Page 29 of Intertwined Souls

Her smile broadens, and the gleam in her gaze makes it very clear she’s going to be trouble.

Harley

Blowing out a breath, I pull the bathroom door open and walk out with all the confidence I can muster. Although, it doesn’t take much effort when I see the look on Steph's face.

Holding her enraged gaze, I raise my hand to my face and use my thumb to wipe the corners of my mouth. Smirking, I walk past her to go back to our table where Ryker is grinning from ear to ear at me while Lex has a brow raised.

Cade and I take our seats, and the rest of lunch is peaceful with no more dirty looks from Steph.

The day goes smoothly after that but feels like it lasts forever. I know I liked school before I left, but I think I just liked it because it got me out of Tammy’s house during the day. Otherwise, this shit sucks, and I feel like I would learn so much better and get caught up so much faster if I could just do it on my own or have Grayson help me study. Sitting in these classes feels pointless.

Heading outside with the guys, I spot Lex coming out of a different door and tell the guys I will meet them at the truck. “Lex!” I say, smiling as she walks over to me. We slowly start walking through the parking lot towards the truck. “Do you have a car here?”

She nods. “Yeah, my dad hasn’t been working lately, so I have been able to take his car.”

“Is everything okay?” I ask, noticing the sadness that overtakes her features.

“Yeah, everything is good.” She smiles, though it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m really glad you’re back. You seem so much better too.”

“I am doing better now. And I’m–I’m glad I’m back, too.” My eyes slide over to the guys as my lips tilt up at how honest my words feel. I mean, I fucking hate coming to this school, but I’m doing better than when I was here before and knowing someone else sees that is a pretty great feeling.

“You like them, huh?” Lex says, drawing my attention back to her.

“What?” I ask, my eyes widening.

She chuckles and points at the guys who are all standing at the truck at the end of the parking lot. “You couldn’t look away from them when you were saying you’re glad you’re back.”

Blushing, I shrug. “They have helped me a lot. I care about all of them.”

“I think that’s great.” She shoots me a genuine grin this time.

“Really? You don’t think it’s weird?” I ask hesitantly.

She shakes her head and scoffs, “Three guys who all care about you and constantly stare at you like their worlds revolve solely around you? Fuck no, that’s not weird. I’m kinda jealous.” She chuckles.

“Don’t be a stranger, okay? I want to spend some time with you. You were the first real friend I ever had, and since you seem to be coming around to the guys…” I look over at her questioningly.

Lex purses her lips. “Yeah, they don’t seem so bad. I think like a lot of people I really just had it stuck in my head that they must all be the same and all the stories that have floated around over the years are true. But you and I connected instantly, and I have never had that.

“I definitely want to spend time with you, too. We should plan to go out and do something instead of it only ever being at this shithole.” She points backwards towards the school.

We reach the guys, and I grin at Lex. “Perfect. Text me?”

She nods and gives me a quick hug. My instinct is to flinch or tense up, but it’s quick, and it doesn’t feel suffocating, so my shoulders relax. Maybe this is progress.

The whole ride home, Ryker gripes about how he was left with a hard-on the rest of the day after lunch because of Cade and me. I flush, and Grayson takes my hand in his, kissing the back of it and giving me a soft smile. By the time we get home, it’s late in the evening, and Grayson takes off to go to Nerds’s office while we all head into the kitchen where Gabriel, Colton, and Carly currently are.

Gabe is quick to interrogate about my day: “How was going back to school, Harley? Any issues? Did you feel okay? How were your classes?”

“Wow, Rage, maybe one question at a time and give her some room to breathe?” Carly chuckles while laying a hand on his chest and gazing up at him.

He meets her eyes and takes a few breaths before nodding and glancing back up at me. “Sorry. How was today?” he asks, slower this time.

I shrug. “It was okay. I just want to get it over with though. Going every day is going to be annoying, especially when there are so many other things going on that feel more important.”

“It’ll be worth it once you get to have your diploma in hand, knowing that you accomplished that. Especially after everything you’ve been through. You’re proving to yourself that you can still do it,” Carly says with a smile as she walks around the counter to stand in front of me. “I can’t say that I know what anything you have gone through has been like, but I do know that I have regrets from my past, and one of those is giving up on certain things.

“Like school. Just to prove a point to my parents. I’m attending college now.” She glances back at Rage as a slight blush rises to her cheeks. “But I have a lot of regrets from my past.”

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