Jade walks in front of me and shrugs, biting into her bottom lip, stifling a grin.
“Colton is going to be there. Laiken likes him.”
Said trash.
Fury heats.
Colton James is eighteen, the same age as me, and I’ve never liked him.
Doesn’t help that his father is the town's deputy sheriff who has it out for me, too.
Oh, and did I mention that I fucked Colton’s girlfriend?Yeah, I’m a fucking mess.
Laiken likes him.Jade’s voice bounces around in my head, and I scoff because I didn’t believe it for a second.
I knew Laiken, and I knew she was smarter than that. I drag a hand through my hair, letting go of my breath.
Laiken is Jade’s best friend, and she was forced to grow up as quickly as Jade had been.
Seen a lot.
Been through too much.
And I’d always felt the need to protect her from all of life's extra bullshit because I guess I care about her, and not just because Jade cares about her.
I step in front of my sister and unlatch the metal gate, holding it ajar at my back as Jade walks through.
“Tell Laik to stay the fuck away from him,” I murmur my warning to her back.
She twirls around grinning. It’s so free, and it fucking terrifies me. “Yeah, maybe you should?—”
Jade is cut off when our father comes out of nowhere, stepping up behind her, throwing his sunburned and freckled arm around her shoulders.
I look toward the front of the house, pissed that he slithered out before we could get away, then I turn back because none of that matters now when I see the way Jade bristles.
Anyone else would have missed it because it was subtle, but I saw it; because I was watching for it.
“Where are you headed tonight, Jadey? Anything I should be concerned about?” he coos.
Uncle Nick steps through the gate I’m still holding open, tapping my shoulder casually with his closed fist, like the interaction happening between father and daughter is entirely normal.
And when Jade tries to speak and her voice comes out raspy, trembling, I do it for her, “Why the fuck do you care?”
Our father snorts, then drops his knuckles to the top of Jade’s head, digging his grimy fingers into her skull. She raises her shoulders to her ears, closing in on herself, trying to counteract the pain I know would be vibrating from her neck to her spine.
“Dad, you're hurting me,” she whimpers.
And he doesn’t listen.
“Boys like brains, Jadey.” He digs his knuckles deeper, and the veins in my arms start to pulse with rage.
The steel edge to our father’s tone freezes Jade. “Be a lady, do you understand me? Don’t fucking embarrass me.”
Jade remains silent, and it’s the last response our father would want, because the sadistic prick doesn’t get off when he’s forced to fight with himself.
I take one measured, wary step toward Jade, anticipating the incoming eruption, and my uncle tries to stop me, his clammy palm wrapping around my bicep. But I’m quick to shrug him off.
My eyes remain locked on my father’s, ready to jump, ready to spill blood.
