Page 30 of Law Of Love

I didn't know what we were both going to do now. There were two options: go back to how we were when she'd first arrived or pretend that the kiss never happened and continue to be somewhat friendly. I didn't particularly like the sound of either of them. I just wanted what was best for her.

As I’d promised myself, one anonymous email to the school with evidence of Zach’s arrests had been sent. I didn’t get a response, which was expected, but I’d slipped the bait and just needed to wait for the school to bite. He deserved to be rotting in a jail cell for forcing his way into the house and assaulting Freya. Even just thinking about it caused my blood to boil and my skin to crawl.

I reached the shooting range twenty minutes later—met with a very unimpressed-looking Brent. He crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at me.

“I got here early because you told me I couldn't be late one more time, and now you show up looking like absolute shit,” he said, a hint of humour lacing his tone. It seemed he wasn't as angry as he was trying to come across. It took a lot to get him riled up because, for the most part, Brent was a cheerful guy.

I waved his concern away, shaking my head. Even just his voice was intensifying my pounding headache. “I’m not one for apologies, so let’s go inside. You got home fine in the end, and I sent you money for the ride."

Brent shrugged. “I mean, it wasn't too much of an issue for me. I went back to some girl's house and—“

Holding my hand up to stop him, I headed towards the entrance of the shooting range. “I don't want to hear about it. I really don't.”

“Well, at least tell me about your night, then.” Brent nodded at the young receptionist as we entered. The place was busy today. “You said you and Freya went somewhere? But then you never came back. Sounds like an interesting night to me.”

“Shut up before I shoot you instead of the target.” I gripped at my waistband for my gun and delved into my pocket to grab my bullets, but I came up empty-handed, and I furrowed my thick brows. I’d forgotten my extra bullets, and that was something I never did. Ever. It dawned on me that this was the effect that Freya had on my way of thinking. She was muddling my mind. I was mind muddled.

“I forgot my bullets,” I croaked, my voice hoarse. Being here without an extra stash was far too risky. “I'll be right back.”

Heading towards the reception, I greeted the worker behind the desk, her eyes darting up and down my body quickly before she composed herself. “Need anything?” she asked with a smile, leaning forward over the counter a little too much, revealing her cleavage suggestively.

“I need some bullets,” I muttered, ignoring her advance. I wasn't interested in the slightest. “Can you help me out with that?”

“Sure we can,” said a familiar voice from behind me, and I rolled my eyes as I turned to see Will smoking his usual cigarette, looking mighty tired. Did the guy ever sleep? “Usually, we’d ask people to pay a small charge, but there's no need for you to do that, Kaleb.”

I nodded, taking the pack of bullets from the woman behind the desk, and Will glanced directly at her breasts, licking his lips and humming.

Vile.

“Where's your pretty brunette friend?” he questioned me as I re-entered the main building, holding in the irritated sigh I wanted to release. Why was he so nosy? I wasn’t telling him shit about Freya.

“I don’t think she’ll be coming back here,” I replied, wanting to give off the impression that she wasn't anything special to stop Will from hounding me. I was surprised his nose wasn’t red raw from the amount he stuck it into people’s business.

He hummed, dipping his chin at Brent as a greeting, watching him shoot, smiling as he hit the centre of the target. “That's a shame. She was a beauty, wasn't she? But I suppose going back for seconds gives them the wrong message.”

Who the hell was he talking about? He was a married man. I cleared my throat, ignoring Will's comment, hating how he referred to Freya as a beauty, but as much as I wanted to punch him square in the face, I couldn’t.

I couldn't get on his bad side.

It was imperative.

Fifteen: Freya

I'd been shamefully avoiding Kaleb since our kiss. We still saw each other—we lived together, so it was inevitable—but I made sure I was never alone with him. If both my mom and Jackie were out, then so was I. Kaleb’s lingering glances were off-putting, and we both felt the thick, choking tension in the air between us. We couldn’t go without oxygen for too long, though. Soon enough, we were both going to have to come up for air and discuss what had happened.

There was just something about Kaleb that drew me in—I couldn’t put my finger on it—but perhaps that was because I didn’t want to know what it was. If I did, I’d be able to ignore it purposely. I felt safe with him. I’d managed to un-peel the many solid layers he wrapped himself in, and even he'd admitted Brent was the only person he'd been semi-vulnerable with.

I was walking back from college, relief spreading through me that I hadn't bumped into Zach again. He hadn’t been to class once since the incident, but it didn’t take a genius to work out why. He definitely had a hell of a shiner, and being seen in public with it would undoubtedly aggravate his ego.

My phone buzzed in my hand—luckily, Zach hadn’t broken it—and a shred of anxiety mixed with hope hit me. Was my dad finally answering my texts?

Mom: Jackie received a promotion today at work. We're all going out for a meal tonight to celebrate. Get home as soon as you can.

My eyes widened as I stopped on the sidewalk, apologising to a runner as they almost slammed into the back of me because of my sudden cease of movement.

I couldn't tell my mom I didn't want to come because things were awkward between Kaleb and me since we'd made out at some creepy shooting range. Jackie would be disappointed that I'd hooked up with her son while she was kindly allowing me to stay at her house—in her deceased daughter's room, for that matter.

Freya: Looking forward to it.

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