for his emotion knocking into me, I could see it in his knuckles and tight lines around his mouth.

  We drove home in silence.

  Once we pulled up to the house, he turned to try and talk to me again. “Jade,-”

  “I’m going upstairs. I’m going to change. And I want to go on a run.” I stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut. Kyson followed suit. “Please find me a place where I can run for 15 miles, at my speed, that won’t draw attention.” I gave him a look and turned to walk inside..

  I noticed that all 4 cars were parked in the driveway or street. Everyone was home.

  When I walked into the house and there was laughter coming from the kitchen. I kicked my sandals off and ran upstairs before I could be caught and closed my door behind me.

  I dropped my purse on the ground and went into my bathroom to splash water on my face. The incredible burn of jealousy was more than I could bear. It was intensely disturbing, nothing like I had ever felt before. The humming in my chest almost turned into a throb. The thought of any of the guys, feeling desire for another girl, literally made me want to grow fangs in my mouth and dig them into her jugular.

  I shook my head and went into my closet to change. I needed to get a handle on my emotions. A run would help, I was sure of it. I threw on some clothes from my gym bag that made the trip with me. A purple pair of leggings, a sports bra and white tank. I put on my running shoes and yanked the laces tight.

  When I opened my door I was met with silence. The laughter was gone and I could taste the solemn mood. The guys were concerned. Kyson must have relayed my behavior to them. And in my haste upstairs I forgot that they would be able to feel my distress. I had no secrets.

  When I reached the bottom of the stairs, the guys were waiting for me by the front door. Kyson and Gavin were talking quietly, while Alex and and Pierce were tying shoelaces on running shoes.

  “What are you doing?” I demanded.

  Pierce looked up as he finished and stood up. His long blond locks were pulled into a ponytail. “Were going on a run with you,” he answered smoothly.

  I frowned at him and Alex. “No,” I said.

  “Sorry babezilla, but there’s no way we would let you run alone.”

  “No!” I repeated.

  “Do you think you have a choice?” asked Pierce. “Besides, you don’t know the way.”

  I shot Kyson a glare and he looked at his own shoes. Alex was grinning wide at my lack of options and I glared even harder at him.

  “Fine,” I huffed. I threw open the front door and stalked out. Pierce and Alex quickly said departing words to the other two and followed behind me.

  I climbed into Pierce’s truck and sat in the back seat.

  Pierce peered back at me, “Sure you don’t want to sit in the-”

  “Nope,” I said quickly.

  Alex climbed into the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt. “Ah, this feels like old times! Right? Jade in the back, me in the front riding shotgun. We just need some burgers and fries to top it off.”

  He looked back at me and smiled but I looked away. Focusing out the window.

  “I would watch it,” suggested Pierce.

  Alex chuckled but didn’t smart off anymore. We sat silently for a few minutes until Pierce worked up the nerve to speak again.

  “Sure you don’t want to talk about what's bothering you?” asked Pierce.

  “I’m fine,” I said curtly.

  After that no one spoke for the rest of the drive. Pierce drove through town for a while until we pulled into a gravel parking lot in a rural area of the city.

  “There’s a path along the river here, goes for about 35 miles.”

  “Perfect,” I said, hopping down from the truck. At that point I thought that maybe I would run the whole length and then back. The area was beautiful, the paved path was deserted, and the air was pleasant.

  I stretched out my legs for a moment, inhaling the woodsy air. I could see patches of the river through the thick trees. There was a strong breeze that ruffled my ponytail, reminding me to retie my hair more securely. The guys were tapping on their phones, waiting for my cue.

  “Just stay behind me,” I mumbled as I walked passed them to the path.

  Both guys nodded and stashed their phones in their pockets. I slipped my sunglasses on and turned towards the path.

  I set off on a solid pace. For an average runner it was a 6 minute mile pace, but for me, it was a pace to get my leg muscles warm. My breathing wouldn’t change until I bumped up my pace in 2 miles to a 4 minute pace. I could hear the guys footfalls behind me as I focused on the path in front of me. At times we would pass a random jogger or biker, but thankfully the path was clear from most of the public. It wasn’t the smoothest path, it had ridges,
and bumps but nothing that would phase me. After the first few miles my body began to warm and I could feel the sweat begin to form on under my bra straps. The back of my shirt was becoming moist and sticking to my skin.

  My mind was clear and I could feel the tension burning through my limbs to power my strides. Alex and Pierce’s pounding feet sounded behind me, always keeping consistent with my stride. Hearing them brought back to mind the whole reason I was on this run.

  These guys...My mind circled around the thought, their faces appearing in my mind. It had only been a few days, yet subconsciously I had already put a claim on them. I didn’t mean to feel that way, and after this afternoon I wish I didn’t. But the connection was undeniable. I tried to remind myself that I was not a normal human, and neither were they. Perhaps that was why the emotions were more intense? Or maybe it was my lack of experience with guys in general? Was I latching on to the first males I had any real contact with?

  At about mile 9 I could see that we were approaching a cleared sitting area. Dark wooden benches were set up around a circular cobblestone patio with a 3 tiered fountain in the middle. As I got closer, my pace slowed. The sound of the fountain put me in a trance, but what really made my mind go blank was the vibrant turquoise color of the structure. All my previous stresses were suddenly forgotten.

  I slowed to a stop when I was in front of the fountain, my panting barely heard over the sound of the water.

  “Jade?” called Alex, “You okay?”

  I looked back at them, they had stopped on the path several feet behind me, hands on hips with heavy panting. I looked back at the fountain and hesitantly continued forward. The heavy trickling sound of the water, the distressed color of the metal, the smell of the water…

  Images began flashing in my mind fast and faint. Images of my mother at night in the dark, by a fountain. I sat down on a bench and pinched my eyes shut, not understanding what I was seeing. My stomach rolled with nausea and I suddenly felt cold.

  “Jade?” Pierce called out. Footsteps crunched on gravel. A body sat down by me. When I opened my eyes I saw Pierce kneeling on the ground in front of me. “What is it?”