“Sian I told you no like sixty times. Whatever you girls want to do can be done here. Go set up a movie in the screening room or something. I’m sure there’s some as yet not seen girly crap in there somewhere.”
He wasn’t even paying attention to me as he studied something on his computer screen. I’d noticed since waking up Saturday morning that my fiancé was acting kinda strange.
Knowing him he was stressing over the explosion more than was necessary. He won’t just accept that it was an accident of some sort, nope. He has to play Inspector Gadget.
I stomped my foot but all he did was give me a side eyed look before going back to what he was doing.
“Aw come on Jace, even Maggie’s weekend has been spoiled. The poor kid is going stir crazy.” I know he has a soft spot for my little sister and was not above using it to get my way.
His long drawn out sigh was the first sign that I might be weakening his resolve. “Hey, this shouldn’t be that difficult. You promised to always let me have my way remember?”
He did no such thing but maybe he’d forget that he hadn’t since he pretty much gives me my way in everything anyway. He closed down the computer and got to his feet.
“Fine Sian, where is it that you want to go?” I restrained myself from clapping my hands together with glee. He was being so prickly any little thing might set him off.
“Let’s go to that really cool burger place that everyone’s always talking about. I haven’t tried it yet.”
“I’ll have chef make you something.”
“About that, when did your parents hire a complete staff?” They’d been four or five new people moving about the house that I’d never seen before.
“They’re not new. Mom gave everyone time off because she closed off most of the house for repairs and didn’t need them.”
Color me stupid. I had no idea any of that was going on. “How comes I never saw any workmen?”
“You’re not supposed to. Let’s go round up the others.”
I turned for the door but found myself being pulled back and into his arms. “Come here.” Why was he being so serious?
He kissed my eyelids. “Your eyes are pretty!” Huh? What the heck had gotten into him? “Wait Jace, I’m not sure this is what I want to wear.” I looked down at the low riding jeans and tank I was currently wearing.
He tugged my arm and pulled me through the door. “Sian, the sun’s going to set in a little while. And your friends better be ready too or we’re not leaving the house.”
I grunted at him and let him drag me along behind him.
Everyone was excited when I told them that we were being released. Track was here looking stoic as usual, but he was a little less scary now that I’d seen him with Valerie.
We piled into four separate SUVs after saying bye to the parents. I felt kinda bad because it was the end of our weekend and everyone would be heading to their homes after dinner and we hadn’t done any of the things we’d had planned.
We’d pretty much just hung around the pool yesterday under Jace’s watchful eye of course and pigged out on junk food while watching movies last night.
All the stuff I’d bought for our girls’ night was back at my house, probably destroyed and Jace refused to let me go to the store to get more.
He held my hand all the way there as he drove with me in the front passenger seat next to him. He wasn’t talking but everyone else seemed to have already gotten over our little excitement and was back to their usual noisy selves.
Once we arrived I opened my door to jump down from the truck and follow the others but he refused to release my hand. I looked at him questioningly but of course there was no explanation forthcoming. Typical Jace.
“Wait!” Is he mad at me? I watched him walk around the truck to my side. I smiled secretly when he lifted me down, our bodies meeting as he let me down.
He snatched my hand in his again as soon as my feet touched the ground and all but dragged me into the restaurant where the others were already waiting to be seated by the hostess.
I recognized quite a few faces from school, some of who greeted us as the group of us were led to a table by the windows that overlooked the city.
Jace seemed to relax just a little after we placed our orders and sat around gabbing as we waited for our super burgers, but I still didn’t like that quiet stillness about him. It seemed a little more intense than usual.
“Jace are you okay? You’re not still thinking about what happened are you?” I was starting to feel bad because I knew the whole thing had to be my fault since it originated in my room.
“I’m fine baby, just enjoy your time with your girls don’t worry about me okay.” I gave him my best pouty lip, baby calf eyes look and my heart melted when it worked. He could never resist that one.
“Brat!” He pulled me to him with a hand around my neck and sucked my bottom lip between his teeth. “Behave yourself, here comes your food.”
The waitress was back with our orders and there was more friendly rivalry over whose burger looked better and who had more fries on their plate.
It seemed normal enough, and I looked around the table with a warm heart at our friends who were all coupled up except for Cassie and Alec. Even Maggie was putting in her two cents where she could.
It was like a scene from a cheesy after school special. The guys were all acting cool while the girls blushed under their attention.
No one even mentioned the explosion, it was as if it had never happened. There was a lot of laughter and playing around and we were easily the noisiest bunch in the place.
That’s how I knew something was wrong when the hush fell over the table. What now?
I felt the tension in the arm Jace had around my shoulders before I looked up and saw the cause for the change.
I should’ve known. Mandy and her entourage had just walked in. It’s like she has radar. Whatever, I wasn’t in the mood to even look at her face.
“What were you saying Valerie?” I chose to pretend that heifer didn’t exist and carried on with our conversation. She feeds off of attention anyway so the best thing was to just ignore her until she got the message.
“Shopping, we should plan a shopping trip for winter break. I haven’t been down on the Drive in a while. It would be fun to go with a group of girls, it’s usually just Track and me.”
“Hey, you dumping me for your new crew? I’m hurt. You know I like trailing behind you with your hundred and one bags of junk.”
She elbow checked him in the gut the same way I do Jace. “That sounds like a great idea. Jace you’re not welcome, you’re a maniac.” I can’t shop with him he made me nuts the last time we tried that.
“You’re not going anywhere without me.” He sounded like a damn drill sergeant. I sneered at him but he just ignored me. “Can I at least go to the restroom on my own lord protector?”
I got up from my seat before crazy person could forbid me to go. He stood as well, but the girls all pushed their chairs back proclaiming their need for the lady’s room as well.
He gave me a look like I was heading off to war and I just rolled my eyes and linked my arm with Valerie’s as we followed the others to the back of the restaurant where the restrooms were.
I didn’t even glance in the direction of Mandy’s table when we passed but I felt her glare all the way to my destination.
As was to be expected we weren’t very quiet as we did our thing before standing in front of the wall of mirrors to reapply lip gloss and mess with our hair.
I felt good that we’d at least salvaged part of our weekend and promised myself to plan another one as soon as possible.
I might have to wait a while though since my house needed repairs and I wouldn’t feel right doing it at Jace’s place.
“Sorry about our weekend ladies, I’ll try to make it up to you somehow.”
“What are you talking about? This was the best weekend I’ve had in a while.”
“I’m with Valerie, this was more fun than ma
king smores and freezing our bras.” Belle dried her hands and winked at me.
“Damn, I haven’t even had a chance to snoop. What’s going on with you and my brother?” Her face turned bright red and she rushed for the door while the rest of us howled with laughter.
I wasn’t the least bit surprised when we walked out of the restroom and found Mandy and her girls blocking our way.
Belle and Valerie flanked me on either side since it looked like they weren’t planning on moving out of our way and I had no intention on addressing her to get her to move.
I’d have stood there all damn night before I gave her the satisfaction, but that fool had to go and open her damn mouth.
“I heard someone tried to blow you to pieces. Looks like I’m not the only one who thinks you don’t belong here.” She studied her nails with one hand on her hip.
I think this twit watched one too many high school dramas. And where the hell does she get her information? Somebody obviously had too much free time on their hands.
I purposely raised the hand with my engagement ring on it and pretended to study my nails as well. “You’re very mistaken. Either way, my fiancé loves having me around and that’s all that matters.”
Her eyes zoned in on my ring and she couldn’t hide the hate and jealousy that was written plainly on her face for all to see.
You’d think with all her talents she’d have learned by now how to keep that shit to herself.
“Don’t get too comfortable, you won’t last long, Jace is just slumming. I guess every man in his position has to get one of you out of his system at some time or another.”
Her friends snickered on cue. “I fail to see what our relationship has to do with you. Didn’t he already sample your fare and found you lacking?”
Was she for real? Did she really think no one knew what she was? She may be able to fool her lackeys but I’m quite certain that everyone else had already seen through her by now. It hadn’t taken me that long after all.
“How dare you? Everyone knows that Jace and I are the ideal couple. Do you really think that you’re going to marry him and walk off into the sunset to live happily ever after? What a joke. Jace is just playing with his new toy. I’m sure the novelty will wear off soon.”
Instead of answering her I addressed my next statement to Belle who was all but seething at my side. “Can there really be such stupid people in the world? How is he supposed to marry her when she’s not even allowed in his house? My mother in law despises her.”
That was a low blow but this wench is too much. I should’ve known though, how someone like her would react when backed into a corner. So what happened next is totally my fault.
“Is she your new mascot? Leave it to small town trash to pick up something like that as a friend.” She was looking at Valerie when she said that.
I took a step forward but Valerie pulled me back. “Not worth it.” She gave Mandy one of those up and down dismissive looks that only the coolest people can pull off.
“So not worth it girlfriend. Let’s go, our guys will be wondering where we are and you know Jace doesn’t like you out of his sight for too long.”
She tugged me around Mandy who looked like she’d been slapped upside the head with a brick. Awful twat.
I didn’t see it because I refused to look at her, but I think she lifted her hand to strike Valerie who checked her. “Try it you scum faced wench and I’ll knock you on your ass.”
“Isn’t there someone else’s bed you need to be hopping out of you worthless twit? Go Valerie. Looks like I’m not the only one who knows about Mandy’s extra curricular activities. I suddenly remembered that Cassie was here and looked back at her, but she had her head down.
I was about to call a halt and head back to the table before things got out of hand but once again Mandy blocked the way.
“Hey, who do you think you’re talking to? You don’t even belong here, or haven’t you noticed? Oh, I get it. Your family must be the prerequisite tokens every polite society is forced to endure these days. Your kind must be really grateful for political correctness. Or is it affirmative action?”
Even her friends looked uncomfortable but I was way past that point. I opened my mouth to blast her stupid ass but I hadn’t noticed that the guys had joined us.
“What did you say to her?”
“Oh no Track let me. I got this one.”
“Sian…”
“Uh-uh Jace not this time.” I know he thinks this twit is some sort of super villain that I was supposed to cower in fear from, but she’d gone too damn far.
I walked over to her with all intentions of knocking her on her ass, but the smirk on her face told me that’s exactly what she wanted, so I changed plans mid-step.
“You really are the lowest kind of scum. The fact that you think you’re better than her because of the color of her skin also shows your ignorance.”
“There are many reasons why she’s better than you but I’ll give you two. One, she has more moral character and decency than you’ll ever have in your whole sordid lifetime.”
“And two, she has class, something you will never achieve. And do you know why? Because she was born with it, while you…well we all know how you got here.”
I didn’t want to bring her mother or their beginnings into this, but somebody had to knock this twit off her damn perch.
Her face wasn’t looking so pretty now and I’m sure the only reason she didn’t respond was because of the look of death on Track’s face.
Jace grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind him leaving the others to follow after us.
If he’d been acting strange before there was no need to guess what he was feeling now. He was pissed all the way off. I knew I was in for it so kept my lips sealed and hoped that I’d gain points for that at least.
We dropped everyone else off and headed back to his house and he still wasn’t talking to me. It wasn’t too late when we walked in but I sent my little sister to bed. She’d had enough excitement for one day.
I couldn’t hide behind his parents and mine because they were out by the pool. I could see them through the open door laughing and enjoying the night breeze.
“Let me just…” I was about to suggest letting them know that we were back but I didn’t get the chance because caveman dragged me up the stairs to his room.
“Jace…”
“Not another word.” I was too stunned by the look on his face to do otherwise as he pulled my tank off over my head and tugged at my jeans to get them off.
My shoes got in the way and he almost broke my ankles trying to get them off. I took off running headed for the bathroom a soon as my legs were free.
No way am I dealing with whatever the hell that is. He pulled me back by my hair. What the hell? “Jace what are you doing, what the hell’s the matter with you?”
“I told you not to speak? Look at me. What the hell did I tell you about dealing with Mandy? Didn’t I tell you to steer clear of her? What that the hell was that tonight?”
“I couldn’t just stand by and let her treat Valerie like that.” He had me pinned against the wall with his hands on either side of my head. The look in his eyes was one I’d never seen before and I’ve seen Jace in an absolute rage.
“I don’t give a fuck who she was attacking, Track and I were there, so were the others. Did you think we would do nothing?”
I didn’t have an answer for that one and he was starting to scare me so I looked down at my feet and kept my mouth shut hoping that whatever was going on with him would pass quickly.
“It was a knee jerk reaction Jace, I don’t see why you’re so upset.” Zip it Sian, damn. I’ve heard the expression smoke coming from the nose, but this is the first time I’d seen it firsthand.
“You don’t see why I’m upset? I told you not to acknowledge her in any way. That’s fucking twice in one weekend. ENOUGH!” He slammed his fist into the wall next to my head and I almost peed myself.
I knew Jace
would never hurt me, but the way he was acting was scaring the hell out of me. It seemed like ever since the explosion he’s been on pins and needles about something.
I know he gets this way when he’s afraid for me, but this seemed a bit extreme even for him. I thought it best however not to pull the tiger’s tail by saying anything else.
“You have any idea how fucking pissed I am right now?” I closed my eyes and begged for patience. I’m pretty sure I could scour the whole country and not find another teenage boy like this one.
“Why couldn’t I fall for some nice quiet guy who doesn’t throw tantrums when he doesn’t get his way?” Okay Sian, you’ve obviously lost all the oxygen to your brain.
“What did you just say to me?” I knew the hand around the throat was coming; he’s so easy. “Say it again.” Does he think I’m stupid?
I folded my lips and stared him dead in the eye. “Not so bold are you?” Not with your hand wrapped around my neck no.
I didn’t look away when he added pressure and leaned in close. “That was your last…fucking… warning.” I believe you. But there’s no guarantee I’m going to obey in the future either.
Does he know how hot he is when he gets like this? Maybe it’s because I know that I’m not in any real danger. That no matter what I’m safe with him.
Whatever it is, I seem to have developed a sick need to push his buttons every once in a while to get him to act in just this fashion. I was already getting twitchy.
His nose flared as if he could smell my heat as my body responded to its mate. Next thing I knew I was airborne before landing on the bed flat on my back.
I watched speechlessly as he pulled his clothes off and tried not to give myself away. When he took my ankles in his hands, spreading my legs open I figured he wasn’t in the mood for niceties when he just slammed into me.
“You…” That shit hurt.
“Shut up!” There was something in his voice, was that fear, what’s wrong Jace? I didn’t get the chance to ask because he chose that moment to cover my lips with his.
I accepted his punishing thrusts and met his hips with mine until he calmed down. When he buried his face in my neck I swear I felt tears and something twisted in my heart.
Eden High Series 2 Book 5 Page 5
