FADED (book I)

XXXVII

"Something like that." I caught his lips quirk in the tiniest smile before he left his room.

I flipped the covers off of me and slipped out of bed, trailing after him into the bathroom. I perched myself on the edge of the bathtub. I suppressed a cold shiver when my bare skin touched the cold tiles. "What did you do?"

"I just told him that if he so much as looks at you, I'll kill him."

My jaw dropped. "Wha - you're lying. Are you even allowed to say that?"

"Fine, that's not what I said." Jordan started brushing his teeth and paused momentarily to spit out the toothpaste. "I told him that in my line of work, I know enough people that would jump at the opportunity to kill a boy like him in a very painful away. And I would love to help them get away with it."

"Jordan!" I laughed.

"Should've seen his face," he chuckled. He rinsed his mouth and washed his face before turning off the tap.

I handed him a clean towel. "Still can't believe you really got rid of the two people I hate the most. You literally changed my life. I don't even know how to thank you."

He snorted. "Well I love my job, so you could help me not lose it. I don't think I can keep making people 'disappear' without raising suspicion."

I stood up and looked up at him with a smile. My arms circled around his waist and I pressed my cheek against his chest, soaking up the warmth radiating of his skin.

Jordan ran his fingers through my hair and hugged me back even tighter. I yawned and he rubbed the back of my neck. "Let's get you back to bed."

I quickly crawled in bed, nestling my head against my pillow. A sudden thought hit me. "What about Preston?"

"I tried to contact his father but no one's picking up."

"What about the mother?"

Jordan smoothed the covers around my body. "She's in prison. Has been for the past few years."

I frowned. "So what now?"

"If they can't get ahold of the father, law enforcement will almost certainly notify CPS. If those kids have no safe or appropriate family members who are willing and able to take them in, they will be placed in foster care via emergency removal."

My eyes widened in panic. "You can't let that happen! It will crush them!"

"You know that's how the system works, baby." Jordan's hand encased mine, his calloused fingers stroking my knuckles. "It's the only option. They're not safe."

"What about the sister? Morgan. She's eighteen, she can apply for custody, just like you did."

His lips tightened. "Yeah, she wasn't telling the truth. She's not eighteen, not until a few months."

"Tell them to wait then," I pushed.

"It's not that easy, Jade, it never is."

My eyes watered. "But she has a baby, they can't just split them up. That's just cruel."

"Listen, I don't want you to beat yourself up about this. It's not your fault - "

"Of course it is!" I cried. "I shouldn't've called the cops."

And I shouldn't have gone to that party in the first place. I should've just listened to Preston. Because of my actions, I exposed his family to the authorities. They were going to be removed, sent into foster care, to different families. When I was little my biggest fear was being away from my brothers - I couldn't fathom the thought of having strangers raise me. I didn't belong with any other family, only mine. Knowing that I was putting Preston through my worst nightmare, was gut wrenching.