Her Love Ran Crimson (Crimson Series) (2 page)

I suck in a deep breath and force a smile. "Oh, you must think I’m crazy. Welcome to Roosevelt High School. I hope you enjoy your senior year." I turn around and get ready for class to start.

My day pretty much goes on the same. Jase is in four out of five of my classes, so far. There isn't really much use in trying to stay away. He sits by me in all of my classes already and he is always glancing my way. The only way I know that is because he has caught me looking at him a couple of times. It’s hard to resist because has the greenest eyes I have ever seen. His brown hair all spiked up, frames his incredible, smooth face that I would just love to run my hand down. I immediately try and stop my head from thinking these very thoughts.

I take a seat in the last class of the day just hoping that this day will just hurry up and end already, so I can go home and lock myself in my room and not be distracted. I have a lot of homework and I need to go over my notes from the day because Mr. Green Eyes has gotten in my head and made me so unfocused. This is not me. Just as I am getting my binder out for my notes, I see him stride in the door. Only this time there is no empty seat near me. I exhale thinking I am lucky he won’t be next to me in this class. As he takes his seat in the front of the class, he turns to scan the room and we meet eyes. I know this will be the longest class ever. Class drags on with my anticipation of the bell ringing. Jase gets up about ten minutes before class ends, whispers something to the teacher, and leaves class.

Finally, after fifty five dreadful minutes the bell rings. I quickly gather my things and shuffle out of the door. I walk down the halls faster than normal, trying to escape this overwhelming feeling that I keep getting every time he is close to me. Feelings I can’t explain start to take over and I know it can’t be good. I get outside and round the corner only to see Jase standing at the gate that leads into the parking lot.

"Shit," I mutter under my breath. I start toward my car with my head down hoping he won’t see me, so I can just go about my day as I normally do.

"Where are you running off to so fast, Maddie?" he says as he follows me to my car.

"I’m heading home. I have lots of homework to do. Hope you had a nice first day." I walk even faster now trying to avoid his questions, but he’s right there next to me as I race to my car.

"Since I’m new in town I was wondering if you could show me around. I haven't been able to go out and explore since I moved here."

This guy can't take a hint. "Look, I don't know how to make this any clearer for you. I am not interested in getting to know you or showing you around. I don't have the time and I’m sure there are girls at this school that would be more than willing to take you on a tour I’m sorry. I have to go.” With that I hop in my car and head home as fast as I can to get away from him. Of course, that doesn't stop me from looking back in the rear-view mirror as I peel away from my spot. He is still standing in the same spot I left him in, watching as my car takes off.

Chapter Two

After running around for Frank and the stress that puts me under it should have been easy to crash. Instead, I keep replaying my embarrassing meeting with Jase. God, I feel like such a fool. Only I would bump into, not only a guy, but probably the most incredible looking one at that, and get scalded by hot coffee.

I was all out of sorts yesterday, Frank noticed something was odd and asked me all sorts of questions about why I was acting so weird. I didn’t want to have to explain anything to him, so I blew him off and got chewed out for my attitude and how, “It won’t be tolerated in this house.” Always makes a great start to endless fucked up days.

As I am driving to school my mind can’t stop thinking about Jase. I will have to face him again and I’m nervous about it after I acted like a head case and just left him in the parking lot yesterday. Shaking the thought from my head I continue my way to school. I don’t know why I get the impression that someone is following me. I dismiss the thought. Ever since I had my run in with Mr. Green eyes I have been off kilter. I check my mirrors, but see nothing. I pull into the parking lot of school, get my things out of the back seat, lock up, and head toward the main gate of the school.

Sudden panic rushes over me as I see a car sitting on the street. I notice Dixon watching me and I can tell by the direction his head is that he is watching me. I run as fast and hard as I can across the street trying to get into the doors of the school where I can feel safe. Suddenly, I am face to face with Jase. He grabs me, trying to still me. I swear he can see the fear in my eyes and I can’t help but let a tear fall down my face. My body is shaking uncontrollably.

“Where are you running to? What happened?”

I try to wiggle my way out of his grasp not wanting to explain. “I am late for class. I have to go.”

He calls after me, “Class is not starting for another twenty minutes.”

I just can’t let myself stay. I dart inside the doors and find the nearest bathroom as tears are free falling down my face. I run into an empty stall and grab some tissue and wipe my face harshly. I suck in huge breaths trying to calm the vulnerable state I am in. Once I am certain no more tears will fall, I make my way to the sink and splash some cool water on my face. Grabbing a paper towel, I dab the beads of water from my face and take a good look at myself in the mirror. What has Frank done to me again? For Dixon to come back here? And why is it always me that has to pay the consequences of his failed actions?

I make my way out into the hall. The coast is clear, so go to my locker, switch my books and head to class. I find my seat just as Jase is walking into the class. I don’t look at him at all this time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know he is staring at me. I feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head and I know I am going to have to try and apologize. Class wraps up, so I pack my stuff up and head out the door. Jase stops me.

“What the hell happened this morning? You looked so terrified and I wanted to help you, but you didn’t give me a chance.”

“It was nothing. It’s not your problem. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out,” I say hoping this is enough to get him off the subject. He just stands there staring at me as if he can sense that I am close to a breakdown again. He stays by my side and follows me down the hall to our next class. This is the most uncomfortable class yet. All he does is stare at me. I see it in his eyes that he is trying to figure things out, trying to see what he could possibly do to get me to talk to him. I make no attempt to put him at ease and I know this is definitely going to be hard to stay away from him. I don’t know why he cares. He doesn’t even know me, yet he is trying to get inside, which is only going to make things more dangerous and put him at risk. I will not drag anybody else into this mess my stepfather has made. No other life will be lost due to Frank’s problems. All I can do to try and calm my nerves that have taken over my body is to take deep breaths and try to dismiss this conversation. I am scared and nervous, but at the same time I also feel butterflies flittering in my stomach every time he looks at me with those gentle eyes.

****

The rest of my day is uneventful. As always, I eat in the library. Nobody likes to come in there to socialize. The only people who do are students who want to finish up assignments or get ahead and have no want to talk or engage with others. This is the most calming, quiet place for me to hang out during lunch. It gives me time to reflect on the current situation at hand. I shoot my stepfather a quick text.

Me: Why didn’t you tell me Dixon was back
and why did you send me there?

Frank: He asked me to send you. We are back in biz together. Things are fine.

Me: He followed me to school today. You are blatantly putting me in the mix again.

Frank: You’re fine. He isn’t here for trouble. He just needs to make some money.

Seeing how this conversation is going nowhere, I throw my phone back in my purse and look up to the clock and see the bell is about to ring. I clean up my spot and head to my next class. I have two classes left for the day and then I can try and put this day out of my head and figure out my next move. I may have to get out of town sooner than I thought.

****

I dreadfully make it through the day. I make a stop at my locker before I head out to leave to make a quick drop off of books I don’t need tonight for homework, trying to make my back pack as light as possible. As I walk down the hallway I get this chilling feeling all over my body. I glance around noticing nothing is different, so I try to shake it off. I make my way to my car. Just as I am entering the gate I freeze, totally shocked to see what is in front of me. All my windows have been broken out and my tires are slashed. As I stare at the calculated mess, I feel panic start to set in. He wanted me to have no way out. I look in every direction trying to find
him
. I can feel Dixon’s presence. I know he is watching me. Dixon is getting a good thrill out of me being stuck with nowhere to go. Arms fly around me. I start swinging my arms at whatever is holding me when I hear Jase say calmly in my ear, “It’s okay. I got you. It’s just me, Jase.”

I instantly relax a bit. It’s strange that for the moment I feel a little safer. He draws me away from him just a little bit and looks at me. I melt in his arms. Instead of the disgust I was expecting to see in his eyes, I saw sincere concern.

“Who did this? We need to make a report with the police. How did this happen? The gates are locked when the bell rings. Nobody can get in or out?”

I want to tell him. I want this off my chest. I know it’s not something I can do, so I just make an excuse, “No, it’s okay. I am going to call my stepfather to pick me up and see what he wants to do. The car is under his name, so he will have to file a report, not me.”

“Please, Maddie, let me take you home at least. You look pale and scared and I want to get you out of here. This doesn’t look like a random act of vandalism. I won’t leave you here by yourself.”

I can tell he is not going to take no for an answer, so I just stand there looking at him, trying figure out what to say. When he puts his hand on the small of my back to guide me toward his car fireworks go off inside me. It feels like an electric current running through me. I don’t make a move to try and escape his touch. He hits the unlock button on his brand new shiny black Range Rover, helps me into the seat and closes the door. He walks around the front of the car, watching me like he is afraid I am going to throw the door open and run away. What he doesn’t know is I won’t run. I don’t know why, but I feel so safe in his car with him here that I wouldn’t run. Not now. He gets in the car and turns to me not breaking eye contact.

“Are you okay?”

I nod, knowing it is a lie, but I just don’t have any words at this moment, so I sit here drinking him in. He is the only person who has tried to help me. Everybody else here looks at me like I’m a monster. I’m going to allow myself, just one time, to be caught up in the moment because I know this is going to end the day he hears what happened when my heart died and my world fell apart.

When he finally pulls his eyes from me I ask him the one question I need to know. “Why are you helping me? I haven’t been very nice to you and there are plenty other girls that are prettier than I am that you can be having a good ole time with?”

He chuckles as if what I had just said was amusing. He clears his throat and calmly states, “Because I want to help you. Something has drawn me to you and I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t leave you alone. I have a pull to you that goes deeper than your outer beauty.”

Did he just call me beautiful? I start to feel uneasy and nauseous. Dixon told me I was beautiful. He said he was doing this because I was beautiful and he wanted to ruin what was beautiful about me. He said it was payback to Frank for screwing him over and to me for my smart-assed attitude toward him, always acting like I was better than him and his life. Jase obviously noticed my change in demeanor.

“Did I say something wrong?”

I just flat out tell him, “I’m not beautiful. Please don’t call me that. You can’t help me. It’s too late. What’s done is done. I don’t want to be saved. This is my punishment.” It comes out in a rush and probably more rudely than I want it to. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves.

“Please don’t say that about yourself. I don’t know what is going on, but I would really like to help you. I won’t stand listening to you tear yourself apart.”

I flinch at that one. He doesn’t understand and I know I am not making this any easier for him. I’m leaving him in the dark. I know I can’t trust anybody, but he is wearing me down with his concern and unconditional kindness. At some point I am going to have to put some distance between us, so this doesn’t become an even bigger mess than it already is. He starts up the car and turns to me.

“So where am I going? What’s your address so I can put it in the navigation?”

I give him the major cross streets. I don’t want him to see where I live, but I also don’t want Frank to see me being dropped off. If he sees this car he will begin to draw up some sort of plan knowing Jase obviously has money. I will not drag another innocent person down. That is how my mom was killed. She was planning on leaving my stepfather. She had a marvelous plan and was just about to execute it and take us into hiding to break free, but somebody had found out and word got out. I was used as a pawn in the sick game. I broke free of my thoughts just as we are arriving at my cross streets.

“Thank you for taking me home. You really didn’t have to do this.”

“What are you going to do about your car?”

“My stepfather will go for it and file the report,” Of course I know he won’t. I hop out of the car and wave to Jase as he drives away.

He calls out the window, “See you tomorrow.”

I start my short walk home thinking only of Jase. He seems different than anybody else in that school. I wonder why he came here halfway through the year and what this is, going on between us. I know I will have to say good bye to him soon, so I let the thought and image of him linger in my head. As I approach my house, I stop abruptly. I see Dixon’s car parked outside. I look to the porch and see him talking to Frank. I want to turn and run away, but I know I can’t.