“Hey there, baby girl,” she smirks then pats the spot beside her on the sofa. I sit down, squirming because it’s damp. “Did you miss me?”
“What the fuck, Jenn? Why’d you drag me all the way out here?” I hiss. “Weeks of radio silence from you, and all of a sudden you send that prick to fetch me like some piece of furniture? What the hell is going on?”
“I’ve been busy.” She shrugs, and her non-answer just pisses me off more.
“Busy? Ah, that makes perfect sense.” I glance toward the door Ghost disappeared out of. Leaning my face close to hers, I whisper, “What’re you doing with a guy like that, anyway? Momma, the way he talks to you…”
Jenn laughs, as if I’ve just told the most hilarious joke in the world. I don’t know what’s so goddamn funny, though. When she finally settles down, she gazes up at me, her expression growing severe.
“I brought you here because I have a request.”
The fucking nerve of this woman. “Request? What request could you possibly have of me?”
In a million years, I’d never have guessed the next words that fall out of her mouth.
“You need to stop seeing Saint Angelle.”
24
I gape at Jenn, completely stunned.
“What?” It’s all I can think to say to her mind-blowing demand.
“Stop seeing Saint Angelle,” she repeats, emphasizing every word like I’m a toddler. “Stay away from him.”
That’s usually the plan, but I don’t know why she cares.
Or how she knows his name.
So, I ask her, and once I start asking questions, the words don’t stop. “You’ve never given two-shits about who I’m with. That much was obvious when you didn’t do a damn thing to stop me when I was sleeping with my teacher. Why does Saint matter?”
Because she’s infuriated, all she does is hunch her emaciated shoulders and mutter, “I’ve seen things on the Internet about him. He’s not a good person, and I don’t want you to get wrapped up in him and get into trouble.”
She’s lying. It’s so obvious, it’s almost funny.
“Jenn, for the love of God—”
“Just listen to me!” she cries, her whole demeanor changing in an instant. I flinch and gawk at her with wide eyes. She’s not so cocky and assured anymore. She’s on edge, her jaw clenched tight and her shoulders shaking. I’ve seen her in a similar state when she’s in need of a fix, but this is … different.
There’s fear in the shadows of her eyes.
I raise my hands in surrender. “Fine. Whatever.”
She visibly relaxes. “Good girl.”
There’s a moment of silence that stretches between us, and I murmur, “So … is that it?”
She nods. “Pretty much. Ghost’ll take you back to school.”
What the hell? All this bullshit for that one thing? She literally could’ve texted that to me.
Worry creeps into my mind that she’s going to disappear on me once more.
“When can I see you again?” I ask, my anxiety obvious in my tone.
Mom’s expression softens, and she offers me a genuine smile, which is about as shocking as anything else that’s happened to me today. When she smiles like that, I can see remnants of the girl she used to be.
Before me.
“So glad to know you care,” she says, giving my cheek a little pat. “Ghost will be in touch when it’s time to see each other again, okay?” She makes it sound like we’re business colleagues getting our assistants to set up a lunch date for us. “Just promise me you’ll stay in school,” she adds, her tone firm.
For a second, she actually sounds like a mom.
Pushing to my feet, I nod. “Yeah. I will.”
The fact that she’s so concerned about me staying at Angelview, but then also that I stay away from Saint Angelle, seems like a contradiction. There’s little chance I can get away from him when I’m wandering campus amongst his loyal subjects, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor.
Especially now that I’m even more confused and mixed-up inside about him than ever before.
Ghost suddenly reappears in the doorway he’d stormed through earlier.
“Done?” he snaps.
“Yeah, we’re done,” Jenn hisses.
He glares at her then moves toward me. “Let’s go.”
I don’t have time to even say goodbye to Jenn before he’s ushering me out of the room. Jenn’s already on her feet and walking through the opposite door, however, without a backwards glance.
So much for her single moment of maternal care.
I follow Ghost out to his Charger, and we drive back to campus in tense silence again. I’m not scared anymore, but I’m exhausted. The adrenaline I’d built up on the way to meet with Momma has drained from me, and I’ve got no energy left to even care.
When we arrive on campus, I’m a little surprised when he actually parks and gets out the car with me.
“What are you doing?” I ask, suspicious as he comes to stand on the sidewalk next to me.
There’s an extra dose of malice in his lopsided grin. “I promised to make sure you got back safe. I’d be slacking in my duties if I didn’t walk you to your building.”
“I don’t want that,” I object.
“Does it look like I give a fuck what you want? You just move your ass.” He begins walking toward my building, and I hurry to catch up with him. I keep my eyes open and my head on a swivel, nervous someone’s going to see us walking together.
When we reach the building’s entrance, I stop, not willing to let him inside.
Thankfully, he doesn’t try to bully his way through the doors.
“I’ll be in touch when Jenn wants to see you again,” he tells me, facing me with his hands in his pockets.
“Keep your hands off my mother,” I warn. “I don’t know what your relationship is exactly, but I swear to God, if you hurt her—”
He sneers, cutting off my threat. “What are you going to do about it, huh? Send your pretty blond boyfriend to fuck me up?”
He’s looking at me like I’m nothing but an insignificant bug he could swat away with the merest flick of his wrist. I can tell he’s not taking me seriously, and that turns my blood to lava. Desperate to appear menacing, I glance down the sidewalk toward the charred remains of Saint’s old dorm, which are in sight from my own building. Meeting Ghost’s eyes once more, I nod toward the wreckage. He looks to see what I’m indicating and lets out a burst of laughter.
“You planning to set me on fire, sweetheart?”
“If that’s what it takes,” I mumble.
He chuckles, shaking his head. “I might enjoy seeing you try.” Jerking his chin at me, he twists around and walks down the street back to his car. I keep my eyes on him until he drives out of sight, and only then do I enter the building.
For once, I take the stairs. Ghost’s parting words have my blood pumping again, and I’m jittery and anxious. As I make my way up to the third floor, my phone buzzes. I grab it out, my hand shaking, and see that it’s a text from Saint.