Page 47 of Corrupt Obsession

Whatever he saw in her eyes must have reassured him because he nodded.

“I’m ready when you are,” he said and left without another word.

She stared after him, heart thudding in her ears, every nerve ending buzzing. Everything was the same and yet… not. He wasn’t ignoring what happened, but he also wasn’t discussing it in detail. She was grateful and confused.

Once she was in her bedroom, she automatically looked around for her backpack before remembered where she left it. She wished she knew what to expect at school today. She suspected Tucker wouldn’t show his bruised face… Unless he decided to report Jesse’s unprovoked attack to the school? Had anyone witnessed what happened? Were any rumors circulating? Had Tucker tried to contact her?

With countless questions crowding her mind, she headed down the hall. Mom was already gone and after a quick scan of the kitchen and living room, she headed outside where Jesse was already in the SUV. She walked toward him, feeling naked and awkward without her backpack.

She slipped into the passenger seat and buckled herself in. Jesse had the country station on. She tried to get lost in the music, but her mind was overwrought as she anticipated what the day would bring.

“Where’s your backpack?”

“It was on the side of Tucker’s Bronco. I hope it’s still in the parking lot,” she said, rapping her fingernails on the door.

“Hopefully, someone turned it in.”

“Yeah.”

There was a long pause before he asked, “You’re breaking up with Tucker?”

The toe of her right shoe tapped restlessly. “Yes.”

“That’s good.”

She waited for him to elaborate, but when he didn’t, she didn’t pursue it. Instead, she asked, “You aren’t worried you’ll get in trouble?”

“For what?”

She finally looked at him. He wore a white shirt with jeans and a navy hat pulled low over his eyes. The gold cross on his chain gleamed on his chest.

“For assaulting someone,” she said sharply. “You could get kicked off the team for fighting. What you did to Tucker could get you banned from sports completely.”

“I had cause.”

She tensed and balled her hand into a fist as she reminded him quietly, “He didn’t force me.”

A hint of the rage he displayed yesterday crossed his face as he shot her a hard, glittering look. “Don’t, Vi.”

“I’m just being honest! If you get pulled into the office...”

“I won’t.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because Tucker had it coming and he knew it. Why do you think I walked out of practice yesterday?”

She straightened, this new piece of information catching her totally by surprise. Jesse should have been occupied with football practice. That’s why she took leave of her senses and allowed Tucker to take such liberties. She was so rattled, it never crossed her mind why Jesse had stumbled across them in the first place.

“Why’d you leave practice?” she asked.

The muscles in his forearms flexed as he tightened his hold on the steering wheel. “I had a bone to pick with Tucker, but once I found you two, why I was looking for him no longer mattered.”

“So, you weren’t looking for me, you were looking for him,” she clarified.

“Yes.”

“And you weren’t expecting to find me with him.”

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