Page 27 of The Jester and His Outlaw: Part One

Sweet, Brett. I wanted to text him after all of this.

“What did Jonas do to her?” I ask, not completely sure I should.

“Let’s save that for another conversation, okay? You don’t need to hear that right now.” Foxy winces.

“Foxy…?”

“Please, Charley, let it go for now. It will not help you. Just remember that he shouldn’t be walking for what he did. Where did you get this information from, anyway? Why is this happening now?” I launched into a very detailed, very pitiful rendition of the afternoon with Riggs. Foxy knows me so well that she caught my words in between my cries and sobs.

“Fucking Riggs. He’s such a jerk. Don’t let him get to you. He’s apparently going through some stuff right now, and You’re the one he’s choosing to take it out on,” she says, like she’s been friends with him for years. She must talk to Jensen on a more regular basis than I thought. Good for them. They need one another.

“How does that translate to being so mean to me?” I bark an exasperated laugh, and Foxy frowns.

“It doesn’t. Not really. He’s salty to begin with and pushes everyone away from him. Jensen told me the other night that his grandmother is sick. Has like a month to live or something. That’s no excuse, but it might help you understand. She is all he has.”

“Damn, Foxy. That’s rough. So is it a possibility he really couldn’t afford lunch the other day?” It shouldn’t, but my heart breaks for the guy. He has too much pride to let someone buy lunch for him. That has to suck. It could be that I was buying it for him, but no one should have to starve. I wonder if he lets J buy him things?

“Don’t go there. Don’t start feeling bad for the guy. He’s still being a jerk.” She points her finger at me, then wipes my tears away and picks little pieces of toilet paper off my face with a giggle.

“A really sexy jerk,” I mumble, whipping my head back, eyes wide.What the fuck did I say?I mean, he’s attractive as hell, but why did that come out of my mouth?

“Yeah, girl. You can say that again. Tall, tattooed, sexy bedroom hair and those blue eyes. Plus that broody, I-hate-the-world-and-don’t-give-a-shit-who-knows vibe. He’s all kinds of trouble.” She fans herself, watching me in the mirror as I run some cold water over my puffy face and wash my hands. I’m not ready to face the world, but I can breathe better knowing the halls will be empty.

“Whoa, down girl. I’m positive Jensen wouldn’t be interested in sharing his girl with his best friend.”

She winks and butterflies go crazy in my belly, thoughts of Riggs in the bedroom playing in my mind.

Holy crap, I am doomed. The kid wants to gut me daily and here I am daydreaming about how good he looks naked.

I force thoughts of Brett into my mind. If I’m going to think like that, I need to find someone who is a good person, who would be right for me.

Unfortunately, Brett doesn’t tick all of those boxes for me.

And Riggs does? You’re an idiot, Charlotte. What the hell?

Of course, when we step through the metal door frame, Jensen and Riggs are walking toward us. Jensen sees us immediately and waves. Foxy grins like a madwoman and waves back.Shit. it’s still so obvious I’ve been crying. This is the last thing I want Riggs to see.

I can only imagine how fake he thinks I am.

But when I look at him, there is a cavern between his brows. His eyes are stern, questioning, and there is a slight downturn to the edge of his lips. An icy gaze connects with mine for a few steps, and he nods as we pass them.

I sigh in relief that Foxy didn’t choose to stop and talk. I would have if she wanted to, but I’m more interested in burying myself in my homework so I can forget about all of this.

CHAPTER13

RIGGS

Bona fide fearslices through my chest when I roll my bike to a stop in my usual space. I’m already sweating from the raging summer sun and being covered in my thick jacket, trousers, boots, and riding gloves, but I’m sweating for an even different reason. Gramma has waited for me to get home from school every day since we moved into this place. She sits on the porch with tea or coffee—lately water, because making anything else is a struggle. Today, she is nowhere to be seen.

My heart jackhammers in my chest and my stomach squeezes. What if…? I choke on the idea. What if she’s dead? What if she doesn’t make it a month?

Fuck it all to hell. Fuck cancer. Fuck death. Fuck living. I can’t take this shit.

This worrying everyday if today is going to be the one is madness. I never want to leave her side, but I have school and work. I’m to the point now where I don’t even want to go to bed, not like I sleep often anyway, but I’m constantly afraid I’m going to wake up or come home to a still body.

Just the thought is crushing. How am I going to deal with it when it happens?

What am I going to do when cancer distinguishes her light?

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