Days of Revelations (Night of Secrets #2)

Chapter 36 - Familiar Feelings

Adeline

It surprisingly doesn't take too much willpower for me to get up extra early in the mornings. I only start to do this to give Jax all the clothes I stole from him (and to take back the one hoodie I gave him) before heading to school. Then it became a daily occurrence for the rest of the week because I didn't want to deal with my parents' questions about how things are with Jax, if we're still friends, and if we still plan to hang out when he's not grounded or suspended anymore. Their questions about Dean and his parents are even worse. So better to try and be out of the house as much as possible.

I try to keep to myself as much as possible, but the guys still insist on walking me to my classes. It's okay at first, but after they give Jax all his missing schoolwork on the first day of his suspension, I know that they know about the breakup. And I know they're waiting for me to tell them my side. I still don't want to talk to them about anything, though. It'll make them feel awkward and drag them down. But ditching them feels rude, so the most I can do is sidetrack them whenever they say something remotely related to what's going on.

I help them gather Jax's schoolwork, but I don't go to Roses in Ink with them. That feels like too much interaction with everyone. Not to mention I want to keep some distance between me and Jax to give him more time to really consider why he should stop caring about me.

And Mira... It feels like I haven't been around to see her in forever. I don't go to the treehouse anymore since the letter's gone. It has to mean Jax goes there now. I want him to have that space back if he needs it, but I definitely don't go to the diner before or after school anymore. Tonight will be the first time in a while that I step foot in there since we're having dinner with the Inkroses tonight. But other than that, I want to keep my distance from Mira, too. I know she probably knows everything because of the guys, but she's going to interrogate me the first moment she gets.

It doesn't help that the guys tell me Mira and Jax say hi and that they miss me. It makes the moments when I'm away from everyone just a little more relieving. And the only times I'm free from them during the day are the times when Jax usually walks me to my classes since their classes are too far from mine to work out an alternate schedule. Instead, one of them calls me, so I have someone to talk to while I walk to class and I can tell them if something happens. So far the worst thing that has happened is running into one of the basketball players and having them look me up and down or suggest they want to do something with me. They never try to touch me, but the way they look at and talk to me always makes me shudder, and I think the guys can hear it in my voice every single time they're on the phone with me.

I tell them it's nothing to worry about because it really isn't. They never sound convinced, but they don't try to hunt me down anytime it happens which means I can escape and hide during lunch. I try to change where I hide every day, but since Aart calls me during passing period before lunch, I always tell him I'm not coming so they all know not to look for me.

I'm just pulling out my phone when someone calls my name. I glance over my shoulder at Cyril. He smiles, waving. I nod at him before I turn back to my phone, answering Aart's call.

"Before you ask," I say, "no, I'm not coming to the cafeteria."

He sighs. "Fine. If that's what you want. But you're eating, right? You don't have to sit with us, but you have to eat."

"I will. Don't worry."

Aart makes a contemplative sound, and I know he doesn't believe me. "I'm holding you to that."

I sigh, crossing my free arm over my chest. "Okay, Aart. Whatever. I'll see you later."

"Later. Love you."