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Chapter Ten
Marisol
Ma is not happy that Alex is hanging out with Carlos again. A string of curse words are murmured in Spanish under her breath, something she only does that when she’s really furious.
I’ve met Carlos a couple of times and even though he’s the same age as Alex, the hard look in his eyes tells me he’s more experienced in life than years. Things kids our age should never have to endure. The chocolate brown of his eyes are so dark they bleed into black, lending to his dangerous bad boy aura. He’s a teenage girl’s wet dream; tall, dark, handsome… and wears leather. He’s part of Infiernos Guerreros, a biker gang that deals on the outskirts of their side of town. There’s a teen chapter at our high school he rides with and the reason I don’t like Alex in their mix. It’s their way of recruiting at a young age and my brother’s prime for the picking.
Jasmine doesn’t answer the phone after the second call, but that’s normal. Before, I wouldn’t have thought twice about her absence, but now, there’s an uneasiness rolling around in the pit of my stomach. Instead of letting it go this time, I text Jace, and when he messages back immediately, the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention.
She’s had a long day. I’ll tell her you called. Thanks for checking in.
Jace’s text seems clipped, a little angry, and a lot impersonal. Something is amiss in their home and has been for quite some time.
~~~~~
The next morning at school, Jasmine’s the first person I hunt down. They were gone when we left for the day, which is odd, since we typically ride together.
She’s about to enter her first class when I come upon her. “There you are.” She startles at my voice and whips around. “I tried calling and texting last night. Everything good?”
The bottomless depth in her ocean blues screams help, that she’s fighting against unseen demons, and that there’s nothing I can do when she replies, “Yeah, everything is fine.”
“You sure? Jaz, you can talk to me.” She’s wearing old clothes; pants that are a little too tight, and one of Jace’s T-shirts knotted in the back. Her hair, while normally in a ponytail, doesn’t appear washed or brushed.
“Really, I’m good,” she reassures.
If I keep pushing her, she’s going to clam up, so I nod and accept her placation. She doesn’t want to share this part of herself with me and I get it; the situation is embarrassing. And the fact that I’d witnessed the part of her world she’s tried so desperately to hide is its own torture. Instead of blowing the subject wide open, I allow her to have the normalcy she’s craving. “Okay. I’ll see you at practice then.”
As I wave and amble to my class, worries continue to crawl across my brain. Being a year older than my brother and the twins sucks. We only have one class together, so the rest of my day is listless, providing far too much time to dwell on Jasmine… and Jace.
School drags on forever, but practice is pure torture. They held volleyball practices in the upper gym, while the basketball team holds theirs in the lower gym, offering a perfect view of Jace’s sweaty abs running back and forth across the court. Half the practice he had his shirt on, making it somewhat bearable, but once that thing came off, I was a goner.
The sight of him catches my attention once again, slowing my movements. The perfect distraction. A small sigh escapes while I’m living a fantasy, then, thwack! The rubber of damn volleyball slaps like a bitch against the side of my face as it bounces off.
“Ow! What the hell?” The tips of my fingers rub the redness of my offended cheek.
Once I refocus, the team’s laughing their culas off, and Stacey looks awfully nervous. My eyes narrow, knowing she served the ball, even though I know it wasn’t intentional. I should’ve been paying attention instead of staring at Jace’s well-defined body.
“Mare, are you all right?” Jasmine jogs over, her brows dipped with concern, but amusement’s sparkling in her eyes.
Her enjoyment is worth the burning cheek. “Yeah. The guys were causing a distraction.” I point over my shoulder, giggling.
Jasmine takes a peek over the edge of the railing, where we get a perfect view of all the man-candy running wild and free. “I understand why you lost your train of thought.” She sighs and leans on her hand, eyes bouncing around from skin to skin. “I just wish my brother would put his shirt back on.” She gags, repulsed, and heads back onto the court.
An unexpected wave of guilt sweeps through me for entertaining a relationship with Jace. He’s her one constant and I’m scared to death that she’ll think I’m stealing him away. The last person I’d ever hurt is Jasmine. She’s the sister my parents never had. My ride or die. Betraying her trust in this way is questionable. On one side, I can justify my interest is genuine, but on the other, her perception is key. What would happen if things didn’t work out? He’s her twin, for crying out loud!
When practice ends, after what seems like forever, Jasmine and I pass Jace on our way to the locker room. His hair flops in his face as he cocks his head and smiles, eyes lingering long after Jasmine turns away, leaving behind a swooning damsel.
“What’s with you?” Jasmine asks.
“Wha…?” Confusion clouds the mind before rebooting.
“You’re blushing. Who are you checking out?” She raises her eyebrows rapidly, glancing back out the door to scan the group of lingering guys.
“Nobody in particular.” I shrug, laughing to throw her off the trail.
“I guess you have a point.” We reach our lockers when she surprises me with her next question. “Have you had any luck with your date search for the dance?”
Jasmine hates being set up with people. That’s why I’m ecstatic that she’s offering a green light. Last year she banned me from matchmaking completely. Not that it’s ever stopped me, but still. “I’m narrowing down to a couple of guys. Maybe you should chit chat with them, feel them out, see which you’d prefer.” My grin spreads mischievously.
