When I’m Not Afraid starts, Jade’s body tenses. After a couple of seconds, her anger wins out, and dropping her phone, she lunges forward.
Her arms come around my waist, and with a sweep of her foot, she takes my legs from under me, dropping my ass to the ground. I don’t have time to admire the move because she straddles me and slams a fist against my jaw.
My first instinct is to restrain her, but when a tear splats against my face, my body goes lax, and I let Jade have her way.
I don’t stop her fists, and I take all her anger and sorrow.
Kao is the first to grab hold of Jade, but Noah has to help pull her off of me.
I sit up and don’t bother wiping the blood from my busted lip. My eyes never leave Jade as she drops to her knees, with our friends on either side of her. The breath she sucks in sounds painful as if she’s choking on the air, then she lets out an agonizing scream.
It’s the first time I see just how much she’s hurting, and it breaks something inside of me.
Maybe it’s the last hope I had of saving our friendship?
The ground might as well tear open and swallow me in a pit of darkness. The finality of losing Jade is too much to bear.
Kao wraps his arms around Jade, and presses her face against his chest, trying his best to console her. His gaze meets mine, and the worry he feels for us makes his blue eyes look like stormy waters.
Noah comes over to me and hands me a piece of toilet paper he must’ve gotten while I was focused on Jade. I wipe the blood from my mouth and slowly climb to my feet.
“I’m sorry, Jade,” I say for the millionth time.
She’s the only person I’ve apologized to in my life.
“I wish I could say I’d do things differently if I had the chance, but there’s still no way I’d let you lose your virginity in a guest room at the age of sixteen. You deserved better than that. And you were way too young,” I finally get to say the words, standing up for my actions of that fateful night.
Jade shoots forward like a bullet and stops an inch from me. I take in her tearstained cheeks and the broken look in her eyes. “Fuck you, Hunter.” She closes the distance between us until I can feel her warm breath on my neck. “Fuck. You.”
After twenty months of frustration and with my heart cracked wide fucking open in my chest, I lose my calm and shout, “What the fuck do you want me to say?”
“The truth!” she yells. “What did you do to Brady when you took him home?”
I suck in a deep breath and take a step backward to put some space between us. Struggling to regain my self-control, I growl, “Nothing. I dropped Brady off at home and left.”
“Liar,” she hisses, and then her face crumbles as she cries, “You’re a fucking liar.”
Jade storms out of my room, and soon after, the slam of her bedroom door echoes through the suite.
Feeling emotional and fucking exhausted, I sink down on the edge of my bed.
Breathe, Hunter.
Just breathe.
It feels like a tornado swept through me. Fuck, things are worse than I thought. The fact that Jade really thinks I played a part in Brady’s suicide sinks in like a ton of bricks.
Hana presses something cold to the cut on my bottom lip. “I’m okay,” I mutter.
“I know,” she whispers.
Jase, who I thought was missing in action, sits down next to me. Placing his arm around my shoulders, he doesn’t say anything. Maybe it’s because there are no words for this fucked up situation.
Fallon squeezes my hand before she walks away and slips inside Jade’s room with Mila right behind her.
“You should go too,” I tell Hana, not wanting her friendship with Jade to be affected by our war.
Hana nods and gets up. “Keep the frozen peas against your lip.” I take hold of it as Hana leans down, pressing a kiss to my forehead before she leaves.
After a couple of seconds, I drop the peas on the floor.
“Damn,” Jase whispers.
“Yeah,” I agree.
Noah brings me a tumbler with whiskey, and it makes my lips twitch, but the impending pain has me swallowing my grateful smile. “Thanks.”
I gulp a mouthful down, then say, “I didn’t know things were that bad.”
Jase nods. “Yeah.” He lets out a sigh. “Damn.”
I turn my face to him. “You’re speechless. That’s a first.” In response to my words, a sad smile forms on his face.
“What are you going to do?” Jase asks the million-dollar question.
I shake my head. “I don’t know.” I take another sip from the tumbler and let the whiskey burn down my throat. “But I have to do something. She’s hurting, and I don’t have it in me to take much more.”
“It’s too much,” Noah adds. “It’s breaking my fucking heart.”
“It’s breaking all of us,” Jase murmurs.
Thoughts swirl in my head until I grab onto one. “I’m going to let her fight. If she needs to beat me up to feel better, then so be it. Maybe if she has an outlet for her pain, she’ll deal with it, and we can become friends again.”
Noah pulls an unsure face. “She packs one hell of a punch.”
I let out a chuckle. “She sure does. When did she go from playing with dolls to becoming a badass fighter?”
“It’s all those summers she spent with Mr. Cole on his ranch,” Noah voices. “He’s a retired Navy Seal, after all.”
“If she fights half as good as him, you’re fucked,” Jase mumbles under his breath.
“That’s no lie. Jade’s carrying a lot of pain and anger inside her. This thing won’t just blow over,” Noah voices something we’re all too well aware of after tonight.
I get up and place the empty tumbler on my desk. “I’ll just have to suck it up and roll with the punches.”
“The shit part is you shouldn’t have to,” Fallon suddenly says from my open door. “I’m going to get in touch with Brady’s family and find out what really happened that night. We all need closure.”
“Don’t,” I argue. “If Jade wanted to know the truth, she would’ve contacted them herself.” Instead of just blaming me.
Fallon shrugs while letting out a tired sigh. “Well, Jade’s calmed down. She said she’s going to shower, then crawl into bed.”
“Guess I’ll do the same,” I say, and with that, I walk into my ensuite bathroom.
What a fucking day.
And it’s only day one. Still a whole fucking year to go.
Chapter 3
JADE
I stare at my reflection in the mirror after getting dressed for the opening ceremony. It’s a longstanding tradition at the academy, so I can’t miss it.
My thoughts turn back to last night and regret creeps into my heart. It was a nightmare, to say the least. I thought I’d feel better after hitting Hunter, but I don’t. Instead, I feel torn between wanting revenge and feeling guilty.
Why do I feel guilty? Hunter deserved to have his ass handed to him.
Maybe it’s because we used to be so close? After all, I did love him for the first sixteen years of my life.
Mostly, I hate that I upset all our friends. Things will have to change. I can’t keep hurting the whole group and will have to reign in my temper.
I’ve never been good at pretending.
I let out a heavy breath.
You’ll just have to try to be civil around Hunter and not rip off his head.
My shoulders slump, knowing it’s going to be hard to do. I suck in a deep breath before I walk to the door, and opening it, I freeze when I see Hunter’s door is open. From where I’m standing, I only have a view of the side of his bed.
You have to try, Jade. For your friends.
I hear movement, and then Hunter walks to his bed and picks up a jacket. I watch him shrug it on, and just like yesterday, I’m struck by how much he’s changed.
Sure, I’ve seen him a couple of times over the past two years, but I always kept my distance and h
ardly looked at him to avoid a fall out in front of our families and friends.
Before our fight, Hunter seemed indifferent. The few times we argued, I did most of the talking, whereas Hunter just stared at me. He’s always come across so indifferent and almost cold. But last night, he lost control of his temper. I’ve never seen him that angry.
He even shouted at me. He has never raised his voice to me until that moment.
Hunter turns as he buttons his jacket. Even though I hate him with the intensity of a thousand burning suns, I can’t help but notice how handsome he’s become. He’s taller, and his shoulders have become broader. Just like Jase, Kao, and Noah, Hunter has shed the last of his teen body and grown into a man.
His hair is still the same chestnut brown as before, and his eyes sky blue. The contrast has always been striking.
He looks up and stops moving when he sees me. My gaze is drawn to the cut on his bottom lip.
Damn, why does the small imperfection make him look so hot? Life is totally unfair.
When I lost control, it felt good hitting Hunter. But now… I feel like shit warmed over.
He deserved it.
He did.
I keep repeating the words to myself, hoping it will ease the guilt.
We stare at each other for a moment, and as I start to walk down the hallway, Hunter’s voice carries to me. “Morning, Jade. The dress looks beautiful on you.”
I freeze for a moment, but fisting my hands, I force my feet to move. I do my best to ignore the sadness I heard in Hunter’s voice.
“Jade,” I hear Jase call behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I come to a stop so he can catch up to me.
Jase throws his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side for a quick hug. He then makes a show of looking at my dress, which is black and nothing spectacular. I’ve never been one for dresses.
Letting out a low whistle, Jase shakes his head. “Girl, you’re looking for trouble.”
Frowning, I ask, “Why?”
His facial expression turns all dreamy. “You’re looking so hot, I might forget we’re just friends and start hitting on you.”
His flirty compliment instantly brings a smile to my face, and I let out a soft chuckle.
Before I can respond, Kao appears from the kitchen, holding a mug of steaming coffee. Lord only knows how he can swallow the scalding liquid.
“Nah, it’s best the two of you just stay friends. Jase and Jade Reyes won’t look good on a wedding invitation,” Koa jokes.
Mila walks past us, and mutters, “Jase is a fuck boy. He won’t get married even if his life depends on it.”
My eyes widen, and I stare at Mila. She glances from Jase to me, and seeing my reaction, she states, “Don’t look so shocked, Jade. It’s common knowledge Jase is the playboy of the campus.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t have to be so crass,” I say, wondering if I missed a fight between Jase and Mila. “Everyone’s cool, right?”
Jase straightens his jacket with a smirk, “You know me. I’m all about peace and love.” He starts to walk and passes really close by Mila with a seductive whisper, “There’s enough of me for the whole campus. Just say if you want a piece, babe.”
My mouth drops open, and I look to Kao for answers. He lets out a chuckle and shakes his head as he turns back to the kitchen to place his empty mug on the counter.
“You’re going to wash that, right?” Fallon suddenly asks behind me. Stepping to the side, I see Hana standing beside her with Hunter right behind them.
Kao takes a moment to stare at Fallon, who looks breathtaking in a pale blue dress. “If I leave it on the counter, will you stand there and lay into me for being messy? That way, I can enjoy the view for a couple of minutes longer.”
“What the hell did I miss?” I ask no one in particular.
Noah gets up off the couch. I didn’t even see him sitting there. “The guys' balls dropped, and the girls noticed. You can all continue flirting and fighting after the ceremony. We’re going to be late.” He heads for the front door, and as he opens it, his face settles into a bored look. “Oh, look, the kindergartner arrived.” He pushes past her and stalks down the hallway.
“Screw you too,” Carla, Jase’s younger sister, calls after Noah. She lets out a huff, then turns her glare on Jase. “Are you ready? I want to get this day over with.”
Damn, I’m confused. Have I been so caught up in myself that I haven’t noticed the dynamics of my friends' circle changing?
“Daddy,” I call as I break out in a run. Not caring about my image around campus, I fling myself forward as Dad opens his arms wide to catch me. He locks me in a tight embrace before setting me back on my feet. Leaning over to Mom, I give her a hug and kiss her cheek. “Hi, Mom.”
“Have you settled in, Bean?” Dad asks while his eyes scan over the other students.
“Yep. I just need to get my class schedule later, then I’m all set for this year.”
Dad recognizes someone, and it has me glancing over my shoulder. Kao, Noah, and Mila walk toward us with their families.
A flurry of glitter and colors rushes toward us, then Miss Sebastian grabs hold of Kao, hugging the ever-loving shit out of him before giving me a hug. “How are my god-babies?” She glances around the campus. “Anyone hit on you yet?”
“Hey, Mamma G,” I grin, calling her by the special nickname Kao, Noah, Mila, and I have for her, the G standing for godmother. “We’ve all been too busy settling in to be social.”
“Speak for yourself,” Kao says. “I already snagged a date for the ball.”
“Well, at least you’re not taking forever like your father did,” Miss Sebastian comments.
“I didn’t take forever,” Uncle Marcus defends himself.
“Honey, it’s a wonder my angel-girl, Willow, put up with you for so long. If I didn’t have my hands in your chest, I’d seriously doubt there was a heart in there.”
I let out a chuckle. Miss Sebastian loves getting Uncle Marcus all riled up.
My gaze lands on Hunter, Jase, Fallon, and Hana, where they’re posing, while their mothers take enough photos to fill all the walls of their mansions.
It just solidifies the decision I made to check my temper around Hunter. I don’t want to place Fallon and Hana in a position where they’ll have to choose between Hunter and me.
Hunter’s parents make their way over to us. I notice how Hunter slowly trails behind them, stopping a couple of steps behind them. When he sees that I’m watching him, he takes a step to his right, so Uncle Mason’s between us.
Is he hiding behind his father or doing that to keep the peace? Must be the latter. There’s no way Hunter’s scared of me.
I take a deep breath and smile at Hunter’s mom. “It’s nice to see you again, Aunty Kingsley.”
“You too, hon. Are you excited to start studying?”
“Yeah,” I nod, and my smile turns natural. I love Hunter’s parents, and just because the two of us don’t get along, I shouldn’t let it affect my relationship with them.
Aunt Kingsley smiles warmly. “I remember my first day. It was epic. You’ll make so many new friends. Just remember to have fun.”
“I will.”
“It’s your final year, Hunter. Are you ready to join CRC Holdings?” I hear my dad ask Hunter.
“Yes. I’ll already spend time with my father this year, so it’s not too overwhelming when I officially start working.”
“As your mom said, don’t forget to have fun,” Uncle Mason says. “Just nothing that will start a lawsuit. I’ve had my fill of those.”
“God, yes. Please, no lawsuits,” Aunt Kingsley adds.
“Did your parents ever tell you about all the trouble they got into while attending here?” Dad asks Hunter.
“Yes,” Hunter lets out a burst of laughter. “They always blame Uncle Lake.”
“What about me?” Uncle Lake suddenly says as he comes to join us. He looks at Hunter, then asks, “What happened to your lip?�
�
Oh shit.
I freeze while I wait for Hunter to reply. “The mug nicked it when I had coffee.”
I feel torn about the white lie. Part of me is relieved I don’t have to explain why I punched him to our families. But the lie only solidifies the fact that it’s so easy for Hunter to cover up the truth — just like he did with Brady.
Soon we’re one big group, and we begin to move toward the auditorium where the ceremony will be held.
Only the kids of the founding families go to sit on the stage, while their parents join us in the front two rows.
When all the seats are taken, Jase gets up and goes to stand behind the podium. “Welcome to Trinity Academy. As the future chairman of CRC Holdings and Trinity Academy, I am proud to stand here today. Our campus has expanded a great deal, and the dorms were recently renovated. Trinity prides itself on only schooling the best. Past presidents, senators, business magnates, and philanthropists have graduated from Trinity, and we hope to continue with the legacy they have left for us.”
When Jase is done talking, his father, Uncle Julian, takes over. The speeches don’t last too long, and soon we all file out of the auditorium again. Tables have been set up on the huge lawn between the dorms and the lecture halls. We follow the seating plan, and I pull a face when I see that Hunter’s family is situated at the table next to mine.
Can’t catch a break from the guy today.
Once we’re all seated, servers begin to move between the tables.
Dad orders himself a whiskey, then looks at me, “What would you like, Bean?”
“Just a coke, please.”
The server leaves with our order, and Daddy asks, “Did you see the gym on campus?”
“Not yet.” I glance in the direction of the gym, that’s situated next to the pool house. “I’ll probably go check it out this afternoon.”
I hope there’s a punching bag so I can take all the tension out on it, seeing as I can’t hit Hunter.
The morning goes by quickly, and too soon, I walk my parents to their car. “I’m going to miss you.”
“You can come home every weekend,” Mom says, her voice hopeful.
Coldhearted Heir (The Heirs Book 1) Page 3
