“No way!” My voice cracked, and my heart dropped to my toes. “She’s supposed to be out of town with her parents. That was the reason I came tonight. I didn’t think the little hussy would be able to spy on me and report my every move to Jaden.” My stomach felt like someone put it in a blender, and sweat beaded under my hair at the back of my neck.
“You have the worst luck, Willow, I swear,” Tim said.
“Don’t I know it.” My gaze wandered and landed on the school’s new hottie. I watched as he led his date out of the gym. “I saw him at the football game last night.”
“Who?” Tim looked up from the napkin he was tearing into strips and lighting on fire with a lighter he’d had in his pocket.
Jenna grabbed the pieces of napkin away from him. “Jeez, Tim. People are going to think you’re a pyromaniac if you don’t knock it off.”
“Yeah, I’m the chess club captain, first-rate nerd, math geek, and pyromaniac. I think I have my bases for unpopularity covered. My life mission is complete.”
I shook my head and laughed. “The new guy. He was at the game last night, and he introduced himself to me. Sort of.”
“Clearly, he’s new to the school if he dared to introduce himself to you,” Jenna said. “He must not know about the Jaden property laws.”
“Stop it. I’m not his property and he knows it.” Jenna and Jaden didn’t play well together. Jenna was convinced he treated me like a piece of meat. Although I wouldn’t admit it, I didn’t totally disagree.
“Come on, Tim. Dance with me.” I pulled Tim from his chair by the arm. “You’re the only one that would get a free pass if Karen tells Jaden I was here.”
“Why?”
“’Cause Jaden thinks you’re gay,” I answered, leading him to the dance floor. I heard Jenna laugh so hard that she choked on her punch.
Tim and I swayed on the dance floor. His arms were wrapped loosely around my waist. I placed my hands on his shoulders. We kept a safe distance between us, so we didn’t give anyone the wrong impression. We were just friends dancing together. Nothing more.
I didn’t see him come into the gym. It wasn’t until he was right behind Tim, ripping his arms away from me that I knew I had a problem, and my heart did a nosedive.
“Put your hands on her again and you’ll lose them,” Jaden shouted. He always liked to make a scene.
“Jaden, you know Tim and I are just friends,” I said with a frustrated sigh.
“Get outta here,” Jaden growled at Tim through clenched teeth before grabbing me by the arm and pulling me off the dance floor.
“Knock it off. I wasn’t doing anything except dancing with a friend.” I tried to jerk away from Jaden’s grip. He tightened his hand around my arm.
“We’re leaving.”
“No. I’m staying. You can leave.”
Jaden turned and looked at me. A vein throbbed in his neck. “I’m not having my girl stay at some cheesy school dance and embarrassing me. There’s a party at Jamieson’s house. His parents are out of town. My people are there, not at some dumpy, loser-filled school dance.”
“I’m not going to the party. It’s just an excuse for everyone to get drunk and hook up.” Jerking my arm from his grasp, I stepped away from him. I could feel the tips of my cheekbones heating. Adrenaline bounced off the walls of my veins.
Jaden jerked my purse off the chair and jammed it in under his arm. “Did you drive?” he asked quietly. That tone scared me more than him yelling.
I swallowed down a thick lump. “Yes.”
His hand shot out and grabbed my arm before I had an opportunity to move. “Let’s go. I’ll bring you back for your car later.” Jaden pulled me to the door of the gym. I looked back at Jenna. Her lips were pressed in a straight line. I hated what I saw in her eyes when she looked at me. Disappointment.
I wish I could tell you, Jenna. I wish you knew why I put up with his shit. Why I can’t kick the jackass in the nuts and lay him out on the floor like he deserves. But he knows. And as long as I do what he wants, he promised not to tell.
“How’d you know I was here?” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Karen smirk. The bitch.
“Karen texted me. Do you know how embarrassed I am to have you at a dance full of geeks and losers?”
Like your cousin, Karen?
“Oh, and yanking me off the dance floor and dragging me out isn’t embarrassing?” I pushed at his hand, trying to pry it off me.
“Get in.” Jaden opened the door of his Mustang.
“I’m just going home,” I told him. “Let go of my arm, Jaden. You go to your dumbass party, and I’ll go home. Problem solved.”
Jaden put a hand on my head, pushing it forward, and an arm under my legs. I let out a small scream when he lifted me off the ground. He shoved his knee against my hip to move me sideways into the car. “You’re going. Get. In. The. Car,” he said through clenched teeth. He slammed the door, walked around to the driver’s side, and slid into his seat. I sat with my arms crossed over my chest and stared straight ahead. “Fasten your seatbelt.” Jaden drummed his thumbs on the steering wheel. “I’m not asking again, Willow.” The muscles in his neck were corded, his lips were puckered in a frown, and I knew he wasn’t giving in.
With a sigh, I pulled the strap across my body and clicked the buckle into place. “I don’t want to go to the party. Just let me go home.”
“I don’t care what you want.”
“Willow, Jaden’s here,” my mom called.
I skipped down the stairs to meet him. He was gorgeous standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me with a bouquet of flowers. In it were two Birds of Paradise.
“This is for you.” He smiled and handed me the flowers.
“Birds of Paradise.” I fingered the flowers. “You remembered.” I looked at him and smiled wide.
It’d been weeks ago that we’d walked through the shops downtown. We passed a flower shop with a display of Birds of Paradise in the window. I’d never seen them before, and I told Jaden how beautiful I thought they were. How unique—their odd shape that really did resemble a bird at certain angles.
“Of course I remembered. I remember everything you say, Willow.” He brushed a lock of hair from my face.
I glanced at him through my lashes and smiled.
“Here.” My mom took the flowers. “Let me put these in a vase so you two can get going.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Jaden and I started out of the door. “So, where are we going?”
He threaded his fingers with mine as we walked to his car. “Well, Jamieson is having a party, but I know you aren’t really into those, so I thought we’d see a movie instead.”
I smiled up him and emotions filled me—so many I couldn’t identify them all.
That was the night I fell for Jaden. I thought he was the most perfect boyfriend on this planet, or any other. Not many guys would give up a party with his football teammates for a girl. Just my guy.
I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.
Jaden squealed out of the parking lot, breaking through my memories and thrusting me back to the present. He cut off another car. The driver honked, and Jaden flipped him off. I held on to the dashboard as he sped down the road, swerving in and out of traffic, driving at least twenty miles over the speed limit.
“How much have you had to drink?” I asked, gripping the center console so tightly that my fingers turned white.
“Not enough.”
“So you’ve already been to Jamieson’s party.” He didn’t answer me. “So it’s okay for you to go to a party by yourself, but I can’t go to a stupid school dance? Who were you hooking up with? Sarah?”
“Jealous, baby?” He smirked.
I rolled my eyes. “Disgusted.”
Jaden pulled up to Jamieson’s house. Cars were parked along both sides of the road. Jaden pulled into the driveway and took a sharp right into the front yard. He wouldn’t park his precious car near anyone else. Someone might touch it.
&n
bsp; He threw the car in park and got out, not waiting to see if I’d follow.
The party was in full swing. Music blared, and people danced on the front lawn, laughing and acting like a bunch of drunken fools. One girl, I didn’t know her name but I’d seen her around school, was on her boyfriend’s shoulders, her tank top wrapped around her stomach. Her boobs on display for anyone who cared to take a peek. And Jaden did.
Closing my eyes, I turned my face away. Tears pushed the back of my eyes, demanding to be let free. I squeezed my eyes tighter.
“She’s pretty.” I watched the tall blonde walk across the room. She’d been crowned a member of the homecoming court during halftime at the game. “Her.” I nodded my head in her direction.
Jaden gave her a quick glance and shrugged a shoulder. “She’s okay. I think you’re beautiful.” He kissed the side of my neck up to my ear. “You’re the only girl I have eyes for.”
Jaden elbowed me to get my attention. “Get me something to drink, Wills,” he said, dropping down on the porch steps next to one of his friends from the football team. They bumped fists and ogled the Vegas-showgirl-wanna-be.
Well, he certainly has eyes for other girls now… at least their boobs. Crap. I hate these parties.
“Don’t call me that.” I hated Jaden’s nickname for me. He knew it, and I was certain that was why he used it.
I pushed my way into the house and through the crowd of people to the kitchen, where the kegs and a variety of other liquor were laid out. I grabbed a Coke from the fridge and a beer for Jaden. When I shoved my way back through the crowd to the porch, I saw Sarah in her tight mini skirt and clingy, white T-shirt—barely long enough to cover her boobs—sitting next to Jaden. She had one arm wrapped around his waist, her finger hooked in a belt loop on his jeans, while the fingers on her other hand twisted a lock of his blond hair around them. I took a deep breath and sighed before walking to them.
Skank. And Jaden isn’t much better. And I have to sit around and watch. There’s nothing I can do about it, and Jaden knows it.
There were always girls throwing themselves at Jaden, and I was positive he’d caught a few. There were plenty of rumors about him hooking up with some girl or another at a party.
Our relationship had run its course months ago. I tried to break things off with him more than once, but he wouldn’t leave me alone. He’d show up at my classes and follow me, making sure no guy came near me. I was off-limits whether we were dating or not.
Then, one Monday morning, he handed me an envelope just before my first period. Inside was a newspaper clipping and a note that simply read: ‘I know and I’ll tell.’ I knew I was screwed. I was his bitch. Do what he wanted, say what he wanted, go where he wanted, and make sure the world revolved around Jaden—or he’d tell what she did. So breaking up with him wasn’t an option. I was stuck.
But it wasn’t all bad. After all, what girl didn’t want to date the captain of the football team and the most popular, not to mention gorgeous, guy in school? Me, that’s who.
I’d been at Jamieson’s party for two hours watching Sarah throw herself at Jaden. She didn’t seem to care that I was there. Of course, she was so drunk she probably didn’t know her own name. Jaden drank beer after beer and was almost as drunk as Sarah was. I sat by, sipped my Coke, and watched them.
I didn’t drink alcohol. Well, I should say that I didn’t drink anymore. I had my fair share of hangovers after Jamieson’s parties, but I didn’t like losing control. My inhibitions flew out the window when I was drunk. I lost control and it wasn’t a cool. Plus, my mom drank a little too much and I had a stepdad before my mom married Ralph—my current stepdad—that drank way too much. Ralph did his share of guzzling, too. I saw—lived—with what booze did to them. No thank you. Not for me. Call me a prude, or whatever else you wanted to, but I was sticking with Coke. Just Coke.
“Me and Sarah are going to find somewhere quiet to talk,” Jaden whispered in my ear. His breath reeked of booze, and I turned my face away.
Yeah, talk. That’s what you’ll be doing. Sure.
“Come with us.” He pulled me up by the arm.
“Nope.” I pushed his hand away and sat down on the porch step.
“Come on, Willow. It’ll be fun. I promise.”
Um, I’m not into that.
“Go do whatever it is you’re gonna do, Jaden. I’m not going with you.”
“He’s gonna do Sarah,” Jamieson slurred, leaning so close to my face I could smell the stench of liquor and cigarettes clinging to him.
Everyone around us laughed. I walked away and wandered aimlessly around the huge yard, looking at the flowering bushes and flower garden surrounding a gazebo in the far back corner of the yard. It was beautiful and I made way toward it, admiring each new type of flower as I passed. The gazebo was wood, painted white. There was an intricate design in the railing and the eaves. The roof was rounded before it came to a point at the top. It looked like part of the Kremlin in Russia.
Preoccupied with the beautiful gazebo and the flower garden, I didn’t pay attention to who might be inside and almost walked in on two people who most definitely did not want my company. The term “get a room” took on a whole new meaning. It seemed “get a gazebo” worked well, too.
Yelling my apologies over my shoulder, I ran down the walk and across the yard until I came to the back deck of the house where I found a swing. Dropping into it, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, swaying gently. The swing jostled when someone sat next to me, and my eyes shot open.
Please don’t be gazebo guy. I saw enough of him tonight.
“Great party, huh?” Natalie, a girl from my English class, said with a frown.
I made an I-hate-every-second-of-it face, but said, “Yeah. It’s wonderful.”
“I saw Jaden and Sarah. I’m sorry.”
I braced myself for the pity I’d see in her eyes. Instead, I saw disgust and, for one tiny second, I didn’t feel so alone. “Thanks.” I shrugged a shoulder. “I’m used to it. He’s a real douche when he’s drinking.”
“They all are.” She took a drink from the Dr. Pepper can she had in her hands. “You want to get out of here? I could drop you at your house.”
I let out a huge sigh. “If you could drop me at the school so I can pick up my car it would be wonderful. Thanks so much.”
When I got home, I went straight to my bedroom and fell across my bed. My phone chimed that I had a message. I knew it was from Jaden, and I wasn’t in the mood to talk to him. So I turned my phone off, slipped into my boxers and T-shirt, and climbed into bed.
I closed my eyes and waited for the nightmares to begin.
Breathe. You’re strong. Breathe. Just breathe.
I walked into school Monday morning, bracing myself for the fallout after Jamieson’s party. The gossip chain at Cassidy High was wicked. Everyone would know about Jaden and Sarah. I hadn’t talked to Jaden since the party. He called and texted all night Saturday and all day Sunday. I ignored him.
“Hey, baby.” Jaden sauntered up to my locker.
“Hi.” I slammed the locker door shut and spun the dial.
“Are you mad? I’m sorry about Sarah. I was drunk. You know how it goes, but I swear nothing happened.” He reached out and brushed my hair away from my face, leaning in for a kiss. I turned away.
“It doesn’t matter if anything happened or not. Everyone thinks something did.”
“I’ll set them straight. You know you’re the only girl for me.”
I walked around him and into my classroom, dropping my books on the table.
“I’ll make it up to you. Go out to dinner with me tonight,” he called from the doorway.
“Maybe.”
He smiled and held his arms out from his sides. “You know you want to. Come on, Wills, I said I was sorry.”
“Fine.” There was really no sense in arguing with him. He’d bug me until I said yes. Or threaten me.
He gave me one of his cocky grins. “I�
��ll pick you up at six. See you at lunch.”
Whatever. Did I really have a choice?
I was looking through my notes when a piece of wadded-up paper landed in front of me. I looked over and saw Tim smiling. He nodded at the paper. I smoothed it out and read the note: ‘Look up.’
Frowning, I looked at Tim. He pointed to the front of the class with a smirk.
My gaze followed his finger and my breath hitched. The hottie stood next to the teacher’s desk. Looking back at Tim, I smiled with a shrug of my shoulder. Tim batted his eyelashes and sighed, and I covered my mouth with my hand to keep from laughing.
“Sit anywhere you can find an empty seat,” my biology teacher told him.
I watched as the dark-haired hottie turned and looked around the room. His eyes fell on me, and a corner of his mouth tipped up in a half grin. He walked to the table where I sat and tossed his book down, pulling out the chair next to me. I cringed when it screeched against the tile floor.
“Hi, Willow,” he murmured. I stared at him. He turned and looked at me, an amused grin playing on his lips. “This is when you say hi.”
“Hi, Brody.”
“Mind if I sit here? You’re the only familiar face I see.”
“Um, no. It’s fine. I’ll finally have a partner when we do labs.” I smiled quickly and looked down at my notes.
Oh jeez, Jaden is gonna bust a nut.
“Sounds good,” Brody said, opening his book. “What page are we on?”
“Forty-two.”
We didn’t talk the rest of the class. When the bell rang, Brody swiped his things off the table and walked away.
“Later,” he said over his shoulder.
“Bye,” I whispered, watching him disappear in the crowded hallway.
“Whoa, he’s taking his life in his hands sitting next to you,” Tim said behind me, making me jump. “What do you think Jaden will do?”
“For Brody’s sake, I hope he doesn’t find out.”
Tim chuckled. “Yeah, right. With the gossips around here? He probably knew before class was over.”
Dinner with Jaden. Not how I wanted to spend my evening. I was still pissed about him and Sarah, even though he promised me over and over nothing had happened. Still, Sarah sat with us at lunch, flirting with him even though I sat right next to him. The skank.
Unspeakable (Freedom Series Book 1) Page 2
