It All Started With a Diary

okay

"Hey." I shifted to face him. "Is everything okay?"

His eyes raised to meet mine. The alert in his eyes shifted into something else.

He blinked it away. "Yeah," he nodded his head to confirm it. "Just some stupid shit at the cages."

As I went to speak again, a group of teens walked by our table. Their conversation died to whispers as they passed us, their eyes now the size of saucers.

I squirmed in my seat at the newfound attention. I knew that Kade and I were the most unexpected match in this place, but I still found it ridiculous that we were under a magnifying glass. These idiots were obsessed.

Kade noticed my eyes past him. He turned in his seat. His eyes raised to meet the groups, his angry glare roaring a number of warnings.

"You get five seconds to get your eyes off of her before I rip them from the sockets," he announced, jerking his head at them, and everyone else, as well. "Get me?"

When they stilled, he chuckled, jerking his eyes over the rest. "Anyone else wanna step up?"

I praised the group when they quickly scurried away to drown themselves in someone else's shit. Everyone in the room who had been staring shifted their gazes elsewhere, as well.

Kades' eyes fell back to mine, the cold expression ceasing. I felt my insides warm as his hand crept towards mine.

"Hey," Kade called out, his fingers tracing circles along my wrist. "Don't worry. They're just trying to get under your pretty skin because they have nothing better else to do, you get me?"

I nodded, my smile resting on my lips. "I get you." His words upturned my world. They reminded me that rumors were exactly what they were called. Rumors.

He nodded, studying me over for any insecurities. "If anybody says something else to you, or you're uncomfortable, let me know," Kade told me. "I'll handle it."

I shook my head with a chuckle. "Absolutely not. You're not breaking some poor guys' arm."

Kade snorted. "Don't be dramatic, sweetheart. I'd never." I bobbed my head slowly just before I heard his next words. "I'll go for the nose first, fingers, then his arm."

Just as I directed my glare at him, my friends were placing their trays down. I smiled at them, but only one of the three returned it.

Maggie's scowl was displeasing. "Kimberly, please tell me the rumors aren't true."

"Well, well, well," Jax grinned, taking the seat to my side. "Somebody got busy on her suspension week."

Kade eyed him in warning as he saw him bump into my shoulder. Jax chuckled, completely ignoring it as he dug into his, well my, plate. I felt my skin darken as Jax sent a knowing wink my way.

Raven snatched a fry from my plate. "Agreed." Her voice was short, and snippy.

Maggies' eyes bulged at the both of them. "Are you guys serious?" They all began to go back and forth.

"Guys," I interrupted.

Three pair of eyes raised to meet mine. Kades' eyes had never left.

I struggled to intake a breath. I was truly about to say it.

I smiled as I felt Kade grip my hand in a support mechanism. I squeezed it as a thank you.

"Yes, we're together, and yes he is my boyfriend," I started. "Anything else in our relationship is our business, and," I swallowed past the thick lump in my throat. "It's really not that big of a deal. People get together everyday. If you don't like it, then...you'll just have to deal with it, I guess."