“I was mad,” he explains. “I was talking to Kaden after I found out about you and West. I didn’t know anyone was around to overhear and it’s not what you think.”
The regret weighs his tone and I ache for him and for Haley. I understand regret. I understand being hurt, but Haley is my lone concern. I lace my fingers with hers, holding on even though her hand lies cold and dead in mine. “It doesn’t matter what he said. Let’s walk.”
“It matters,” she whispers. “Did you say it, Jax? Did you say it again?”
“That you’re a slut?” the asshole announces into the night. “Yeah, he did.”
The bear hibernating in me roars to life as I round on Jax’s father. “What did you say?”
“Slut.” His grin twitches. “I don’t know who you are, so get off my property.”
I’m on fire. Haley’s voice becomes distant as I cross the yard. He called her a slut. He called the girl I love a slut. Inches from him, I throw my fist back to pound the hell out of him when arms are everywhere. Behind me, in front of me, beside me and dragging me away.
“Want to say that again?” I shift my arm and I’m out of the grasp.
“Stop it!” Haley screams as she appears in front of me.
But I can’t stop. I love her. I love her and this asshole guy has made her life hell. He’s hurt what I love and he won’t do it again. With a hard yank, I’m free.
I rush forward again and a foot hooks against my calf and a hand grazes up my arm. In a flash, I’m in a free fall with my arm twisted behind my back. I grunt as my body crashes to the ground and Haley crouches beside me.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers in my ear. “I’m sorry. If you do this, he’ll kick us out. He might already and we have nowhere to go. Nowhere. I’m sorry. So sorry.”
Searching for freedom, I jerk and she releases me as the apology continues. Rising to my knees, the world shifts into slow motion as I glance at her brother, her cousin, then to her father.
Not one of them came to her defense. Haley’s uncle hovers over me. “Get off my property. If you come back here again, I’m calling the police.” He glares at Haley. “If you continue to see him, you and your entire worthless family are out.”
The front door slams shut as he goes into the house. Everyone else—her father, her cousin, her brother—solidify into frozen dumb-ass lawn ornaments in his screwed-up world. I drop my head into my hands as the anger begins to fade and the reality of what I’ve done sinks into my bone marrow. Just fuck.
“We’re not over,” I say so only she can hear. Haley massages circles over her temples.
The April night isn’t cold enough for my breath to show, but it’s cold enough for the air to burn my lungs. I hate the agony in her eyes, on her face, but what I hate more is the silent acceptance by her so-called family.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” she says.
“He called you a slut.” I stare each one of them down. “She is not a slut.”
“Shit!” Jax turns his back to me and walks away into the night, slamming his fist into the mailbox. The metal door tips open and the entire box vibrates on the pole.
“It isn’t what you think,” says Kaden. With one final look at Haley, he follows his cousin.
“What’s your poor excuse?” I ask her father.
Haley touches me now: a grip on my biceps, fingernails digging into my arm. “Don’t. Not him. Yell at me, not at my dad.”
“I’m sorry, Haley.” Her father shoves his hands deep into his pockets. “I’m sorry.”
Her hold on me tightens and she gulps for air. “It’s okay, Dad. Don’t worry. It’s okay.”
The forced cheer in her voice causes me to fall back onto my ass. “Fuck this.” Taking a page from Abby’s book, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear Haley excuse her father for permitting anyone to call her a slut.
We remain silent as he stands on the front porch stoop, frowning at the brown winter grass. Her fingernails keep their teeth locked on my arm and the skin underneath begins to throb. I watch Haley, willing her to acknowledge me. Instead she focuses on nothing, on everything, once again locked inside her head.
“You have ten minutes before you need to be inside for curfew,” her father says. The screen door squeaks shut behind him.
Against the cold dirt and sparse grass, the two of us sit alone. “I’m waiting.” For an explanation, for a mere word, for a glance.
“For what?” she snaps.