Just Kidding | ✔️

Chapter 37: Home Alone

♡

"Oh my God." I throw myself into his embrace and I don't for one second take it for granted.

He's back, he's holding me, I'm safe.

"Don't ever leave me again." I bury my face in his t-shirt with my arms wound tightly around his torso. Meanwhile his fingers gentle graze my back as if reading braille for the first time. It's slow; gentle.

"Hey," he shushes me before tugging on my arms and forcing me to face him head on. One quick sweep over my glossy eyes and pink cheeks, his expression hardens into one of panic. "Were you crying?"

"N-no." I pull away, wiping at my eyes. "Just allergies." I look back up, ready to win him over with a smile but his glare is already set on who I know isn't too far behind me.

"Cooper. It's okay." I lay my hand against his heart and I know damn well that the rapid beating beneath my palm isn't due to me being in his arms again.

"Did he touch you?" Cooper points over my head. I don't get an input in the matter because just as I open my mouth, he's storming past me to the guilty looking boy frozen in place.

Of course at this given moment my phone buzzes and my brothers contact pops up with a text: "where r u?"

I was going to answer. I was, but then the harsh sound of a body hitting the locker knocks out any train of thought. I'm looking up just in time to witness Cooper grabbing Bryce's hoodie, lifting him just an inch or two off the ground.

"You ever heard of consent?" Cooper growls.

"Shit." I mumble, making my way over to the lockers.

I look away for five seconds and Bryce is already spilling his damn guts. I may not like him at the moment but he can't always control his outbursts. He deserves to be kept at a distance, not beaten up. Especially not by Cooper.

"I-I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt her. I just lose control and-" Bryce shivers.

"I should knock your damn teeth in." Cooper looks over the body that trembles in his hands with disgust.

"Cooper stop it!" I grab his shoulder. This causes him to lose his grip on Bryce and he's tumbling to the ground.

"Please. It wasn't his fault." I plead, grabbing onto Cooper and shaking him until he's looking me in my eyes.

That venom immediately dissolves as he says. "His first mistake was laying a hand on you, Kyla. His second was doing so without your permission."

"I know. It wasn't okay, he knows that but you don't need to hurt him. Please don't hurt him." I beg.

Staring between Bryce and I, he groans. "Goddamnit Kyla." Suddenly I'm pressed against his chest. "What the hell are you doing to me?"

"Keeping you out of trouble, it seems." I cling onto him and I don't let go until my brothers voice is fading in through the deafening silence.

"There you are." Blake sighs. "What the hell happened?"

I untangle myself from Cooper only to see Bryce is still sitting on the ground staring at the lockers across the hall, no expression, no emotion. "He's in shock." I go to take a step but my wrist is caught and Cooper's pleading eyes are forcing me to stay.