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Chapter 23
Ava
I stared at Jack, trying to make sense of what he was saying. I opened my mouth to ask him one of the hundreds of questions crowding my mind, but someone started banging on the window again.
Jack blew out a sigh of irritation. “Okay, let’s go. I need to deal with this shit.”
We both got out of the car, but since Shelby was right by the driver’s side door, there wasn’t much chance of avoiding her. I guess Addison found a ride, because she was standing there next to Shelby. Casey was also present, but she stood back and a bit apart from the other two girls, a look of deep discomfort on her face.
“So, is this bitch your new girlfriend? Is this why we broke up?” Shelby asked, gesturing to me as I stood at the front of the car. Jack walked to my side, wrapping an arm around my waist.
“We didn’t break up, Shelby, because we were never dating,” Jack replied coldly.
A look of fury crossed her face. “You can’t–”
Jack held up his hand. “Let me stop this before it begins. I’m not going to be dealing with your dramatic bullshit all night. If you aren’t going to do anything but stir shit up, then leave. If you go in that party and start anything, I mean fucking anything, I will get you removed. Not so much as a dirty fucking look in our direction. You understand?”
I watched as Shelby shrank back, her mystified gaze darting to me, assessing me, as if trying to understand what Jack found so appealing.
“Do you fucking understand?” Jack repeated slowly.
Shelby folded her arms across her chest, her one act of rebellion, but nodded her head jerkily in agreement. Addison looked outraged, and Casey looked like she wanted the earth to swallow her whole. Maybe she should consider getting some new friends.
“Good,” Jack grunted, grabbed my hand, and turned us toward the house.
“Jesus, that was crazy,” I said as we walked to the back of the house where there was a huge bonfire already lit and surrounded by other partygoers.
“Yeah, well, she’s fucking crazy.”
“Do you think she will try anything tonight?”
“No, not now. See, Shelby doesn’t actually like me, she never really did. She likes being noticed, she likes being popular, she likes feeling powerful. I guess she felt like I provided that for her to some extent, and she didn’t want to give it up. I don’t think she knows what a real relationship is – she’s never asked me about my life, my goals, my thoughts because she doesn’t give a shit. She’s a total narcissist.”
“Did you ask her about that stuff? Could she say the same about you?”
He grinned at my challenging tone. “Yeah, but see, the only reason I ever hung out with her is because I knew she wouldn’t ask that kind of stuff. I knew what type of person she was. Just because I understand what she’s all about doesn’t mean I’m the same type of person.”
Before I could respond, Hannah was at our side, with Nikolai right behind her.
“Hey! I heard about what happened with Shelby!”
“What? How? That happened, like, five minutes ago!” I said, stunned at how fast information travels.
“Oh, Ava, this is high school. Drama travels fast!” Hannah said, throwing up some hilarious jazz hands.
“Hey, Ava, I’m going to go get us some beers,” Jack said as he turned towards a long line of coolers. Obviously, he was not looking to rehash his scene with Shelby.
I turned back to Hannah. “Yeah, it was a little intense. Shelby was pretty…unhappy about things not working out with Jack.”
Nikolai shouted with laughter as he slung an arm around Hannah’s shoulders. “Unhappy? That’s one way to put it, but I think the word you’re looking for is deranged.”
I laughed. “Well, yeah, that one works, too.” I took a quick look around. “Hey, where’s Emmy? I thought she was coming.”
Hannah’s smile drooped, and Nikolai gave her a squeeze. “She said she was tired from her concert. She got roses from someone, and it put her in a weird mood.”
“Roses? From a high school kid?”
