by Tijan
Page 40
Jill pushed forward to stand beside them and chewed on her lip. Then she burst out, "I'm sorry for being a bitch, Sam. I was threatened because of Jeff. " She waved towards Jessica and Lydia. "And I didn't want them to do to me what they did to you so I tried to be friends with them. You know, get closer with your enemies and all…that…" She hung her head and trailed off.
Jessica whirled towards her. "You're such a whore, Jill. Sam's not going to be your friend. She hates you and me. She hates Lydia too. "
Lydia gasped. "I don't think she hates me. I'm trying to be her friend. " She looked at me with pleading eyes. "I'm really sorry. I really am. And I don't care if Jessica hates me after this. I should never have covered for her and Jeff and lied to you. I should've apologized to you right away too. " She edged closer and shoved Jessica back a few steps in the process. "I really miss you and I'll do anything to be your friend again. "
"Lydia!"
She ignored Jessica and gave me a shaky smile. "I don't care if the Elite don't like you. I'll support you and stand by you the whole time. They don't scare me. "
Jill sighed. "Yes, they do. They scare everybody…well, except for maybe Sam, but still. "
"Hey…?" Jeff stood at the back of the crowd, and they opened for him. His face was twisted in confusion. "What's…what's going on here…? Do I even want to know?"
Jessica turned her glare off and went to his side. She gave him a seductive smile as her hand traveled up his arm. "Hi, Jeff. "
"Hey!" Jill removed her hand from his arm. "I'm not going to let you sleep with him. "
Jessica's eyes didn't blink. "Can you give me a ride home, Jeff? My car's in the shop for an oil change. "
He blinked at her. "Uh…sure…yeah, okay. "
"Jeff!" Jill seethed.
He met my gaze for a second, but shrugged at his girlfriend. "It's just a ride home. I'm not going to sleep with her or anything. " Then he motioned for Jessica to follow and the two left.
Becky's mouth hung open. "I—" She blinked. "I can't believe that happened. "
"Lydia, do you think they're going to…?" Jill blinked back some tears. Her voice hitched on a sob.
"Yes. " Lydia didn't waste a second. "They are. I'd dump him in a heartbeat if I were you. "
My eyebrow rose. This was a different side to Lydia that I'd never seen before. When she gave me a small smile, I almost gave her one back. Almost.
Jill's mouth fell open and tears started to fall down her cheeks. She wiped them away, but turned and darted down the hallway.
Lydia shook her head. "I don't feel bad for her. She knew what they did to you. "
I shrugged. "I don't care anymore. " I never had. "So you and Jessica aren't friends anymore? She's going to think you betrayed her for me. "
"I know. "
"She's not going to let that go. "
"I know. " Lydia gave me a sad look. "I miss being your friend. I'd like to earn that back and that's what I'm going to do from now on. "
"Hey!" Becky grabbed my arm. A smile spread from ear to ear. "She can give you a ride home. "
"You need a ride home?"
"Uh, no. I'm okay. " Nightmares flashed in my head. I wasn't sure who knew that I was staying at the Kade mansion and I wasn't going to let Lydia be the first one to know for certain. "I'll find—or call—someone else. "
"Are you sure? I can give you a ride home. It's on my way, you know. "
"I'm okay. Really. " Every cell inside of me relaxed. She still thought I was at David's.
"Wait. Are you still at your dad's house or…?"
I gave her a bright smile. "Speaking of my dad, he wanted me to talk to him so I'll see you guys later. " I pushed through the crowd and hurried away before either of them formed more questions. People would figure it out, if they hadn't already, but I wasn't going to help it.
As I got to my locker, I grabbed my bag and phone. When I went to the parking lot, I started to call my mom, and I couldn't believe she was my last resort, but stopped abruptly. I blinked a few times, but then I put my phone away. My mom was already there. She was waiting in her convertible.
"Hi, honey. " She waved her fingers at me. "I got you a coffee. "
"Mom," I started as I got inside. "I really can't handle much right now so if you've got any more bombs to lay on me, can you leave them for another day?"
Her smile slipped a bit. "Are you okay, honey?"
I stared at her. Had she not been there when I stormed out of the classroom? "I'm perfect. "
She laughed. "Well, I don't know about that, but you're pretty good. "
My mouth wanted to fall to the ground. Where had the mom from this morning gone? She professed she wanted to change and now I got the Barbie fake mom again.
At a stoplight, she let out a deep breath. Her voice dropped to a normal tone. "Well, I'm sorry about those bombs, but I do have one to drop on you. " She paused for a beat. "Your father's in town. "
I closed my eyes.
"And he wants to meet you. "
"Oh no. "
"Tonight. "
I wanted that run. I needed that run right now.
I looked at her. "How long is he in town?" My voice came out breathless.
"It depends on you. " She held my gaze until the light turned green. As we started forward again, she gripped the steering wheel with clenched knuckles. "I don't like that he's here, but he is. David's going to flip about this. "
My heart was pounding again. It was a horse track. "Mom, I can't…"
Her hand clasped onto mine and she squeezed it. "I'm sorry, honey. I really am, but your father's a jerk. If I tell him you don't want to see him, he won't believe me. He'll show up anyway and I'd like to avoid that, if possible. "
"Mom. " My voice was a whisper now. "I can't. I really can't. "
She kept driving and we were almost home when she murmured, "Okay, honey. I'll tell him you're not ready. "
Everything sagged forward at that. As soon as we got home, I unbuckled and bolted for the door. I was back on the pavement within ten minutes with my running shoes on and my headphones in my ears.
Three hours later when I turned into the driveway, my stomach had stopped rumbling. Everything was numb in me, it was the way I liked it, and I was blind to the three cars I passed as I let myself inside. I trailed through the house and eyed the droplets of sweat that slipped from me. I doubted my mom would care, not that I ever did, but the small grin that formed on my face was wiped away when I went past the dining room.
A man sat at the table with my mother and James. He had striking blue eyes and broad shoulders. He looked in his forties with a strong jaw and a lean physique. Confidence and authority exhumed from him. As he turned towards me, he never blinked. I felt pinned under his gaze and steeled myself. He was trying to read into me, as only Mason tended to do sometimes.
"Sam, honey. " Analise jumped up. "You're back from your run. "
I couldn't answer her. I couldn't look away from this man.
She laughed nervously. "This is your father…Garrett Brickshire. "
"You're the hotshot lawyer from Boston?"
The corner of his lip twitched. "You're the pain in the ass daughter I never knew about?"
"My mom said you were a jerk. " I paused. "That was an understatement. "
"She said the same thing to me. " He stood and my eyes widened. He kept standing up. And he towered above my mom and James.
"How tall are you?"
"I'm six four. How far did you run?"
I would've shrugged, but my body couldn't respond to me anymore. "I have no idea. "
"You're not training for a marathon?"
"I run to run. "
We were locked in some form of battle. Neither of us could look away, neither of us could back down.
His mouth twitched now to a mocking grin. "You should keep track of what you do. Your achievements defi
ne you. "
My lip curled upwards. "Then I'm not worth your time. I don't have any achievements. You can go back to Boston and your hotshot lawyer life. "
He blinked.
He broke. I won.
Then he laughed in a smooth baritone voice. "Yeah, you're my kid alright. " He turned to Analise. "I still want the test done, but I'm 99% sure she's mine. "
She huffed out, "Like I'd lie to you after seventeen years, Garrett. "
He chuckled. "I think you lie so much you don't know when you're not. " His eyes met James. "No offense to your future bride. I'm sure she loves you well enough. "
A look twitched in James' eyes. "You've seen her for yourself. Now you can return to your hotel to wait until Samantha is ready. I believe she should determine when and if she's ready to meet with you again. "
The cockiness vanished in Garrett's eyes and he drew himself to an impressive height. He reached for James' hand. As they shook, he said, "I've heard of a James Kade. Though the circumstances are strained, I'm glad to have met you. "
"You as well, Mr. Brickshire. "
They studied each other for a moment. It reminded me of the exchange between David and James earlier, but this one was different. There was an edge to it that I hadn't felt in the classroom with David.
Then the moment was broken as Garrett passed by me. "I'll see you later, kid!" He thumped me on the shoulder before the door shut behind him.
I needed another run.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
The rest of the week was quiet. I knew Garrett was at some ritzy hotel. Analise told me he offered to pay for my own suite so we could get to know one another, but that was the one and only time she mentioned him. I was content to let him sit and wait.
School was also quiet. Lydia never left my side, which was refreshing. Becky was right beside her and the two seemed like long-lost kindred souls. She insisted that Adam wanted to make things right again, but he never approached me. I caught a few looks from him, but that was the extent of it. The Elite had fallen quiet as well. Miranda and Amelia glared every now and then, but as the week progressed their glares faded. Cassandra rolled her eyes whenever she saw me and she would whisper to whatever friend was nearby, but I never let it bother me. It hadn't before, why would I start now?
Of the four Elite girls, Emily was the one who hadn't changed with me. She never talked to me before and she didn't now. There were no glares or eye rolls either. One time she bumped into me, but kept going. From the distracted look on her face, I was inclined she didn't know who she had bumped into. And judging from how she hurried away, I didn't think she cared.
The only Elite member who did talk to me was Mark, and both of us felt awkward about the exchange.
He stopped at my locker one day and looked above my head.
I turned around to see who was behind me, but there was no one. "Can I help you?"
He cleared his throat and looked in pain as he did it.
"Mark? Hello?"
I spotted Lydia and Becky down the hallway. They were giggling about something, but both stopped in their tracks when they saw who was in front of me. Hands flew over their mouths and their heads bumped together. They scurried into a nearby bathroom and I knew they wouldn't save me either.
He continued to stare over my head and his mouth kept twitching. I grew tired of waiting and snapped my fingers in front of him. "Hey, I'm down here. Look at me if you're going to talk to me. "
