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The sound of his steps come closer and closer as my stalker picks up his pace. “Scar,” I hear him say.
Wait. Did he just call me Scar?
I slow to a brisk walk, still heading for the library.
“Wait up.”
The words hit my ear like a song. I’d know that voice anywhere. I stop, but I’m still hesitant. It wasn’t long ago a voice recording was played in these same woods of Maddie and me having a conversation. This could be a recording, too.Dipping around the tree in front of me, I hide behind it and slowly peek around it to make sure it’s safe.
When I see him, I gasp. “Oh my god, Jagger!” I remove myself from the tree that I was hugging far too tightly. As Jagger comes closer, I meet him halfway. Once I reach him, I pound my fists to his chest, growling and cursing. “You asshole!”
He laughs. He actually fucking laughs.
“This isn’t funny!”
With my wrists now restrained in his hands, he calms down his hysterics while I steady my breathing. “Easy, killer. I was just trying to catch up to you. You know the rules. You can’t be out alone.”
“And you couldn’t have been a little more obvious?” Sarcasm drips from my tone. “Next time…don’t bother! I can take care of myself.”
“I can see that. You were one trip and fall away from practically throwing yourself into that asshole’s hands.”
By asshole, he means my stalker, but that’s beside the point. “I was fine. Besides, it wasn't him chasing me. It was you.”
“Seriously, though. Why didn’t you just ask one of us to go with you, or, at the very least, get a Rook to walk with you?”
I jerk my hands away, feeling his nails graze my skin. Rolling my wrists, I seethe. “Because Crew is at practice still and you were sleeping.”
“I wasn’t sleeping.”
“Yes you were. I knocked on your door like a hundred times, and when I finally opened it, I saw you sleeping.”
“I was just resting my eyes.”
“You were snoring. You sounded like a grizzly bear.”
“I don’t snore.”
A sarcastic laugh climbs up my throat. “You’re louder than a freight train when you’re sleeping.”
Jagger tilts his head toward his shoulder with a condescending look. “You watch me sleep often?”
“Oh my god.” I punch his shoulder and turn around to finish my trek to the library. “Get over yourself.”
He keeps walking behind me and the sound of his heavy steps through the snow only raises my level of annoyance. I should be grateful that he’s so concerned, same with Crew, but I’m over this babysitting shit. It’s been a week since I’ve been followed, had any threats, or seen any evidence that someone is out to get me—aside from Melody and her clique, and Neo, of course. That doesn’t count, though. None of them scare me. It’s the unknown that sends chills down my spine, but the unknown has seemingly disappeared, and I can finally live normally. Whatever normal is at this place.
“There’s a group of students gathered up ahead.” I don’t turn around or stop walking as I speak. “I’ve got it from here. You can go home if you want.”
The next thing I know, he’s at my side. My heart has finally resumed to its normal pace, only to quicken again when he throws an arm around my neck, pulling me close. “Come on, Scar. We’re friends. Let a friend help you out.”
“I don’t need help. What I need is a little room to breathe.”
Ever since I moved into The Lawless house, I’ve had Crew and Jagger breathing down my neck. I know they mean well, but it doesn’t change the fact that I need my personal space sometimes.
“You can have all the space you want when you’re at home. Out here, you need protection.”
Home.Such a strange word for that house. It doesn’t feel like home, at least, not yet. All of my belongings are still in bags. I’ve been sleeping in Crew’s bed because I refuse to sleep on the dirty mattress in my new room. Who knows how many people have fucked on that thing. Fortunately, my new bedroom furniture should be arriving at the house tomorrow.
“Fine,” I finally say, “but once we reach the library, you can turn around and go home. Elias is meeting me there and he can walk me home when we’re done studying.”
