04

Over the next three days a routine started to form. Ariana and Jax would go to school together then part ways until it was time to go home. At home the family ate dinner together then went their own way. Mitch and Mary spent their free time together. Julie hogged the phone talking to her best friend and sometimes left to spend time with them at the movies. Ariana stayed mostly in her room, after homework she’d read to get a running start on research for upcoming subjects at school. It was a boring routine but one she favored after what came her way Thursday.

Charlie had ignored her the days before and she made sure to get in and out of her locker before he popped up. She knew he could be ruthless to get his way but she never imagined he’d hold a grudge over what she said and whatever Jax said to get him to back off but now she knew there had been a band-aid over the problem, it had never gone away.

She was examining the contents of her backpack as she walked to the car where Jax was waiting. “Give me a minute, I’m missing a book.” She tossed her backpack into the car and rushed back inside the school.

Everyone was already on their way home, a few students were outside on the lawn and the school hallways were silent as she rushed to her locker. After opening the lock she hastily checked around but there was no history book, the one she’d need for tonight’s homework. She was looking again when a cool tense voice broke the silence.

“Looking for this ?”

Ariana looked up to find Charlie next to her, waving the book in his right hand. “You stole my book ?” this was insane. “Why ?”

“It gives us a chance to talk.” He tossed the book behind him out of her reach.

“About what ? You want me to do help you cheat on tomorrow’s math test or write tonight’s paper ?” she guessed, annoyed.

“Nah I don’t need you to do my homework anymore.” He grabbed both her wrists, pinning her against the lockers. “You know I’ve always liked you Ariana, beauty and brains and I wanted to be your friend but you kept being a stuck up little bitch.” He said closely against her cheek.

She pulled at her wrists, the more she pulled the harder his grip became. “Let me go !” she yelled as tears rushed to her eyes. This couldn’t be happening, it had to be a nightmare and she needed to wake up before it went any farther. But try as she might she didn’t wake up and the situation became too real.

“Not yet.” He tore the few buttons at the top of her dress and he forced her mouth to his.

Ariana felt his hand moving across her chest, she tried to fight to keep her mouth closed but he outweighed her in every aspect. “No !” she dug her nails into his arm as he tried to touch her legs.

Suddenly Charlie was gone and she sank to the floor with shock and relief. Jax had come back into the school and grabbed Charlie. He pushed him onto the floor and kicked him in the gut. “Have you lost your fucking mind ?!” Jax grabbed his collar and punched him in the jaw.

“Jax stop !” Ariana yelled as blood dripped from Charlie’s mouth. “He’s not worth getting in trouble for.” She was scared, terrified over what happened and could’ve happened but she still knew right and wrong. She didn’t want Jax in trouble for her.

At the sound of her voice Jax stepped back. “Are you ok ?” his tone was soft as he came closer and knelt down to her level. With the buttons scattered on the floor she tried to hold the top of her dress closed but the lace of her bra still showed. “Here.” He took off his hooded jacket and helped her put it on.

“Thanks.” She whispered, meeting his eyes. After a moment he touched his hand to her cheeks and dried the remaining of her tears.

“Well isn’t this cozy.” Charlie got up from the floor and wiped his hand across his bloody mouth.

Jax helped Ariana up from the floor then grabbed her book before looking at Charlie. “If you ever touch her again I will kill you. Don’t even look at her or you’ll regret it.” He promised with his voice cold and determined. He took Ariana’s hand and walked out of the school.

Inside the car Ariana gave into impulse and hugged Jax. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you didn’t come back inside.” She whispered tearfully as she held onto him. She hated it but she was still scared, her bones shook with fear and gratitude.

“It’s ok.” He soothed, running his hand over her back. “He won’t bother you again. I’m sorry for not coming sooner.”

She pulled back and wiped her eyes. “You didn’t have to come at all. You’re doing me a favor by giving me a ride.”

“You’re not a burden Ariana.” Tenderly he ran his fingers down her cheek then quickly pulled away and turned on the car. “You’re mom is probably wondering where we are.”

“No I can’t go home yet. If she sees me she’s going to know something is wrong and I don’t want to tell her.” She said franticly as she pulled down the visor and looked at her face ; she was a mess. She pulled the clip out of her hair and re did it, then worried about the redness in her eyes.

“Then don’t let her see you. We can go in through the back and I’ll go talk to her about something and mention you already went to your room and you ate something bad at lunch.”

Ariana nodded. “Ok.” She couldn’t come up with her own idea and saw the only option she had was to follow his.

At the house he parked in the driveway and grabbed her bag. “Come on.” He came around the car and took her hand, she took comfort in its warmth. They walked around the back of the house where he unlocked the door to the basement. “You can sit.” He motioned to the full size bed.

Ariana looked around and saw that his room was pretty simple. There was a full furniture set and the bed but he hadn’t gotten around to adding any personal touches. “No TV or computer, what do you do down here ?”

“I like to draw and read a lot.”

That surprised her. “Really ?” at school people thought he was this bad boy that liked to hang out in the shadows and probably drink and anything else that was bad for him and disobeyed the rules. She quickly learned when they moved in he was nothing like that ; Jax was rather polite to their parents and hadn’t gotten into any trouble. He was actually sweet.

“Does that surprise you ?” he asked, a little amused.

“A little yeah.”

He smiled. “I think you’d be surprised a lot to know what I like. I don’t fit anyone’s mold Ariana. Just because I keep to myself and some times get in fights doesn’t mean I walk around with a chip on my shoulder all the time and just because I’m perceived as a certain type, it doesn’t mean I like the popular blonde cheerleader type either.” It seemed he felt the need to add that.

“They sure like you.” She said after remembering how the cheer squad stared when he walked by. He wasn’t the popular all American type like Cody but he was gorgeous and mysterious ; of course the girls took notice.

“I don’t care.”

Her heart started to race and she knew that was a sign of trouble but she asked anyway. “What is your type ?”

“I happen to like hazel eyes and shapely long legs. I’m gonna go say hi to your mom.” He disappeared before his words fully sunk in and she could react.

Ariana looked down at her bare legs. “What the hell does that mean ?” she was no more closer to figuring Jax out than she was the day they moved in together. If anything she was more confused by him. She couldn’t keep making excuses, no one was this stupid. Jax Reed was hitting on her. Her new step-brother was hitting on her.