I know this took forever but the next one will be out in a day or two. I just...had some shit going on...sorry :)
Chapter 13
Corinna’s POV
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Clearly unbothered by my words, Jessica brushed past me into my house on Friday night, her hands laden with bags that somehow seemed ominous.
“I’m here to help you get ready,” she said, trying to take her shoes off and keep a hold on the bags at the same time.
I blinked and wracked my brain for an answer, trying to figure out what this girl was doing in my house at six o’clock on Friday night. “Are you talking about Chemistry right now? Because the test isn’t until next week and Flynn told me you were coming over on Sunday to tutor me.”
She rolled her eyes at me before sending me a wide grin, her dark brown eyes lighting with mischief that definitely made me nervous. “Who cares about chemistry when you’ve got a hot date to prepare for,” she said excitedly, turning away from me and heading towards the stairs with an extra bounce in her step. “I brought a few outfit options just in case you don’t have anything other than ripped jeans and plain t-shirts in your wardrobe. I’m so excited to see you in a dress, Cor, you’re going to look great.”
She was halfway up the stairs before she realized that I wasn’t behind her. When she turned back to look at me, her forehead wrinkled in a confused frown, I just stared at her with an eyebrow raised. “I think you have the wrong girl. The only ‘hot date’ I’m going on tonight is with my Spanish textbook and I do not require a dress for it so why don’t you go and enjoy your Friday night elsewhere?”
She let out an exasperated sigh and put her bag laden hands on her hips, trying to look severe without tipping over. “You know, you could be a little more grateful,” she said, narrowing her eyes on me.
“I’d be grateful if you left,” I said flatly, giving her a cold stare and mentally telling her to take her makeover kit and leave the house.
She just chuckled and shook her head before turning around again and continuing up the stairs. “You’ll change your mind when you see the outfit I picked for you,” she called over her shoulder, completely unbothered by my cold attitude.
“No I won’t,” I mumbled, turning towards the living room, intent on hiding there until Jessica gave up but the faint sound of Donald’s voice made me freeze. He was talking to Jake whose higher pitched voice carried a little better up the stairs as he went over everything that had happened in school that day. I felt a smile stretch across my face as I listened but the smile faded when I heard Donald and Sandra laugh at something Jake said, making my heart twist hard in my chest with longing.
Unconsciously, I shifted closer to the staircase that led to the basement where the main living room was. I could see the room in my mind with its warm fireplace and big screen TV, the floor riddled with toys and worn out magazines. I could picture the huge couch with its soft cushions and I could see my father and Sandra sitting comfortably together watching as Jake played on the floor and I wondered where I would’ve sat if I had been a part of that cozy scene.
My foot was on the top step before I realized what I was doing and once my brain started working again, I jerked back, spinning away from the stairs and stumbling slightly, my heart pounding hard in my chest as I bumped into something solid.
“Whoa,” Aaron said, his hands gripping my arms tightly to keep me from falling over, his hold steadying me but doing nothing to calm my racing heart. “You okay?”
My lips twisted into a sarcastic smile as a reaction to his presence and a reaction to my useless hope of being a part of this family. “I’m fine,” I said flatly, trying to pull back from him but he wouldn’t let go of my arms.
“Are you sure?” he asked softly, his forehead wrinkled in concern as his chocolate coloured eyes searched my face, looking for a crack in my armour that he would never find.
I raised an eyebrow at him, taking a step back and pulling my arms from his grip but he just shifted his hands so that he was holding my wrists, not taking his eyes off my face.
“Cory,” he said quietly, his eyes lit with a concern that warmed my heart even as I kept my expression blank.
“Are you going to let me go now?” I asked, my voice flat as I sent a pointed look to where his hands were holding my wrists gently.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, reluctantly releasing his grip and I immediately crossed my arms over my chest, not wanting to give him the opportunity to touch me again.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, casting a glance up the stairs at where Jessica had disappeared, trying to ignore the unsettled feeling in my stomach as I wondered just what she was doing in my room.
“Jesse told me to meet him here so the three of us can ride together before the date,” he said, a smile stretching across his face. “Is he not home yet? I’m pretty early but I figured we could hang out a bit before we left.”
I blinked, thinking that this ‘date’ somehow involved me. “Who is going on the date?” I asked flatly, recalling the double date idea that I’d accidentally agreed to earlier in the week.
“You, me, Jesse, and Kristine,” Aaron replied, his smile widening even further as he looked at me. “I’m surprised Jesse got you to agree actually.”
“He didn’t,” I said flatly, sidestepping around Aaron, intent on calling my brother and bitching him out.
“What?” Aaron asked, his hand gripping my shoulder briefly but long enough to halt my movement. “He told me you agreed.”
“He lied,” I said, shaking my head.
Aaron frowned but I ignored him as I moved further away, digging in my jeans pocket for my phone. “Hey,” he said softly, placing his hand over mine before I could dial Jesse’s number. “It’s no big deal, Cory. He’ll be fine without us if you don’t want to go. It’s okay.”
I let out a short laugh, ignoring the warmth in my chest at his kindness and saying in my usual sarcastic voice, “Don’t you ever get sick of being so nice?”
He let out an easy chuckle and leaned a little closer, his eyes lit with laughter as he said, “You like it when I’m nice to you, don’t you?” My eyes widened as I realized he was right. He was one of few people who didn’t look at me with suspicion and hatred and I couldn’t deny that it was nice to have someone around who had a little faith in me whether it was warranted or not.
But he didn’t need to know that.
I let out a caustic snort and rolled my eyes but before I could say anything, the front door opened and Jesse walked in with Flynn right behind him. “Oh good, you’re both here,” Jesse said, grinning as he pulled his shoes off and stepped into the house. “Starting the date early?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and I realized the position Aaron and I were in. His hand was resting on mine and he was leaning close to me, our faces only a few inches apart.
Hastily, I pulled back, tucking my hand and phone in my pocket, remembering belatedly that I was angry at my brother for volunteering me for a date that I had no intention of going on. I put my hand on my hip and turned to glare at him but my eyes caught on Flynn’s and the look in his green eyed gaze made me forget everything else.
His light green eyes were filled with anger as he looked directly at me, leaving no doubt in my mind that I was the cause of his anger but before I could ask him what his problem was, Aaron said, “You forgot to ask Cory if she wanted to go on this date, Jesse.”
“She already agreed. You were both there when she agreed,” Jesse replied, still grinning as he moved closer to me. “Right Cor? You wouldn’t go back on a promise, would you?”
“I would,” I said flatly.
“Oh come on,” Jesse said, his eyes going big and round as he held his hands in front of his chest, praying to me to help him with his love life. “Please help me out, Cory? Please?”
“Forget it,” I said with a firm shake of my head but inside I was wavering.
“If I show up without you guys, she’ll just leave. I really like this girl and I need your help. Will you please just help me?” he asked, his blue eyes begging me and making me forget my reasons not to agree.
“Okay,” I blurted before I realized what I was saying and when he let out an excited whoop and wrapped his arms tightly around me, I stiffened, my brain catching up to my mouth making me wince. “Crap,” I muttered but I wasn’t really upset as I leaned further into him, wrapping my arms around his back and squeezing hard as I let out a sigh and wished I’d been around to get more of these hugs over the past four years.
“Thanks Cor,” he said excitedly, pulling back to grin down at me.
“You owe me.”
“Corinna Evans, get your butt up here!” Jessica called from upstairs making me flinch.
“Oh man, you owe me so, so much,” I muttered as I took a deep breath and headed up the stairs, dreading the night ahead of me.
“You look beautiful, Cor,” Jessica said, backing away from me slowly gesturing for me to do a turn so she could look at the final project.
“Seriously?” I said flatly, giving her a look of disbelief as I kept my feet firmly planted.
“Sorry, forgot who I was talking to for a moment there.”
“No kidding.”
She moved around me, tapping her finger on her chin as she examined her handiwork, eyeing the black dress that clung to my curves. The sleeves were a lacy material that went all the way to my wrists, covering my scars nicely and the back was high too. The few scars that the neckline revealed were covered by my hair which had been artfully arranged to fall down my back in loose waves that bounced lightly when I walked. She’d done my make up so that the golden flakes in my brown eyes were highlighted, making them appear brighter and larger than usual. I had to admit that I looked nice but it just wasn’t me. I preferred jeans to dresses and I missed my plain t-shirt already.
“You’re ready,” Jessica said with a firm nod, grinning widely at me, obviously pleased with the completed project. “So, what do you think? Are we friends now?”
“Not a chance.”
She shook her head and narrowed her eyes at me. “I think you’re lying. You’re warming up to me, I can tell.”
I shrugged nonchalantly, unbothered by her deduction. I’d liked Jessica since the day we met in the girl’s bathroom. The problem was, I didn’t have any room in my life for friends at the moment and I didn’t need to be dragging anyone else into my issues. Inwardly I flinched when I thought of how much Flynn knew and how much of myself I’d let him see already. I’d been even colder to him than usual since the day he’d met my mother, trying to distance myself from him before I became even more dependent on him than I already was.
“I also think you’re warming up to Aaron,” Jessica continued, giving me a look that I couldn’t decipher. “Do you like him?”
“I’ll tell you all about it next time we paint each other’s fingernails, okay?” I said, smirking at her.
She let out a frustrated breath and narrowed her eyes at me. “Fine, don’t tell me anything but for the record, I think you’re warming up to Aaron and I know you and Flynn have gotten closer.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I asked, an edge to my voice.
She tilted her head to the side and gave me a soft smile that made me frown. “It’s not the end of the world or anything,” she said, her smile widening as my confusion grew. “You just trust him, is all.”
“I do not,” I muttered but she was ignoring me as she pulled open the door and walked out of my room. “I don’t,” I said to the empty room, my eyes going unfocused as I thought of all the times I’d leaned on Flynn, all the times I’d let him see a piece of me that no one else saw.
I let out a frustrated breath and started pacing, telling myself that this was nothing to worry about. So what if I trusted Tyler Flynn a little more than other people, than my own mother. It wasn’t that big a deal, right?
“Trust,” I whispered, raising my right hand to look at my palm, remembering the soft tingling sensation that had moved over my skin when Flynn had held it. His warmth had felt like the only thing keeping me together as my mother’s presence threatened to pull me apart.
The knock on the door made me jump and somehow I managed to stub my toe on the footboard of my bed. I let out a quiet groan before saying, “I’ll be right down.”
“Ouch,” I muttered, limping over to my bed and grabbing the small clutch that Jessica had loaned me for the occasion. When I heard the door creak open, I let out an annoyed sigh. “I said I’d be right down,” I grumbled, turning to face Jessica but not bothering to look up as I continued to rummage through my purse, making sure I had enough money to buy my dinner and get home after just in case I needed to catch a cab. “Are you sure about thi─” I snapped my mouth shut when I realized that it wasn’t Jessica standing there but Flynn, a blank expression on his face as his eyes moved from my head to my toes and back again.
My heart jumped in my chest and I felt my cheeks heat which was rare for me. I wasn’t exactly the blushing type. “I said I’d be right down,” I snapped, trying to figure out what he was thinking but the look on his face was giving nothing away. I cocked a hip and placed my hand there, using my other to gesture at my body. “Like what you see?” I asked, giving him a humourless smile to hide the insecurity I was feeling.
He made a strange sound in the back of his throat and stepped more fully into the room, closing the door behind him. “Are you really going on this date?” he asked, his voice so low that it was practically a growl.
I shrugged and kept the smile on my face. “Looks like it.”
“Don’t.”
I let out a short laugh and shook my head, careful not to show him any emotions, painfully aware that I’d just been thinking about Flynn and trust in the same sentence. “Is Aaron a serial killer or something? Or maybe it’s less dramatic than that? Maybe you’re just trying to be the protector again because he treats his girlfriends like crap. Is that it?”
“Girlfriend?” he asked, his voice more of a rumble than anything else as he clenched his hands into fists at his sides and took a step closer to me. “Since when are you his girlfriend?”
“I’m not,” I said, forgetting to sound sarcastic as I blinked up at him, trying to figure out why he was acting so strangely. “What’s up with you, Flynn? You’re acting really weird.”
“I’m acting weird?” he asked, throwing his head back and giving a short, humourless laugh. “What about you, Cory? What’s with the silent treatment all week? Ever since I saw your mom, you’ve barely said two words to me, even during tutoring.”
I gave a nonchalant shrug and smirked. “I had nothing to say.”
“Oh come on, Cor!” he said, raising his hand quickly and even though on some level, I knew he was only going to run his fingers through his hair, I flinched away from him, my reflexes taking over as my body perceived his movement as threatening.
The room fell into complete silence, neither of us even breathing as I straightened and lowered my half raised hands to my sides, composing my features before I looked him in the eye.
For a moment, we just stood there, staring at each other, me with my flat eyes and Flynn’s burning bright with rage. “Did you think I would hit you, Cory?” he asked, his voice low and filled with tension as he spoke through gritted teeth.
I shrugged and quirked my lips into their usual smirk. “You didn’t so let’s just forget it.”
His eyes became an inferno of rage as he took a slow step closer to me, then another until we were toe to toe. “Forget it?” he asked, his voice rumbling out from his chest. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered the anger in his eyes and a part of me whispered that I should be afraid but I wasn’t. I just kept staring into his eyes, watching as the fire burned unchecked and this time when he slowly raised his hand, I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even move as he placed his fingertips on my cheek, his gaze burning into mine. “I will not forget it, Cory.”
“It’s no big de─”
“Somebody hurt you,” he cut me off, his lips turned down in a scowl. “How can you say it’s no big deal?”
“What do you want me to do?” I asked, wincing at the vulnerability in my voice. “Cry?” I snorted, and rolled my eyes but I didn’t move my face away from his hand. “Why bother? I’m doing everything I can right now to never ever have to go back to where I was so forgive me if I don’t cry but it’s in the past.”
He shook his head and some of the anger faded from his eyes as he settled his hand more firmly on my cheek, his palm cupping the soft skin there and unconsciously, I tilted my head towards his warmth, hoping he wouldn’t notice. “Okay, I get that but damn it, Cory why did no one know about any of this? Why did your dad think your mom was a good choice in the first place?” I didn’t respond, just raised an eyebrow at him until he let out a frustrated breath and moved his face a little closer to mine, his gaze steady as he looked me directly in the eye. “Fine, don’t tell me but I’m going to tell you something and I want you to listen to me. I will never, ever hurt you, Corinna Evans. I swear to the whole damn world that I will never raise a finger against you.”
My eyes widened slightly at the sincerity in his eyes, realizing that without a doubt, I trusted him. My head was telling me to be smart, that it was an act and that no one could really be trusted but my heart was racing with the need to trust him, to take his words inside of me and never let them go, to believe them to my very core and that terrified me.
“Okay,” I said, my voice coming out more breathless than breezy as I’d intended it to be but I didn’t care, I just needed to get away. Tearing my gaze from him, I shifted away from his touch and stepped around him, feeling like there wasn’t enough air in the room all of a sudden. “I’m going to be late,” I mumbled, reaching out to grip the doorknob.
Before I twisted it, I felt Flynn’s fingers wrap gently around my wrist and I froze. “Who was it?” he asked, his voice low and vibrating with restrained anger. “Who hurt you?”
I let out a short laugh but I still didn’t turn to face him. “Why do you want to know? Are you going to return the favour?”
“Yes,” he said, his voice filled with promise.
I shook my head and managed to plant a sarcastic smile on my face before I turned towards him, releasing the doorknob to plant my hand on my hip. “No you won’t, Flynn. This has nothing to do with you so just stay out of it.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched and his grip on my wrist tightened slightly but it wasn’t painful. His eyes were still blazing with anger but there was something else there too that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. “If you don’t want to talk to me, then at least talk to Jesse. He’s your brother, Cory.”
“Really? Thanks for the news flash,” I said, rolling my eyes at him.
“Will you just be serious?” he growled, taking a step closer to me until our bodies were nearly touching.
“I’m late,” I said, sending a pointed glance at his hand wrapped around my arm.
He didn’t say anything for a moment and when I looked back up at him, his eyes were no longer filled with anger. Instead, they were dull and flat, the light green colour giving nothing away as he stared down at me dispassionately. “For your date.”
“You got it,” I replied smoothly, tugging on my arm but he still wouldn’t let go.
“Cory?” Aaron’s muffled voice said through the door a second before he knocked. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” I replied and then more quietly I said, “Let me go,” tugging on my arm a little harder and this time, he let me go, taking with him the warmth that had been steadily moving from his hand up my arm, soothing me the way it always did. “I’ll see you later,” I mumbled, turning to open the door, revealing Aaron’s smiling face.
“What’s he doing in your room?” Aaron asked, his smile vanishing as soon as he saw Flynn.
“Playing the part of overprotective brother type.”
“Oh,” Aaron replied, still staring at Flynn with narrowed eyes even when I’d moved past him and paused at the top of the stairs.
“Can we go? I want to get this over with,” I said, ignoring the way my heart was pounding in my chest, not liking the thought of trusting someone no matter who it was.
“Oh Cory, you’re always saying the sweetest things to me,” Aaron said, giving a light chuckle that was only slightly forced before wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
I turned my head towards him and raised an eyebrow as I shrugged, telling him without words to let me the hell go.
He grinned down at me and removed his arm. “A guy’s got to try,” he said easily, unbothered by my rejection.
“No he doesn’t,” I said flatly, looking forward once again and moving down the stairs, not waiting for Aaron this time but I heard his footsteps behind me regardless.
“You clean up good,” Jesse said once I’d made it to the bottom of the stairs. He was wearing a long sleeved black shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans that looked good on him but I could tell that he was a little nervous.
I shrugged, giving him my usual smirk. “You too,” I said easily, my smirk widening. “You really like this girl, don’t you?” I asked, letting out a short chuckle when his cheeks turned red.
“Yeah,” he admitted with a sheepish shrug. “Ready to go?”
“Define ready?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and tilting my head to the side.
“Physically able regardless of willingness.”
I let out a defeated sigh and nodded, glancing over my shoulder just as Flynn reached the bottom of the stairs. “I’m ready,” I said, my voice wavering slightly as my eyes met Flynn’s, seeing the anger still burning in their depths before I hastily turned away from him, facing Jesse once more. “Just so you know,” I said, narrowing my eyes at Jesse as I moved past him, heading through the living room towards the front door. “This is the one and only time I’ll ever do anything like this.”
“Don’t say that, Cory,” Jesse said, sending a wink in Aaron’s direction. “Maybe you two will really hit it off.”
“I doubt that,” I said flatly, meeting Aaron’s eyes steadily, willing him to give up already but he just grinned back at me.
“We’ll see,” Jesse said, stepping into his shoes and sending a wave towards Flynn. “See you later, Flynn.”
Flynn didn’t respond and I felt the weight of his gaze as I opened the door and walked out without a backwards glance.
“Stop that,” I snapped, glaring at Jesse who gave me a blank look as he continued to drum his fingers on the table at the fancy Italian restaurant we were at.
“What?” he asked, confused.
I gritted my teeth and opened my mouth to tell him when he suddenly stood from his chair, his whole expression lighting with happiness as he looked at the girl walking towards us. “Kristine,” he said when she stopped in front of him. He leaned towards her and planted a kiss on her cheek before leading her to her chair.
I understood what his fascination with the girl was. She was gorgeous with long flowing black hair down past her shoulders. Her eyes had a slight tilt to them at the corners and they were an interesting dark grey colour. She was just slightly over five feet tall with a very slim figure and she was wearing a deep pink dress that hugged her curves.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said and I frowned, not hearing any genuine apology in her tone as she sat in the seat Jesse pulled out for her.
“No problem,” Jesse said, his voice slightly breathless as he took his seat next to her, gripping her hand in his as he gestured across the table with his other one. “You know Aaron, obviously and this is Corinna.”
Her interesting eyes latched onto me and I watched as they lit with recognition, her upper lip curling just slightly in distaste making my stomach sink. “Nice to meet you,” she said, her smooth voice frosty as she gave a slight nod in my direction.
“Back at you,” I mumbled, telling myself to ignore her, that after tonight, I wouldn’t have to meet her ever again so it didn’t matter how much she hated me even though I’d never seen her before in my life.
I clenched my hands into fists in my lap, already regretting my decision to attend that evening as I felt the weight of her eyes on me.
I breathed a sigh of relief when the waiter came and took our drink orders but the reprieve only lasted so long and I felt my shoulders stiffen, wishing I could just be my usual bitchy self and say something awful to get her to look away.
Jesse kept up a steady stream of conversation, talking about school and asking Kristine questions which she gave short answers to, her tone bored. My respect for the girl was rapidly declining and I couldn’t help but think my date was better. Aaron wasn’t trying to talk to me which I was happy about, instead, he was talking to Jesse, every once in a while asking Kristine a question, obviously trying to draw her into the conversation too but she persisted with her one word answers, her pretty voice grating on my nerves.
“So,” Kristine said, cutting Jesse off midway through his evaluation of the college’s extra curricular offerings. “Corinna.” Inwardly I winced as she said my name but I couldn’t deny that I’d been expecting it. “Are you Jesse’s sister? Are you Corinna Evans?”
Letting out a defeated sigh, I looked her right in the eye, making sure my expression was cold and flat as I raised an eyebrow at her, wondering how Jesse could be so blind. Kristine was beautiful but she had one major fault; she was a bitch.
“Yeah,” I said flatly, watching as her eyes widened and a satisfied smile curved her lips upward.
“So you’re the girl who─”
“Is related to Jesse, yeah,” I said firmly, cutting her off.
“Right,” she said, casting a glance over to Jesse and giving him an apologetic smile. “Of course,” she said softly and I could see my brother getting pulled into her trap as she reached out and grabbed his hand in hers, squeezing gently.
He cleared his throat and gave her a goofy smile in return, obviously blinded by her pretty facade.
“So Corinna, what are your plans after you graduate?” Kristine asked halfway through our meals.
I gave a nonchalant shrug and tapped my chin in mock consideration. “I was thinking about going to Harvard.”
“Really?” she asked in a patronizing tone, her smile widening as she looked at me in disbelief.
“No,” I said flatly, looking down at my stir fry once more. “What about you, Kristine, what are your hopes and dreams?” I asked, not really caring if she answered.
“I’m going to be a psychiatrist,” she said and the self satisfaction in her words made me roll my eyes at my asparagus. She must have noticed because her tone was definitely a bit frosty when she said, “Is there something you’d like to say, Corinna?”
“I just didn’t expect there to be asparagus in my stir fry,” I said, giving my head a sad shake as I set down my fork and stood from the table.
“You ordered the asparagus stir fry,” Aaron pointed out and the hint of laughter in his voice made my lips twitch as I sent a shrug in his direction.
“Reading has never been my forte. Do you think I can still go to Harvard?” I asked, smirking at Kristine who just gave me a disapproving look in return. “Excuse me for a moment,” I mumbled, knowing I was being rude but I didn’t really care. Kristine was definitely not good enough for Jesse. She’d take one look at his kind heart and trample all over it.
I walked away from the table, my jaw clenched in irritation as I tried to come up with a way to discretely tell Jesse that his date was a total bitch because obviously, he wasn’t getting the memo. I’d barely been in the bathroom a whole minute before Kristine showed up, her long black hair swaying with her movements as she approached me at the sink.
“So you’re the girl everyone’s talking about,” she said, her smile lacking any warmth as she crossed her arms over her chest and gave me a quick once over. “I don’t see what all the fuss is about,” she said with a shrug. “I guess guys are just attracted to girls who are easy.”
I ground my teeth together, staring at her in disbelief as her eyes lit with satisfaction. “I’ll meet you out there,” I said, determined not to get into anything with this girl, wondering why she seemed to have it in for me. I took a step to the side, intent on edging around her but she mimicked my motion, blocking my path.
“I’m a good friend of Rachel’s,” she said in a low voice, obviously trying to be scary. “She told me about how you tried to steal Tom from her and how you plastered yourself all over Flynn.” Her lips stretched into a humourless smile as she shook her head. “And now you’re here with yet another guy. Well I can’t say I’m surprised. You always did have this kind of reputation.”
“Rachel has a big mouth,” I said flatly, ignoring the pang in my chest at the thought of my ex best friend talking about me behind my back.
“There are no secrets between us,” she replied, stepping closer to me, bringing us toe to toe. “She told me all about the way you were in the past and how you were arrested in her driveway, drunk and probably high.”
I let out a frustrated breath and ran a hand through my hair, sick of this whole evening. “Do you even like my brother?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
She shrugged. “He’s okay.”
“Don’t fucking lie to me,” I hissed, reaching out to grab her arms and bending over to bring our faces closer together. “If you’re just stringing him along then I suggest you walk out of this restaurant right now.”
“Well that was unexpected,” she said, tilting her head to the side slightly as she examined me. “I didn’t think you cared about your family considering the way you screwed them over when you burnt down that school and left town without a backward glance.”
I made a sound in the back of my throat like a growl as rage burnt in my chest at her thoughtless words. “You think you know me because you heard a few rumours? You don’t know the first thing about me and you have no fucking clue what my family means to me.” Taking a step back, I released her arms, not wanting to be anywhere near this girl, thinking that I’d done the right thing keeping Jesse out of the whole mess with my mother. It made me a little sick to my stomach to think of Jesse in the kind of world I’d lived in. He would trust anyone if they smiled at him. He wouldn’t have had a chance. “I’m leaving,” I said, stepping around her and making my way to the door.
“Rachel broke up with her boyfriend,” she said, her words making me pause just before I left. “She’s going after Flynn now so why don’t you back off?”
“Flynn isn’t my property,” I hissed, getting an uncomfortable burning sensation in my stomach. “He can do what he wants.” With that, I walked out of the washroom, seeing red as I stomped back to the table to grab my jacket and lay a couple bills down next to my plate.
“What going on?” Aaron asked, standing from his seat and resting a gentle hand on my arm which I shrugged off immediately.
“I have a headache,” I said, glancing over at Kristine who was walking calmly towards us. “I’m leaving.”
“I’ll go with you,” Aaron said, grabbing his jacket and pulling out his wallet, counting out a few bills and putting them on the table.
“What happened?” Jesse asked, standing from his seat as Kristine rounded the table and grabbed her jacket. “What’s going on with you two?”
“Your sister is exactly how Rachel describes her,” she said, looking at me with patronizing eyes before shifting her gaze to Jesse. “Are the two of you close?”
Jesse looked over at me with unreadable blue eyes and for a second my heart sank, seeing where this was going. “Yes, we are,” he said firmly before straightening his shoulders and facing Kristine once more.
She shook her head and gave him a sad look that I could see right through. “Then I don’t think this is going to work out between us,” she said, gesturing at the space between the two of them. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not,” Jesse said firmly and my eyes widened on him as he narrowed his eyes down at the petite girl. “In fact, I’m starting to wonder why I liked you so much in the first place.”
“Excuse me?” she asked, her voice rising a bit making the nearby customers look over at her in curiosity.
Jesse leaned in a little closer to her, bending his back so he could look her directly in the eye as he said, “My sister’s important to me and if you think I would choose you over her, then you’re nuts. Besides,” he continued, straightening and pushing his arms into his jacket as my heart lurched in surprise, “this was pretty much the most boring date of my life. No hard feelings.” With a quick pat on her shoulder, he walked past Kristine, gesturing for Aaron and me to follow him.
I let out a choked laugh and wiggled my fingers at Kristine who looked like she was about to blow. I could practically see the steam coming out of her ears as we walked away from her, following Jesse out of the building and onto the street.
No one said a word as we walked to Aaron’s car and got in. Finally, Jesse ran a hand through his hair and said sheepishly, “I guess I should’ve talked to her before I asked her out.”
“Idiot,” Aaron muttered, smacking Jesse upside the head.
“Ouch,” Jesse said, glaring at Aaron before turning back to me, a curious look on his face. “What did you girls talk about in the bathroom?”
I grinned at him and shrugged. “She wanted to know what kind of conditioner I use.”
“C’mon, Cory, I know you’re lying,” he said, his voice serious and his eyes losing their teasing light as a hint of concern entered their blue depths. “Did she say something mean?”
“Oh Jesse,” I said, reaching forward to ruffle his hair which had been brushed and styled but was now sticking up all over the place. “You’re such a good brother, always concerned about your little sister when she needs you.”
Suddenly his eyes were filled with guilt and he turned a little more in his seat to look me directly in the eye. Slowly, I pulled my hand back, sensing that this wasn’t exactly a moment for hair ruffling. “I’m not so sure,” he said softly, his eyes roving over my features, searching for answers that I didn’t have. “Am I a good brother?”
I blinked, feeling my throat tighten at the sad look in his eyes. “The best,” I choked out, for once, dropping my aloof facade, letting him see that I really meant it.
He shook his head and winced before saying, “You were gone for four years, Cory. I thought about you all the time but still, I didn’t call you.”
“You didn’t have my number.”
“I should’ve found it.”
“It’s in the past,” I said softly, hating the uncertainty in his gaze and for a second, we just looked at each other, his eyes telling me that he wasn't convinced but he wasn’t getting any more than that. “Besides,” I said, my lips widening in a genuine smile, “you were pretty kick ass in there. I didn’t expect you to defend me like that.”
His eyes hardened with resolve as Aaron started the car. “I like having you in my life, Cory. You’re my sister and I don’t want you to leave again.”
“Oh,” I said quietly, my heart squeezing hard in my chest as a lump grew in my throat.
“As for tonight,” he continued, his eyes lighting with humour as he shrugged, “Kristine was a bitch and I really doubt there would’ve been a second date with or without you so don’t feel too touched.”
I chuckled and relaxed into my seat, strapping my seatbelt on as we pulled onto the road. “I’ll keep that in mind,” I said wryly but his words tonight had shifted something in my heart, making me want to linger a little bit longer in this shitty town and that was a dangerous thought.