Deepest Shade of Jaded

Chapter Five: When I Get Home You Are So Dead

Deepest Shade of Jaded

Chapter Five

                The next morning I woke with my head on Maxx’s chest, his arms around me. I listened to his steady heartbeat and smiled. He could sleep through anything. Slowly sliding out of his grip, I got up and stretched. Picking up my robe I went and showered. When I got out I slid on my robe and went into my room, thinking about what to wear for the day. I decided on a biker theme today. I pulled out a pair of camouflage cargo skinny jeans, a tight black tank top, an orange bra and panty set, socks, and my favorite combat boots. Maxx was still asleep so I shed my robe and pulled on my underclothes. As I picked up my jeans I heard a rustle. I turned sharply to see Maxwell staring at me sleepily. “Well I guess this goes on the list of top ten best ways to wake up.” I laughed and threw my robe at him. “Don’t look you pervert.” I giggled. He pouted but complied. Pulling on the rest of my clothes I sat down on the bed to pull on my boots, lacing them up army style and tucking in the bows. Actually Maxx taught me that. A pair of arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back onto the bed. I turned to face Maxx and found him staring at me with an emotion I couldn’t name. “What?” I asked. “Do you ever think about what we could have together? Does it ever cross your mind that I could be better for you than Alex?” he asked softly. I shook my head fervently. “That isn’t going to happen I’ve told you before.” “But why not, what law says you have to stay with him? I don’t see what you think is so great about him. Was he there the first time you ever blacked out? Was he there whenever you couldn’t take seeing families at the park? Whose door do you always knock on to come comfort you when you’re terrified of the storms? Who do you call first when something goes wrong? Who do you ask to stay the night when you’re scared to be alone? You know I’m the one you need. I just don’t see why you don’t want what you need.”  “Maxx…” I started but he cut me off, “No. No more excuses for him. Damn it Jade, you deserve better! I bet you he isn’t even faithful. You guys haven’t slept together yet, and don’t tell me to butt out because you know it’s true. How do you know he isn’t out there getting some from all the sluts at that school? He was a notorious playboy before you two started going out who’s to say that he isn’t still?!“ I slapped him across the face. “Stop it! Don’t ever say that to me. He would never do something as cruel as that.” He sighed and retracted his arms. Standing he walked to the door and paused. “Don’t come crying to me when you find out I was right.” And with that he walked out of my room shutting my door quietly behind him. I sighed, knowing that I had been too harsh. I justified myself with the thought that he had been slandering Alex. I grabbed my towel and dried my hair. I didn’t feel like doing anything with it, so I threw it up in a pony-tail. Putting on some leather cuff bracelets and grabbing my cheer bag I walked out to my car. As I walked out the front door I spotted Alex leaning against the El Camino. Taking a deep breath I put a smile on my face and walked up to him. “Hey babe.” I said happily. He didn’t say anything, but remained frowning. I opened my mouth to ask what was bothering him but he spoke first. “Maxx stayed the night. I saw him pull up, and just a bit ago he left looking rather pissed. Did you guys have a lover’s quarrel or something?” I was stunned at my boyfriend’s behavior. “What the hell Alex? Maxx stayed the night because I was bawling my eyes out and I wanted my best friend to comfort me. You know I don’t like waking up alone when I’m upset.” And he did. One night after I had asked him to stay the night he had slipped out right after he made sure I was asleep. When I woke up alone the next morning I had gone into hysterics. He heard me screaming from his house and rushed over. I refused to talk to him for two days. “You could have asked me to stay. Instead you shut the door in my face and called Maxx. What the hell is up with you? Are you sleeping with him? Is that why you don’t put out to me, because you don’t want anyone else to have you but him?” I stared at him with tears building up in my eyes. “No you asshole! I’m not sleeping with him! I don’t put out to you because I’m not ready for it! I told you I’m not that kind of girl! Why are you being so insensitive? If anyone has a problem it must be you!” I screamed, the tears spilling down my cheeks. I was so taken aback by his accusations that I couldn’t think. So I did what my instincts told me to do. I got in the car and left him standing there.  I drove into town, to the diner where I first met Miss Rainy. I had gotten to know her very well over the past years. Parking the car I wiped off the tear tracks and blew my nose. Pulling out a small tube of concealer I covered the rings around and under my eyes. Satisfied that I looked partly human I walked into the diner and sat at the counter. Rocky, one of the waiters came over and asked what I wanted. I told him coffee. As he went to get it he called back to Rainy that I was here. A few minutes later she came out wiping her hands on a towel. The years had been kind to her and she looked twenty five rather than the thirty five that she really was. “Hey darling, what’s on your mind?” She asked knowingly. I explained to her all about my visit to Dr. Wharton, Maxx’s questions, and Alex’s accusations. When I was done she sighed. “Honey you know I don’t like getting into other’s business.” She started slowly. I started to say something but she cut me off. “But I care about you like a daughter, so I did some looking. I asked around about Alex, and I got multiple accounts of people seeing him walking into different girls houses and not coming out for an hour or two. So I asked a few of the girls what they were doing when he came up to their rooms. I always got the same answer. ‘I got the best ride of my life. That man is gifted. The things he can do with that body. If you want a good lay, you go talk to Alex McKinney.’ Honey I know you love him. And I don’t expect you to take my word for everything I’ve just said. But I think you should go talk to him about it. Go on now, get out of here. I’ll see you later.” I blinked and processed what she had just told me. There were multiple girls? ‘If you want a good lay, you go talk to Alex McKinney?’  I didn’t want to believe it but I was starting to doubt myself after both Rainy and Maxx told me the same thing. “Nonsense, you know Alex would never do that to you. You’ve been together for two years, stop making ridiculous accusations. Rainy must have gotten the names messed up, and you know Maxx has always been jealous. Get it together girl!” I decided to go to Alex’s house and apologize. I pulled into my driveway and parked. I looked across the lawn and saw another car parked out front. I walked up to the door and knocked. No one answered. I sighed knowing he was probably still mad at me. I opened the door and walked inside. Looking around I didn’t see anyone, but I heard a thud upstairs. Afraid that he had fallen I ran up only to stop in front of his door. “Oh Alex! Oh yeah, harder baby.” A girl’s voice said. My eyes widened and I threw open the door to find Alex and Britanny having sex on his bed. My jaw dropped as Alex hastily covered them with sheets. As Alex started to try and explain something inside me snapped. I walked over to the bed and shoved Alex onto the floor. Grabbing Britanny by her hair, I dragged her down the stairs and through the living room ignoring her screams and Alex’s protests. I opened the front door and threw her out onto the sidewalk. Several families were outside and stared at the naked woman and myself. I stormed towards her cowering form. Pulling my arm back I swung and hit her square in the nose, smiling when I heard a crunching noise. I punched her over and over again, screaming at her. “You slut, I helped you! I was nice to you. And then I come over to surprise Alex and instead find you screwing his brains out! You little tramp!” I screamed profanities and kicked and punched until someone came and wrestled me off of her. I kicked and screamed for them to let me go. “Stop it Jade! Stop this right now before you do something really stupid like kill the poor girl!” I slumped as all of the adrenaline left my body. Shrugging Maxx off, I walked over to Britanny. She shrieked and tried to back up but couldn’t. “Calm down I’m going to fix your nose. Can you sit up?” She looked at me like I had grown two heads. Sighing I pulled my tank top off and held it up to her face, gently wiping the blood off her busted lip. “Come on, I’ve got some clean clothes and bandages, I’ll fix you up and we can discuss what happened here.”  Realizing I wasn’t going to hurt her again she grabbed my hand and followed me to my house. Maxx walked behind her blocking her from view of the crowd that had gathered. Going into my bathroom I sat her down while Maxx leaned against the door frame. I looked at her nose and said, “This is going to hurt, but at least it won’t heal crooked.” She nodded for me to go ahead, and set her nose with a loud pop. I could tell that it hurt so I pulled out a couple of Aspirin and handed them to her along with a glass of water. She swallowed them and handed me the glass back. I pulled out a first aid kit and cleaned the cut on her lip and above her eyebrow. “Your eyes are going to swell, but if you put something cold on them it won’t be as bad okay? I’m going to go get you some clothes to wear.” I walked into my bedroom and started rummaging around. “What the hell just happened? You jump her then invite her to your house?” I sighed and shook my head. “I don’t know what came over me, something inside me just snapped. After you left Alex and I got in a fight and he accused me of sleeping with you. I left and went to talk to Rainy. She told me that several girls had claimed to have slept with Alex. I didn’t want to believe her so I went to his house to apologize for being a bitch. When I got there I found them in his bed. When I saw them there, I just snapped. I realized what a fool I had been and took it out on her. When you pulled me off of her, it was like I came back to myself and saw what I had done. I knew I needed to right my wrongs so I decided to help her. I’ll deal with Alex later.” Grabbing a t-shirt, shorts, and a pair of underclothes I walked back into the bathroom where Britanny was sitting. I handed her the clothes and walked back out so she could change. I looked at Maxx. “Take her home; make sure she puts frozen peas on her eyes to reduce swelling. I have unfinished business to take care of.” And with that I walked out of my room and through the front door.