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“Jace!” I call out, and it’s only when I try to get to him that I realize Jonah has his arm around me, stopping me from moving.
Jace takes out both headlights and the passenger side mirror before facing Christian, who’s made his way over to his car. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he yells, but Jace doesn’t bark back.
Instead, he lowers the bat to his side, calmly steps toe-to-toe with Christian. “Leave. Now. And if you ever come near her again, your car is the last thing I’ll be taking this bat to.”
17
Jace
Given my personal circumstances, I’m not one to turn to physical violence as a means to resolve issues, so I’m not really sure what came over me the second Jonah told me some guy was hassling Harlow out in the lot. I grabbed the bat we keep under the counter and walked out there, saw his hands on her, and the rest is a blur.
I can’t even say when it clicked—who the guy was to her—but in the end, it didn’t matter. He left when I told him to, and swear to God, he better take my threat seriously because I meant every word of it.
Now, I’m in the office with Harlow’s wrist in my hands to inspect it. My pulse picks up at the sight of it—red from where the fucker had touched her, and it takes everything in me not to jump in my van and go after him. “Are you okay?”
“Physically, sure,” she states, just above a whisper. She takes back her hand, holds it to her stomach. Then she lowers her head, hiding her eyes. Not that I could look at them if I tried. “You didn’t have to do all that.”
“Right.” I roll my eyes even though she can’t see it. “Because you clearly had it under control.”
“You’re an asshole,” she murmurs, looking up. Tears coat her eyes, and for some reason, I can’t look away. “You made things a thousand times worse for me.”
I heard what she said, I did, but the only reaction I have is to reach out, wipe at the tears streaking her cheeks.
She rears back, pushing my hand away. “Don’t.”
I lower my hands. “Why not?”
“I don’t need you constantly wiping my tears, okay? I can handle it.”
“I’m just?—”
“Especially when you can’t give me the time of day otherwise.”
“I—”
Jonah walks in, interrupting us. Heat burns in my chest, flows to my stomach. I’d never felt jealousy before, but I’m pretty sure that’s what this is. He’s been giving her rides to and from school the past week, and it’s bad enough that I have to see them together there, but I have to work with them too, and they’re always smiling at each other, laughing at dumb shit. They’re probably seeing each other now. Like,actuallydating, and not the fake version she offered me.
“You okay?” he asks her, and I trail my gaze back to Harlow.
She shakes her head. “No,” she cries, and then she falls apart.
“Can you give us a minute?” Jonah asks, and it takes a second to realize he’s talking to me.
Without a word, I step out of the office and glance back at them—at her in his arms, while he soothes her back.
What a hero.
I shut the door between us, confused, wondering if things would’ve been different if that’s all I’d done. Simply hugged her.
18
Harlow
After what can only be described as the longest shift in the history of the world, I step out of the skating rink and toward my bike. Only my bike isn’t there. Jonah left ten minutes ago, so I can’t ask him for a ride. I turn to Jace, who’s locking up the rink. I almost ask him, but at this point, I’d rather stick a blunt knife up my nostrils. I grab my phone and headphones from my backpack just as Jace says, “Your bike’s in my van. You’re not riding home, and there’s no fucking way I’m letting you walk.” He’s already opened the passenger’s door, and he’s looking at me, puffing out an impatient breath.
I should fight him on this, but I have a feeling he’ll just drive beside me the entire way home. I’m hungry and agitated and tired.Sotired. I just want to go home, eat, shower, and crawl into bed and hopefully wake up and realize that today was just a dream.
Anightmare.