Page 6 of A Love So Wrong
"Ok, Beans, hold the ladder," he instructed.
Holding one side of the ladder, Taylor readily obeyed the command. Jade gave Taylor a scowl, but her friend didn't see it. He was too busy staring up the ladder as Gideon ascended as if he was in the presence of a god.
Jade would never understand how Gideon did it. How did he convert everyone to one of his loyal subjects? Even Taylor, who happened to loathe being referred to only by his surname, was now ignoring that fact and staring at Gideon with open undying admiration. It was beyond annoying.
Every day she was surrounded by Gideon's greatness. Old trophies of his lined the school halls, pictures of him were in nearly every class. She could never seem to escape those eyes of his that seemed to eternally reflect the soul of a boy that had seen too much and survived, no matter what year the photo was taken. When she graduated next year, Jade was certain that the Stardust Cove Highschool would probably have one photo of her buried in the back of their yearbook, most likely with a caption of "we never heard her speak" or "most likely to become a recluse." Or worse, "so unlike her brother," she shivered just at the thought of it. But as much as she resented everyone's infatuation with Gideon, she knew she was just as guilty. Glancing up at him on the ladder, Jade watched his profile as he concentrated on getting the camera mount in place. His lips were pinched together, holding the remaining screws between his lips, making his sharp cheekbones stand out even more so. His sandy brown hair, which was cut short on the sides and kept a bit longer at the top, gleamed in the sun showing off his naturally wavy hair. Yeah, she was just as bad as everyone else, if not worse.
She loved Gideon, he was everything to her. When they moved here years ago, and she finally trusted that this would be their permanent home, she allowed herself to dream of living near Gideon forever. Praying every night, he would never wake up one day and suddenly want to leave Stardust Cove—or her. Maybe they could be neighbors, maybe she wouldn't despise whoever he dated like she had all the other times and actually be able to be friends with the girl he chose. Maybe that woman would understand how much Jade needed him.
"So how did you even find us anyway, Gid?" Taylor called up, interrupting her thoughts and projecting his voice over the sound of the drill.
Pulling the last screw he had been holding between his lips, Gideon squinted from the sun as he lined up the next screw into the camera's mount.
"I didn't set out to find both of you. I tracked Jade via her phone. You are just a consolation prize," Gideon grunted.
Taylor laughed, oblivious to the disbelieving stare she was giving to the side of his face.
After installing a few more cameras on the outside of the house and teaching Mrs. Archuleta how to use her app to access the video, she and Gideon stood in front of his truck as Taylor said his goodbyes and gave Gideon one last wistful, hero-worshipping look before turning away. Alone now, Gideon turned to her and opened the passenger door of his truck.
"Hop in, or are you still mad at me?" he challenged.
Jade's body jerked from the direct comment. Stiffly, she took off her backpack and slid into the sweltering cab of the truck. "No, I was never mad at you," she informed him, although she knew that was a lie.
Walking around the front of the truck, Gideon stopped at the driver-side door and waved once more towards the house, and Jade could see from her position in the truck the curtains flutter. Sliding into the driver's seat, Gideon stuck his key into the ignition and gave her a sidelong look. "You could've fooled me, especially with the whole not looking or talking to me for two whole days thing."
"You know I don't like to make waves," she said carefully, turning to look out her window. "I was angry at you, and then yesterday…it just felt awkward."
Yesterday, she actually tried twice to approach him, to start a conversation like normal, but each time he turned and gave her a deep, waiting look that made her chest constrict. She had felt so awkward and self-conscious, she just retreated each time.
Stopping at a stop sign, they stared unseeingly as a group of middle-schoolers crossed the street. "You know," Gideon began, "it’s not natural to never make waves, right? I mean, I understand you have this constant fear that Sandra and Henry are just going to one day tell us to hit the road and all, but—"
Jade stiffened at that. He just threw one of her worst fears out casually before her, forcing her to acknowledge it as if it were nothing.
Crossing her arms, Jade took a deep breath and turned in her seat, giving Gideon a stormy look. "But what if Sandra gets mad one day and she kicksyouout like she and Henry did with Ron, have you ever considered that?"
The mention of the Lattimores’ first and only biological child seemed to suck the air out of the vehicle. Kicked out of the Lattimores’ house years before they got there, the subject of the son was a taboo topic in their house. Any reminder of the estranged son only angered Henry while on the surface, Sandra pretended as if she never had a son. Like a silent bomb that had detonated over them, they sat in the deafening silence for a moment before Gideon spoke.
"There is a big difference between Ron and me." The too-quiet tone to his voice caused Jade's chest to constrict in pain. Fine, almost indiscernible traces of anger hardened Gideon's profile as he continued. "He was and probably still is addicted to meth, in-and-out of jail, and most importantly, Henry doesn't scowl when he mentions my name."
"I know," she breathed, ashamed she made him feel that she was comparing him to Ron. Scooting over to him on the bench seat, she put one hand on his shoulder. Heat seared at her hand through his t-shirt, and Jade could feel the hard muscles beneath her hand relax under her touch. Releasing a breath she didn't even know she was holding, her heart calmed a bit as she felt him relax back into the seat. Leaning her head gingerly against his shoulder, Jade closed her eyes as she let the rhythm of the truck against the road flow through her.
"I…just don't want you to give Sandra any reason to," she paused and opened her eyes, searching for the right words. "…It's just that sometimes it feels as if Sandra is—"
"Losing her mind?" Gideon offered helpfully.
Sitting up, she gave him a sharp look. "Don't say that!"
Gideon shot her a wide grin that made her heart feel as if it were just punched. She had seen him smile like that countless times to girls, that broad flirtatious smile that drove girls crazy, and she could understand why. That smile was almost too much to bear.
"I wasgoingto say," she stressed pointedly. "That it feels she is becoming increasingly temperamental."
Making a deep humming noise of agreement under his breath, Gideon nodded.
After a long moment, he finally spoke again. "You know that no matter what, I would never leave you, right?" he said as they pulled into the pharmacy parking lot. Leaning one forearm on the top of the steering wheel, he turned and looked at her. "Even if I had to move into an apartment or something nearby, I'd still be the one taking you to and from school each day even when you get out early and don't tell me, forcing me to track you down by your phone's GPS," he added crisply.
Smiling, she followed him out of the truck and prayed his words were true. Each word was exactly what she wanted to hear, sending her high into the clouds of happiness, but her guilt still found its way in, lining each cloud with a streak of dismal gray. How long would he feel this way? How long would it take until Gideon realized his sister was just an emotional burden who secretly fantasized about staying together forever?
