She's Bad News

Chapter 16

I let out a groan and leaned my head back to stare at the ceiling in defeat. My temples were throbbing and the sound of Jason’s voice was not making things better. His questions were in fact, making the throbbing multiply in intensity. “I have a headache,” I said, avoiding his question because I had no answer for him. What was I supposed to say? I trusted Flynn? When I touched him it felt like all the crazy pieces inside of me that threatened to drive me insane settled down, made sense even?

What about the odd happiness I felt when he didn’t turn away from me, didn’t walk out of my room and give up even though he had every right to?

I shook my head and turned around, biting my lip and planting my hand on my chest where my heart was beating a lot faster than usual. It means nothing. I told myself, walking back to the stack of albums waiting to be shelved.

“So you’re not going to answer?”

“Nothing to say,” I replied.

“I thought you’d be entertaining when I hired you,” Jason said, slumping forward and resting his cheek on the desk in front of him. “Done anything illegal lately?”

I ignored him.

When the bell above the door rang indicating a customer, I sent up a silent thank you and turned to greet my savoir.

It was Rachel.

My polite smile vanished and instantly, my guard was up. Her expression was cloudy and I had no idea what she was thinking as she made her way towards me, ignoring Jason who’d called a polite hello.

I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest as she stopped in front of me, saying nothing. “Can I help you?” I asked finally.

“Are you okay?”

I just raised my eyebrow higher.

She let out a long breath and ran her hand through her hair. “Look, I didn’t want to do this either─”

“Then why did you?”

“Because last night you said─”

“Forget it.”

“I can’t!” she half yelled, shaking her head in frustration. “Last night, you looked seriously freaked out and I was─”

“Worried?” I gave a short laugh and rolled my eyes. “About me? The town whore? Why Rachel, I didn’t know you cared.”

“I don’t,” she snapped, her eyes flashing with anger and her fists clenching at her sides but then confusion joined the anger and her forehead wrinkled in a frown. “I shouldn’t, right? I mean, you screwed me over so many times in the past, didn’t you? I tried so hard to get the old Cory back but then you burnt down a school and showed up hammered to my fourteenth birthday. So why should I worry about you?”

“You shouldn’t.”

“God! You’re impossible! I’m trying to be nice!”

“Thanks,” I said flatly, tilting my head to the side. “So where are the others?”

“What?” she asked, her forehead wrinkling as she frowned at me.

“You know, Tara, Lara, and Bo-bara. Are they waiting outside to beat me up?”

“Don’t get any blood on my store,” Jason said mildly, pricing some albums without glancing in our direction.

“No,” Rachel said, looked from him back to me. “They’re not waiting for you. That’s not why I came here, Cor.”