Jo:Catching a ride home. Sorry. I’ll explain later.
I rushout the front door. Who the hell would she get a ride with? Everyone who’s fucking trustworthy is right here with me. I don’t want some random asshole trying to take advantage of her. If she’s leaving, though, then she has to be outside somewhere. I ask a few of the kids I recognize if they’ve seen her when I spot her curly hair in the dark, cutting her way through the crowd. Relief floods through me. I take a step forward, and then notice that she’s veered straight for the bright red car sitting in Meiying’s driveway. One I know doesn’t belong to either Liu.
I squint. “You have got to be kidding me,” I curse, heading toward them when the driver comes into view. He is someone I immediately recognize and someone I do not want anywhere near Joaninha right now. Not when she’s pissed. Probably hurt over what she thinks she saw. Fucking Jae. Can’t this guy just disappear or something?
“Joaninha!” I shout her name and she spins, her face red and splotchy in the moonlight, wet trails running down her cheeks as she stumbles a bit before regaining her footing. My chest tightens. Shit. I did this. “Mariposa, please. Talk to me.” The endearment rolls off my tongue, but as soon as she hears it, she flinches as though struck.
I draw on my wolf. I have to close the distance between us, but the next thing I know, Jo’s hands are clenched in front of her, her fingers clutching a sphere of—wait, is she about to—
The next thing I know, a burst of water is slamming into my chest, shoving me back a few steps. I waver on my feet but regain my balance just as another ball of water crashes into me, this one stronger, the force taking me down to the ground. I choke on the water before shaking myself and pushing to my feet, my clothes completely drenched. When I look up, muscles tight and readying for another attack, it’s to see Jo spinning around to swing open the car door, climbing inside, and shutting it quickly behind her.
I sprint to her and slam one palm against the glass, the other lifting the door handle, but it’s locked. “Momma, open the door.” She won’t look at me. I can tell from their mouths moving that she and the fucker inside are arguing about something, but I can’t hear their words. He must have some sort of ward around the vehicle because no matter how hard I strain, I can’t hear what they’re saying.
Jo is slipping through my fingers. If she leaves right now without talking to me, without hearing me out, my wolf knows deep down in my gut that we’re done. It’s a visceral feeling I can’t shake.
I need her to open the door. Now.
If she wants to pummel me with more waterballs, I’ll take it. Hell, she can try and drown me. She just has to hear me out. Let me explain. I can’t lose her. Not like this.
72
Jo
Atext message flashes across my screen.
Isa: Stay. I’ll take you home if you don’t want to see Jordy but you should hear him out. I don’t think he did what you think he did.
My fingers flyover the illuminated screen as tears track down my face. Of course she would take his side. They’re wolves. That's what they do, right?
Me:I know what I saw.
He had his shirt off,his hands holding her to him as she sucked on his neck like a goddamn vampire. So, no. I do not want to hear him out. I don’t want to ever talk to him again. Urgh! I press the backs of my hands to my eyes.
Nothing can excuse what he did. What he was about to do. God, I am so stupid. I thought I meant more to him. I thought that the flirting and whatever at school was unintentional. Like maybe he didn’t realize what it looked like. I tried to brush it off, but this, I can’t ignore this, and god does that hurt. I thought—I thought maybe he wanted to build a life with me. I know I’m not a shifter, but I thought that didn’t matter to him. I thought we could be a family—him, me and César. But I was wrong, and now I feel sick. Nausea twists and turns in my gut as I buckle my seat belt.
“Can we leave?” I ask Jae, ignoring the look of concern on his face.
Jordy never cared about me. I was convenient. Easy. A heavy weight presses down on my chest as I realize just how insignificant I am to him. Was this all just a ploy to hurt me? Were any of these past few weeks real?
I shake my head, the alcohol making my head spin.
“Jo—”
I groan and press my head against my seat. “I’m crying. I’m drunk. And my boyfriend or baby daddy or whatever the hell he is supposed to be was with another girl, so for the love of god, can we please leave!” My voice is shrill in the car and I don’t even care. I can’t—my chest heaves and I begin to hyperventilate. Energy crackles beneath my skin and I can feel myself losing control in the worst possible way.
“Are you okay?”
No. I am not okay. I’m pretty sure that’s obvious right now, but I don’t say that. I need to breathe, to focus on calming down or that little water show I put on outside is going to be the least of my worries.
“Open the door,” Jordy shouts, knocking on the window, startling me as he tries to pry the door open with brute force. Good luck with that. “Mariposa, please. Talk to me.”
My upper lip curls at that single word. I am not his butterfly. I am not his anything. I turn to face him and suck in a shaking breath. “Leave me alone!” I scream and push out with everything I have. A wall of water slams into him, but he doesn’t budge. The shimmering liquid blocks his face from view, but his hands stay pressed against the side of the car, his fingers curling into claws as he digs for purchase.
I release my hold on the water, the wall crashing to the ground to expose a pissed off Jordy, hair dripping down his face.
His hand is still holding the door handle as though hanging on will somehow grant his entrance. His nostrils flare and he gives one firm shake of his head. “We need to talk. You can’t just run away from—”
“Fuck you, Jordy!” I flip him off. I don’t care that it’s childish. He deserves it. “Leave me the hell alone.” Angry tears spill down my cheeks and I hate myself for them. Hate that I can’t lock up my emotions right now. “Why can’t I stop freaking crying,” I complain out loud, and Jae squeezes my knee.
