Matter Point

by GG Shalton

  “We’re here. That’s the cabin,” he said as he glanced at me.

  “I like it. Very rustic.”

  He parked on the side, and we walked around seeing a large dock. A few of his friends were jumping into the lake, and few others were floating in tubes. They waved when they saw us.

  “Hey, Jax,” one of the guys said as he walked over. He had a beard and long hair with a huge pair of sunglasses on. “Glad you made it. The jet skis should be here any minute.”

  “That’s cool. I think we’ll unload the car and meet you guys back out here.”

  “Sounds good. John gave you the blue room upstairs.”

  Jaxon nodded. “Cool. I want you to meet my friend, Ariel.”

  “Nice to meet you,” the guy said and held out his hand.

  I took it and smiled. “Nice to meet you too.”

  “We’ll see you in a minute.”

  Jaxon got our bags and carried them into the cabin and up the stairs. Each door upstairs was a different color. He stopped in front of the blue one, and we went inside. It was painted baby blue and decorated with pictures of lighthouses and seashells.

  Jaxon smiled. “John’s wife loves to play hostess and decorated every room.”

  “It’s cute. I like it.”

  He smiled and put our bags on the bed. “There’s a bathroom across the hall. We share with the red room next door. There’s another bathroom down the hall and one downstairs. John has one in his bedroom, but it’s off-limits.” He raised his brow. “Although I have used it in emergencies.”

  I followed him back outside, where we finished unloading the car. The rest of the group arrived with the jet skis, and they welcomed us. We almost immediately took the jet skis out on the lake, and Jaxon let me ride with him. After a few rides though, I encouraged him to take off by himself so he could go as fast as he wanted. I made him go slower with me.

  The other women were kind and didn’t seem to judge me, although they did mention a few times how young I looked. After Jaxon took off with his friends, I sat on the edge of the dock and dipped my feet in the water.

  “Get a raft and come float with us, Ariel. The water is cold, but it doesn’t feel too bad.” One of the women motioned toward a blue raft.

  I grabbed it and jumped off the dock to float with them. Wincing as the water splashed over my body, I shivered trying to get use to the temperature.

  “Jaxon said he met you at school?” John’s wife asked before she emptied her beer.

  “Yeah, he’s in my history class.”

  The women looked at each other. “I can’t imagine Jaxon in class. Does he get into trouble?”

  I laughed. “No, he’s pretty smart.”

  “He’s a hard worker. I know he works at his brother’s shop and works construction in the summer.”

  “Sexy young stud too.” One of the older women laughed.

  “Don’t be rude, Shanna.”

  She shrugged. “Come on, she knows it.”

  I smiled shyly as they looked at me. I took the compliment in stride. “I agree, Shanna.”

  “Ohhhh, she’s a feisty one,” they teased and splashed me playfully.

  I enjoyed hanging out with the women. I was thankful they didn’t know who my father was and treated me like a normal person. I learned a lot about their families and how they met their husbands. Later that evening, they started a bonfire and I sat on Jaxon’s lap as we enjoyed the atmosphere and comradery. I sipped on a wine cooler trying to fit in, and Jaxon served me some of the barbeque John had prepared. Jaxon sneaked kisses a few times during the evening and licked the marshmallow off my mouth when I made a sticky mess. We got a few jibes from the others for that one.

  I felt his breath across my cheek. “Do you like it here?”

  I leaned back into him. “I do. I especially like the treehouse by the dock.”

  “Yeah, I helped John build that for his kids last year.”

  “I had one as a kid. It was my favorite place in the world.”

  “Was it at boarding school?”

  I giggled. “No, silly. It was about an hour outside of St. Louis, at my grandparents’ country home. We went there a lot during the summer. It’s my favorite place ever.”

  “You’re just a country girl at heart,” he teased.

  “I liked to play in the tree. It was the only time I remember my father playing with me. I served him tea once and he actually pretended with me.”

  Jaxon smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around me. We stayed out late, swapping stories and laughing. We finally went back to our room around one in the morning.

  I took a quick shower and joined Jaxon in the bedroom. He had used the other bathroom and was waiting for me, his wet hair slicked back out of his face. He had turned the fan on, and the lamp by the bed was the only light. My heart pounded as I noticed he was only wearing his gym shorts and didn’t have a shirt on.

  “Hi,” I said as I looked down at my pajama shorts and tank. I pulled at my tank, trying to cover more of my body and trying not to show how nervous I was.

  “Hi.” He turned the blankets down and motioned for me to get into the bed.

  The side of the bed was against the wall, so I crawled in. The bed dunked down when he slid in beside me. He turned off the lamp before he pulled the covers over him.

  “Did you have fun?” he asked.

  My eyes adjusted to the moonlight. “I did. Your friends are great.”

  “Thanks.” He rubbed my arm. “They like you.”

  “Yeah?”

  His lips brushed against my upper arm, and he scooted closer to me. I felt him kiss my shoulder as my body tensed. His soft lips sent chills down my arm.

  “I like you too.” His lips found my mouth and he cupped my face, slowly kissing me.

  My body weakened as he lay on me and kissed me with more intensity. His knee nudged my legs apart as he settled between my thighs and never broke his kiss. I slid my arms around his neck and enjoyed his exploration of my body. I didn’t know if I was ready for this type of closeness but being with him felt so good.

  His kisses moved to my neck as his hands moved under my tank. My body shook with need that I didn’t understand— and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for. Jaxon lifted my shirt and removed it as he kissed along my bra line, then he reached around my back to unhook my bra.

  “Jaxon?”

  He stilled. “Hmm.”

  “I can’t do this.” I closed my eyes as embarrassment filled my chest.

  His hands stopped moving, and I felt my bra loosen without the hooks holding it shut. He took a deep breath. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry.” My voice cracked and I felt like crying as I squeezed out from under him and he lay on his side. As much as I wanted to go through with it, I couldn’t.

  “Babe.” He rubbed my arm. “Tell me.”

  “I’ve never… I mean, you know.” I covered my face, unable to look at him.

  His body stilled as he gently pulled my hand away. “Look at me.”

  “I can’t.”

  He embraced me and pulled me against his chest. “It’s okay. I kind of love that you haven’t been with anyone. We can wait.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “Are you kidding?” He kissed my temple.

  “I should have told you,” I whispered, still unable to look at him.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not mad. We’ll take our time and wait until you’re ready. I’ve never been anyone’s first, but I’ll wait and not pressure you. You mean a lot to me, Ariel.”

  “Thank you, Jaxon.” I kissed his cheek.

  Jaxon wrapped his arms around me, and I eventually fell asleep in his arms.

  We went for donuts the next morning on our way back to Creston. Jaxon knew a donut shop that used homemade jelly for their eclai
rs and insisted I go with him to have their famous coffee. We pulled up to a crowded building that looked like a shack, but there was plenty of seating once we stepped inside. I couldn’t stop laughing at Jaxon and the way he devoured four eclairs.

  After breakfast, we cleaned up our trash and headed out. My flip-flop broke in the gravel parking lot, and Jaxon swept me up onto his back so he could carry me to the car. He stumbled along the parking lot, pretending he was going to drop me, and I heard a loud voice.

  “Ariel?”

  I turned as the smile slithered away from my face. “Dillon?”

  My whole body stiffened as I jumped off Jaxon’s back and looked around like a deer caught in headlights. Dillon was standing beside a guy I didn’t know.

  “I thought that was you.”

  Jaxon grabbed my hand as my heart pounded. “Um. Yeah, I was…”

  Dillon looked at Jaxon then back at his friend. Silence hung in the air as we all stared at each other.

  Dillon finally cleared his throat. “Yeah, I got to go. I was in Kansas City this weekend and driving back to Matter Point. This is a famous place for doughnuts.”

  I took a deep breath. “Yeah, that’s what I heard.”

  Dillon looked as uncomfortable as I felt. He shifted and stepped back. “I guess I’ll see you at school.” He glanced at Jaxon but didn’t say anything else.

  I turned and walked to the car with one shoe, not looking at Jaxon.

  When we reached the car, Jaxon touched my chin. “Are you okay?”

  “He’s going to tell everyone.”

  Jaxon rubbed his lips together. “We aren’t doing anything wrong. I don’t care who knows how I feel about you.” I saw that truth in his eyes. He smiled and kissed my nose. “It’s going to be fine. We can get through this together.”

  On the ride back home, I was on edge as I thought of how to tell my dad and Amanda. I didn’t care about the kids at school, but my father could be a problem. I opted to skip the movie at Jaxon’s house and told him I should get home early. My family thought I’d spent the night with some friends and luckily didn’t ask too many questions. I was getting good at covering my tracks, but I had a feeling my luck would run out when Dillon told Trace and the others about Jaxon.

  I didn’t hear from anyone on Sunday night, but I wasn’t stupid. I knew Dillon wouldn’t keep it to himself. Jaxon texted after I got home, asking me if I was okay, but I didn’t answer. I needed time to think. After he texted me a few more times, I sent him a response that I was going to bed and would see him at school. He told me to have sweet dreams. I felt horrible. Jaxon meant a lot to me, but I knew my father would never allow me to be with him.

  The next morning, I went to school early to avoid everyone. Dillon had to have told someone. I hid in the bathroom during first period, because Dillon was in that class and I couldn’t bring myself to face him. Or anyone for that matter. As soon as I heard the bell, I tried to go the back way to my second period, but I saw Paisley in the hall. She stopped talking to Gretchen as soon as she saw me, and they both turned to look at me.

  I gathered as much strength as I could and went up to my locker. “Hey.”

  Paisley looked at Gretchen and closed her locker as Trace came up beside them. His face was stoic. The girls said nothing and walked away.

  I tried to turn and walk away, but Trace grabbed my upper arm. “I need to talk to you.”

  The kids in the hall slowed and watched us.

  “Let go of my arm,” I said as I tried to pull away.

  “What?” he said loudly. “You don’t like to be handled roughly? I hear you like it real rough.”

  “Stop it.” My lip curled in anger. “I need to go.”

  He raised his brow as he studied my face. “You’re nothing but a whore who likes to slum it with low-life criminals. Was I not rough enough for you?”

  Rage bubbled up inside me as he squeezed my arm tighter. “Let me go. Now!”

  His face turned red. “Who knew that Joseph Burns’ daughter likes to screw greasy losers who fix your car?” He leaned down close to my ear, talking through his teeth. “Are you like your mother? Sleeping with the help?”

  My mouth fell open. I didn’t know what he meant about my mother, but I knew he was just trying to get a rise out of me. I looked at the crowd and back at him. I was tired of being pushed around.

  Lifting my chin, I spewed the venom that came to mind. “You couldn’t satisfy me, Trace.”

  I heard a few chuckles. I couldn’t believe I’d said that out loud.

  Trace’s eyes narrowed as his face turned bright red with anger. He let go of my arm, but my relief was short-lived. He smacked me across the face, and I lost my balance, falling to the ground. My ears were ringing, and the sting brought tears to my eyes.

  His shoe shoved into my shoulder as he pushed me back into the lockers. “No one speaks to me that way.”

  He stormed off, and I tried to compose myself as best I could, picking up my backpack. I covered my face with my hand and took off toward the side door. I knew people were staring at me, but I didn’t care. I had to get out of there.

  Running through the courtyard, I went around the building and heard my name. Jaxon’s smiling face was walking toward me, and I panicked.

  Quickly, I shook my hair over my cheek as I waved him off and tried not to make eye contact. “Sorry, I have to go to the office. Call you later.”

  “Wait. Do you want to grab some pizza after school? I’ll let you get pineapple.” He stretched out the word pineapple as though he was trying to tempt me.

  “I can’t,” I said as I tried to step away from him. “I’ll call you later.”

  He held my arm, his smile gone. “Ariel, what’s going on?”

  I tried to walk away, but his grip wouldn’t allow it. Turning away from him, I pleaded, “I have to go.”

  “Stop.”

  I stood still and closed my eyes. I felt his gentle touch as he turned me toward him and lifted my chin with his hands.

  “Hey, look at me.” As he pulled back my hair from my face, he gasped. “What happened?”

  “Nothing.” I tried to cover my face again.

  His eyes searched my face. “Who hurt you?”

  I shook my head quickly. “It’s no big deal. I’m fine. Trace was upset.” Crap, I didn’t want to mention him. “I just want to go home.”

  “He hit you?” His eyebrows knitted together with concern.

  I shook my head frantically. “No. I fell.” My mouth dropped open as pure rage crossed his face.

  “I’m going to kill him.” Jaxon let go of my chin and stalked toward the school.

  I reached for Jaxon, but he was too quick, and I ran after him. “Jaxon, no, please.”

  He ignored me, seemingly in some type of trance. I was begging him to stop, but he kept going. He practically ripped the door open as the warning bell for the next period went off. Trace was standing by his classroom door, speaking to Dillon. I spotted Paisley already in the classroom and watched her mouth drop open as she patted the girl beside her. A couple of football players were in the hall by the classroom, along with a few students I didn’t recognize.

  Jaxon stopped in front of Trace. “Hey, tough guy. If you want to hit someone, hit me.”

  Trace crossed his arms, trying to make his muscles bulge from his T-shirt. “Isn’t this cute.” He laughed. “I don’t have time for you.”

  Jaxon’s jaw ticked as Trace tried to dismiss him and turn toward the classroom. Paisley stood and whispered to Stephanie as the classroom quieted. Jaxon reached for Trace’s shoulder and pulled him back, slamming him against the locker.

  Trace took a swing, and Jaxon ducked and punched him in the stomach. A few Northside guys came out of nowhere and kept the football players back. Trace stumbled as Jaxon’s knee knocked into his face and Trace’s hea
d snapped back. Taking Jaxon’s waist, Trace shoved him down as the fight moved to the floor.

  I screamed for them to stop, but no one listened to me. Tears blurred my vision as I noticed more guys coming over and forming a circle. Jaxon slammed his fist into the side of Trace’s face then grabbed his head and slammed it into the tile. Jaxon stood and kicked Trace in the stomach, then pounded his fist into his face. I was screaming as two teachers and a security guard peeled Jaxon off Trace. Trace was barely moving, and blood was everywhere. Jaxon was handcuffed by the security guard as the nurse and the school principal ran up.

  “Call the police, Edward,” one teacher said.

  Jaxon looked at me, but the blank stare in his eyes made my heart drop. The nurse was getting Trace to stand as the teachers told all the students to go to class. The principal told me to go to the counselor’s office until he could speak to me. I was crying hysterically as one of the female teachers took my elbow and led me away.

  I waited in the counselor’s office after telling her that Trace had hit me. She seemed convinced it was Jaxon and that Trace was protecting me.

  After what seemed like forever, the door finally opened, and I stood, seeing my father and Amanda in the doorway. She rushed over and hugged me as my father shook the counselor’s hand. I looked up at him as his eyes roamed over my face.

  “You will never speak to that boy again,” my father said. “He’s been expelled and is going to jail for assault.”

  “No!” I let go of Amanda and stood in front of my father. “You can’t do that.”

  My father turned from me. “It’s been decided.”

  “Please.” A loud sob escaped me. “I have to see him.”

  Amanda put her hand on my shoulder. “Ariel, he’s dangerous and has a criminal record. He should have never been allowed to go to this school.”

  I looked at her as tears fell from my eyes. “Jaxon was protecting me. You can’t let him do this.”

  “What are you talking about?” My father’s nostrils flared. “This is nonsense.”

  Amanda rubbed my upper arm. “Sweetheart, you’re upset and not thinking straight. Trace is in the hospital getting stiches. His father is pressing charges. Trace may even have a broken arm. That could cost him his football season.”