Page 13 of The Jester and His Outlaw: Part One

“I don’t care about the money and status.” If that isn’t the biggest lie ever, and if I had lesser standards, I would fall for it. Unfortunately for Jonas, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on my relationship with him. Money and status are everything to him.

“Right, if that isn’t the biggest line of bullshit someone has ever fed me. All you care about is who’s saying your name in which circles.” He has the nerve to look offended, his eyes turning pleading as he extends his arm in my direction. Does he expect me to take it?

“I want you, Charley.” He takes a step closer to me, and I swing my head around to make sure I’m continuing on in a safe direction.

“I’m sorry, Jonas, I don’t want you.” A flinch jolts his body, as if my rejection hurts him.

“Okay, fine. Look, can we just fake it at school for the rest of freshman year?” I scoff. The audacity of this asshole is unbelievable. “My parents are going to kill me if they find out we broke up.”

“You want me to fake being your girlfriend instead of fessing up to your parents that we split.”

“We didn’t split, you broke up with me,” he growls, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand. I don’t like his possessive tone at all.

I shake my head and say, “Same thing.”

“No, it isn’t, I didn’t want out of the relationship.” By his sides, his fists clench. Sweat is gleaming on his brow in the glow of the LED street light and his bloodshot eyes are darting to areas all around me.

“That’s not how this works. You cheated on me and I broke up with you. That’s it, it’s over.” I gesture with finality.

The cry of wheels against asphalt hums in the background and I let out the breath I was holding. I recognize that sound well.

“Everything alright here, Charlotte?” Chandler asks from the open window of the diesel truck my father provided for them. A bit of overkill. A cart would have sufficed, but whatever the case, I’m thankful for his intrusion. Anything to get away from Jonas.

Chandler’s gray eyes roam over the jock before me as he assesses the situation. He finally lands on me with an arched brow that asks if I need him to step out of the truck.

“Nothing wrong, sir. I was just chatting with Charley.”

“In the early morning in her gated community, Mr. Myers. Your conversation couldn’t have waited until you got to school?”

“You’re right sir, this could’ve waited. My apologies. I didn’t mean to scare anyone.” He’s fucking sober at this moment, though I’m sure Chandler knows better.

Chandler gives him a cool nod, then motions me toward the truck. No need to tell me twice.

“Goodbye, Jonas,” I say with no emotion before I pass in front of the truck, the headlights causing me to squint my eyes. Jonas gives me a smirk that if I don’t know him better than I do, I wouldn’t notice the vindictive twist he laces it with. Adrenaline pulses through my veins but with no reason now to discharge it, it settles in my stomach and I fight against the urge to vomit.

The short rideback to the house is quiet and tense. For a second, I wonder if I upset Chandler. He has every right to be. I didn’t have my phone. But I also told him it wasn’t on me, so he can’t be too upset.

“What did he want, Chuckey?” Chandler is the only adult that understands why I broke up with Jonas. My parents don’t see cheating at such a young age as enough of an indiscretion to break up with him. Apparently, young, unmarried love isn’t a proper relationship, so cheating doesn’t matter. That’s what it seems like, anyway. Jonas made a mistake in their eyes, and one day I would realize that silly mistakes like that aren’t of importance.

Chandler is an expert judge of character, and he sensed the first time he met Jonas that he didn’t like him. Blinded by his good looks, I didn’t notice what a piece of shit he was at the time and who I was becoming. My second father didn’t call me out like Foxy did, but he’s there to listen to the tears of guilt when they happen. Wolves didn’t raise him like they did the people of this community, like the people my parents are turning into, so he understands where I’m coming from and why I struggle with this alternate version of my parents.

“He wants me back. Asked me to act like we were together at school so his parents wouldn’t know we split up.” A laugh shoots from Chandler’s nose, and he shakes his head. I can only imagine what he’s thinking.Ridiculous rich pricks.

“Haven’t they noticed that you’re not hanging around their place anymore?” he questions, steering the truck through the gates. When they clink closed behind us, he navigates the truck up the driveway and stops in front of the steps.

“They’ve been out of town. They’re due back soon, and I’m sure he’s sweating it after all his attempts to get me back didn’t work.” Chandler considers my explanation for a moment, leaning his hand on the pistol attached to his belt.

“Do you feel safe, or do you want me to escort you to school?”

“I’ll be fine, Chandler. He was drunk,” I remark flippantly.

“He looked a little more than drunk.” Chandler tenses around the grip of the pistol, a movement I’m sure he isn’t even aware he’s doing.

“Likely, but I’ll be fine. He will not embarrass himself at school.”

“Stay away from him and come home straight after hockey, got it? Tell me if you need to go anywhere else, and I’ll send someone to shadow you, just in case.” Normally I would sass him and give him hell for caring, but there is a tone in his voice that says he means business. I trust Chandler and his judgment. If he is serious, then I will try to heed the warning. I still think Jonas is harmless. “Never underestimate desperation.”

I freeze and turn back with my hand clasping the door handle. It’s clear that he isn’t kidding in the slightest. I gulp, all too freaked out. It has to just be the adrenaline still pumping from my confrontation with my ex. “Yes, sir. I’ll let you know when I leave for school.”

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