unimportant
She was in a shit poor mood and not hiding it very well. Okay, she wasn't trying to hide it.
Everyone was feeling the bite of her tongue. Even Julian, which let you know how bad of a mood she was in.
The weekend had been rough. Aunt Sarah had completely fallen apart, and Jess had spent the whole weekend trying to put her back together again.
She tried so hard to do what her mom would have wanted her to do. What her mom would do if she was here, but she wasn't her mom.
She just wasn't.
The only reason she was here at school was because the mayor had arrived after the committee meeting and offered to sit with her aunt.
Her fingers were crossed but she didn't hold out any real hope that she could help.
Yeah, all that was plenty reason to be in a bad mood but that wasn't all of it.
She had to face Kellum. If he even showed up. She knew she wouldn't if she was in his place.
And she wasn't admitting to feeling guilty. They were not dating. They weren't even getting along.
What in the hell had he been doing there?
Maybe he hadn't been. She'd been preoccupied. Having some fun. Unwinding after her hellish weekend. Hot male. No harm no foul. She didn't owe Kell anything.
The warms swirls could have been Johnny. He'd been standing close enough. She had loved the rubble on his chin. Flirting had turned into some serious flirting.
Except warm swirls were "his" calling card. And the shiver down her back.
Last night, she hadn't wanted to open her eyes to find out. Awkward times a thousand. Only problem, now she didn't know if he'd show up today. Didn't know how to act around him.
Maybe he hadn't been there at all.
This was all Julian's fault. He was the one that suggested she took some time to herself while her aunt was finally resting.
He had known what a dangerous mood she was in.
There was no way he could have known Johnny would be at the studio alone. Looking good. Not asking a lot of questions but trying to cheer her up. He had told her to play it out. Leave it all on the stage. She had but hadn't felt better.
Now there was just another thing to worry about.
Maybe. Or maybe he was on his way to see Hayden and had completely forgotten about her.
"Jess! Glad I caught you. Come on, there's someone I want you to meet."
"Lee, I can't. I already missed my last class. I can't miss this one. Or even be late."
"You have time. It'll be quick, I promise."
Sighing, she changed directions. "This so better be important."
The red head took her out the side door where the bus ramp was. No buses but some of the kids hung out here between classes because there were no cameras.
The cool kids. Or at least they thought they were cool. At her old school, they'd be sneaking cigs. Bobby Newman even had a flask he somehow never got caught with.
Yeah, same type of kids, they just couldn't get their hands on anything to smoke.
"This is Jace."
"Cool."
"He's been mated for two days. I've talked to him and he's willing to do it."
"Willing to do what?"
She didn't have to say it, between her look and head pointing it came to her. "Oh. O . . . kay. Jace, you're not worry about that?"
"Nah. The chick isn't really my type."
He had dirty blond hair. Hazel eyes. He didn't stand out to her in anyway, but Hayley seemed impressed.
"Quiet. Always fritting around. Wouldn't mind missing some school either."
"How did you get your mark?"
He leered. "Figured if she was going to be hanging around all the time I might as well take advantage of the situation. Laid a big ole kiss on her. Hurt like a fuck. Now she frits around more than ever. Know that she's never been kissed before? Said that wasn't the way it was done either. Said I would be allowed to kiss her cheek or her forehead."
"A real animal."
"Oh, yeah. She still has two years before she's eighteen so guess who drew the short in of that stick?
Hayley turned to her. "Here's the thing. He doesn't know how to go about it." She tapped her wristband. "Him not being at school won't be enough."
True. These people weren't good at taking a hint, they'd hunt you down like a dog.
"I even have when and where covered but he's wanting some encouragement."
Jess gave him a look of disgust. "Like my fist in his face?"
Hayley cupped her hand like it was around something and took a long drink from it.
"Hayley!"
"I know but you said you saw some."
"It's not mine."
"I know. Not all of it. Just a six pack. Six pack for three days."
Jess growled. "I don't even like you."
"I don't like you either. You know we need to know. I have Macie to think about."
"What if three days isn't enough?"
"I'll deal with it when I get to it. Come on, Jess."
"Fine. Tonight. And if he flakes on you, I swear I'll hunt him down. Got that, Jace?"
"Whatever, Kitten."
Lee stopped her from going after him. "You'll be late."
"Jackass." She aimed over her shoulder as she turned to leave. "You don't check on him without Julian or no deal."
"He's not so bad."
"I mean it, Lee. Julian or it's no deal."
"Fine. Just come through for me."
Late again. She was stomping when she finally made it to class. She threw herself in her chair and decided to face this problem head on. "Spying on me?"
"What were you doing?"
"What did it look like I was doing?"
"It looked like you were letting someone eat your face."
That comment calmed her down some. That or seeing him irritated was influencing her again. "Something like that."
"Why?"
"That's what we do when there's a hot guy around that we want to get to know better."
That gave him pause but he didn't cool. His eyes were almost blazing. Wow eyes had kicked it up a notch. He looked well and truly pissed. And freaked.
"You are my mate."
"No, I'm not."
"You are my match. It is only a matter of time and I think you even realize that."
"I realize you're crazy." She said that a little too loud and several heads turned their way. "Look, this is getting ridiculous. We have nothing in common. We don't even like each other. I just met a guy who is mated, and he doesn't even like the girl."
"The bond will come."
"You keep saying that, but the truth is you don't know for sure. So, stop pretending you do."
"You are correct." He offered after a moment.
She hadn't expected him to give in so easily.
"Tell me, Jessalynn if you please. Why did I want to hurt him?"
Jess could see that he was being serious, and it was a very real worry for him. "Did you? Want to hurt him?"
"Yes. For hours, afterwards. I did not trust myself not to. It was not a good feeling and I do not wish to ever feel that way again, so I need to know why I felt that way."
Crap. Crap and crap. With a side order of crap. "I'm not sure. Usually if a boy has feelings for a girl and saw her kissing another guy then that would upset him. He would feel jealousy. Hurt. Anger. Want to hurt someone because he is hurting. But you don't like me so I'm not sure why you would have felt that way."
His eyes flamed again. "That was not kissing."
"Yes, it was. We only kiss our grandmothers on the forehead and our mothers on the cheek. Your whole race is juvenile."
"Who was it? Dezrick said he was not wearing a wristband. Where you were is not even a designated area."
Her eyes widen. Uh, this could go bad. She didn't want to lose her safe haven and she didn't want the boys to lose it because of her. "He's unimportant. You need to_____."
"Dezrick, summon Frey and Pensley. We are coming in."
Jess snapped her hand out of his reach. "You're not allow to touch, remember?"
"This is important, Jessalynn."
She looked around nervously. Stalling. "Everyone will see us."
"I have to understand this."
She couldn't say no to the plead in his eyes. Though there was no way in hell this was going to end well.