He lifted his head from staring sightlessly at his phone. As his gaze traveled up my body, I felt myself responding, and I quickly turned away before he could see the way my nipples had tightened and were pointing at him through my bra and shirt.
We walked to Violet’s house, and I let us in through the kitchen door. I came and went as I pleased at Vi’s house just as she did at mine. This was my home away from home. Her parents were my second set, and we were one big family that was always in one another’s business. I loved it. It made me feel safe and loved. Between my parents and the Stevensons, I didn’t fear anything.
Except having my heart broken like Violet’s was.
Unfortunately, no one could cure me of that fear, even though I wished they could.
Mom and Aunt Harper were making dinner together when we entered. My mom saw who was with me and gave me a small smile before turning back to the stove where she was sautéing something while Aunt Harper chopped veggies for the salad.
“Hey, you two,” Mom greeted. “Hope you’re hungry. We made enough for a small army. Or in this case, enough for Mason plus the rest of us.”
“I’m not really hungry,” I said with a grimace.
“I’m starving,” Jagger told her. “Is it okay if I stay for dinner?”
“Of course it’s okay,” Aunt Harper told him as she used her forearm in an attempt to push a few strands of hair back from her face. “It should be ready in twenty minutes or so. Go and visit with Violet while we finish up.”
Violet was in the l
iving room with our dads when we walked in. Since she’d talked to her parents about her dark thoughts Sunday morning, no one had left her alone except to sleep. She confessed to me that it was more than a little overwhelming not to have any time to herself now, but it kept her head busy with things other than the thought of doing something she knew she couldn’t come back from.
Uncle Shane lifted his gaze from the television when we entered the room, and he nudged his daughter, who was sitting right beside him. Vi jumped up to her feet, her face filling with shame when she met Jagger’s eyes for a second before quickly looking away. “H-hey,” she murmured.
Instead of returning the greeting, Jagger grabbed her and jerked her against him. His arms went around her, and he locked his hands at the small of her back before kissing the top of her head. “You okay?” he choked out.
She nodded, seeming too emotional to be able to speak, and I felt my eyes sting with tears.
“You guys can hang out in Vi’s room if you want,” Uncle Shane said as he lifted his beer to take a swallow. “She’s probably tired of hanging out with us old men.”
He didn’t have to tell Jagger twice. He bent and tossed Violet over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and stomped upstairs while she huffed exasperatedly. Fighting the beginnings of a smile even while I continued to blink back tears, I followed after him.
The new door to Violet’s room was just like the one Luca had broken down, and I pushed it closed behind us as Jagger tossed Violet onto her bed. Then he was falling down beside her and rolling onto his back with her head pillowed on his chest. Lifting his free arm, he waved me over, and I couldn’t resist the invitation.
Once I climbed into bed beside him and turned onto my side so I was facing Violet with my head pillowed on his chest, he let out a contented sigh. “Nothing like having two hot blondes snuggled up to a guy to make him appreciate the finer things in life.”
Violet giggled, and I pinched his side while hiding my smile. “Hey,” he complained. “That tickles.”
The three of us drifted into complete silence for a few minutes before Violet blew out a tired sigh and lifted her head. “I start therapy tomorrow. Can you grab my homework for me? I don’t want to get too far behind, and Mom doesn’t want me to go to school for the rest of the week.”
“Whatever you need,” I assured her, reaching out and tucking a few strands of her hair behind her ear.
She rested her head back on Jagger’s chest. “This is kind of nice. I haven’t listened to someone’s heart beating in a long time.” She closed her eyes. “I forgot how soothing it can be.”
Jagger rubbed his hand up and down her back, and Violet’s breathing started to even out. Moments later, she was deep asleep, and all I could do was watch her. But while he continued to rub her back, Jagger had his eyes on me. After lifting my gaze to his, he used his free hand to cup the side of my face. “I love you,” he whispered.
“Jags.”
“Shh,” he commanded, his thumb pressing against the center of my lips. “Don’t argue. Don’t even say it back. Just let me stay like this for a little longer, knowing you’re both safe.”
Seeing the plea in his eyes, I gave a single nod and returned my head to his chest, but unlike Violet, I couldn’t sleep. I just snuggled against him a little more, put my hand on my best friend’s back, and relaxed in the knowledge that the two people I loved more than life itself were right there with me.
Chapter 20
Shaw
The next few months seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. Soon, it was graduation season. My brother’s graduation from military school was the weekend before Jagger’s, so I didn’t have an excuse not to go to Texas with my parents. It was too important of a day for him, so Mom and Dad told me to suck it up and pack a bag for the weekend trip.
Our grandparents lived less than an hour from Cannon’s school, so we stayed with them. Getting to see Grandpa and Mimi Tink was the only highlight of the weekend for me, and I made no secret of the disdain I held for having to be there for a guy I had zero respect for. My parents ignored my attitude, and I spent the entire weekend pissed at everyone except my grandparents.