Once we have our food and I’m pretty much holding my breath so I don’t have to inhale the smell of the meatloaf and mashed potatoes, we leave the line. Tomorrow, I’m bringing cash for the ala carte menu. I’ll survive on chips and candy bars before eating this rubbish.
“Blue Jay,” I hear someone holler. Not just someone—him. Against my better judgment, I lift my head and look in his direction. With his hand in the air, he waves me over. “Come on, we had a deal.”
Glancing from him to Bree, I press my lips together and fight the need to hide with all the attention set on me.
“You’ve got to be kidding me?” Bree mumbles with her eyes fixated on Zack. Looking back at me, her eyes widen. “Why is Zack Wells calling you over to his table?”
My shoulders shrug and I feel my cheeks flush. “We met earlier.”
“And you just failed to mention that ninety seconds ago when we were talking about him?”
“Would you believe me if I said I forgot?”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Go sit with him.”
Cocking a brow, I question her sudden enthusiasm with me befriending Zack. “Wait a minute. I thought you just said not to bother with him.” I also just told myself that I need to stay far away from Zack, but there’s this invisible string that is drawing me to him.
Her head nods rapidly. “Yes. Yes, I did. But that was before I knew he befriended you first.” She gives me a nudge from behind. “I shall live vicariously through you. Fill me in after lunch.”
My feet begin moving in his direction and with each step, my heart beats more rapidly, rattling my rib cage. Up until Bree told me how exclusive this table was, I would have been totally fine with sitting there. Now, I feel like an outcast and I worry what could come of this.
Zack pulls out a chair directly beside him and I set my tray down. I’m the only one with a tray. They all have junk food that looks much more appetizing than my meatloaf.
“Eat up, new girl.” Lacey says as she leans forward and shoots daggers in my direction from the other side of Zack. She takes a big bite of her apple and stares me down as she chews.
Digging my fork into my mashed potatoes, I fluff them up, but my appetite is suddenly gone.
Zack throws an arm over my shoulder and the scent of his masculine deodorant fills my senses. “So, how’s your day going?”
“Not bad.” I nod, finally taking a bite of my food.
I can feel the eyes of every person at this table burn into me. It’s like they're watching and waiting for something. “How’s your day going?” I ask Zack, realizing that I sound like a parrot.
“Same as every other. But it’s not the same. Today is different, because I got to meet you, finally.”
I raise a brow. “Finally?”
“Yup. We’ve all been anticipating your arrival.”
Lacey’s chair slides back and before I can even get a look at where she’s going, ice cold water spills down the back of my shirt. Puffing my chest out, I suck my stomach in to try and escape the chill. “What the hell?” I spit out. My chair flies back abruptly and I’m on my feet and in her face in two seconds flat. Giving her a shove backwards, she just laughs.
Lacey smirks as her eyes hold tightly to mine. “I don’t know, Zack. Home-wreckers are usually pretty. She’s just a plain bitch.”
My hands plant on her chest again, shoving her back even farther. “You obviously don’t know me at all. Don’t mess with me, Lacey.”
Pivoting around, I watch Zack as he sits there laughing hysterically at my misfortune. “You were in on this?” I speak calmly. But, why?
Zack stands up slowly and walks toward me until his face is mere inches from mine. “Why not, Blue Jay?”
“Would you quit calling me that? We all know I have blue eyes. It’s getting old already.”
He lets out a throaty laugh. “Oh, you think that’s why I gave you the nickname?” His expression drops before he leans in and his lips ghost my ear. “Wrong. Blue Jays are thieves. They steal from other nests. Nests that are not their own. Just like you did. You’re a thief, and it’s time you pay for your sins.”
Chills trail down my spine as his words. I don’t know what he thinks I stole, but he’s wrong. I’ve never stolen anything in my life. I take a step backwards. “What are you talking about?”
His back steels and a new look replaces the one I’ve seen throughout the day. It’s cold and calloused—laced with bitterness. “You took everything from me. Now, I’m taking something from you, Blue Jay.” A sinister smile spreads across his face. “Welcome to your new school. It’s sure to be a hell of a ride.”
3
Zack
Metal meets metal when the screen door slams shut behind me. “Zack, is that you?” Aunt Nikki hollers, her footsteps coming closer and closer until she’s standing in front of me.
Once we’re face to face, she lets out a sigh, as if she’s totally disappointed to see me. My shoulders waggle. “Sorry. Just me.”
Sweeping the air with her hand, she walks over to the kitchen counter and presses her palms to the granite. Her chin drops to her chest. “I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself,” she chokes out.
I walk over to her side and place a comforting hand on her back. “He’ll come back eventually and everything will be fine.”
As if I said something repulsive, her head snaps up and her eyes squint. “No. He won’t. It’s over. For good this time.”
Dropping my hand, I pull open the refrigerator and grab a bottle of water. “I really think you should give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s your husband and he loves you. Do you seriously think that he would ever cheat on you?”
Holding a hand up, she stops me from saying anything more. We’ve been down this road a thousand times and no matter what I say, she refuses to hear the truth. “I’m leaving, Zack. At least for a while.” She shakes her head. “I dunno, maybe forever. I need to go back to Utah with my family. Your uncle was the only reason I even moved to this depressing town.”
Unscrewing the bottle, I tip it back and take a swig. “Depressing town?” I laugh, “Just a month ago, you were telling me how much you loved it here.”
“That was before everything happened.” She looks around the room and her eyes begin to dampen. “Now, I can barely even stand being in this house, let alone the town.”
“So, you’re really going?” My head shakes and my eyes close at the thought. Taking a deep breath, I ask the question that’s been weighing heavily on my mind. “Where does that leave me?” I open my eyes. “I’m not going back there. I can’t.”
Aunt Nikki raises a shoulder. “I hear he’s doing better. Maybe you could give it a try.”
“Never,” I spit out. “I’ll die before I live with that piece of shit again. You saw how he was. He’s a junkie who takes pleasure in making people miserable.” My father is something else. Never cared for anyone but himself and he never will. He taught me a lot of things, but how not to be like him is the number one thing I’ve learned. He’s the reason I don’t drink. I’ll never touch drugs, and I’ll never lay my hand on a woman—which should be common sense. However, there comes a time when people need to pay for their sins, and my life is falling apart because of one person in particular. I won’t touch her, but she will feel pain.