Page 76 of The Jester and His Outlaw: Part One

Kai is standing right outside of my window, concern etched deep in the V between his brows. He’s scanning me to check if I’m hurt, his eyes also darting around the parking lot in the path I took.

“Charley, talk to me.” I can’t hear him through the glass, but I can read his lips. Without waiting for my response, he opens the door, crowding into my space.

Riggs frowns from his stance by his bike, and J and Foxy follow him over to my car. Kai leans in and snaps his fingers in my face.

I don’t respond because my eyes lock on Riggs, seeking comfort. I’ve craved his touch since we kissed. Lived for the moment we would collide with passion like that again. Thought about it over and over. I can’t deny wanting him even if I tried.

“What happened? Why were you running across the parking lot like your ass is on fire?” Kai tries again.

“Huh?” I gawk at Kai, slightly disoriented. My fear is dropping, the rush of adrenaline slowing, but I’m still in flight mode, so it’s hard to keep myself in the moment.

I risk a peek at the exit of the school and catch Jonas standing behind the door, watching me. I can’t get a read on his face from across the parking lot, but his stance is wide, looming. He’s taking up the entire doorway and when I blink, he’s gone.

Am I fucking hallucinating? Or losing it?

It’s possible. He may not even have been there to begin with and my lack of sleep and stress from the fight with Layla has me keyed up and seeing shit that isn’t there. Or it’s because this neurotic moron has been trying to claim me, showing up at places where I’m supposed to be safe to say I’m his. To fake date him.

I’ve been playing off his advances like he doesn’t scare me, suppressing his crazy—nothing to worry about. Maybe there is something to worry about and my instinct is making me do insane things to get me to snap out of it and realize the threat. Like try to attack Layla for calling me a home-wrecker. Not exactly an overreaction for a normal person, but for me, yes. I’m calm and collected usually.

Has Jonas really made me that scared?

“Earth to Charley,” Kai grumbles again. I sigh and force myself to take a deep breath.

“Hey, Kai.” His furrowed brow remains, and he tilts his head to the side a hair as he looks at me. My smile is weak and I know he can sense it, but it’s all I can give right now. “I’m good.”

“What was that?” he asks.

How the hell do I respond to that? Send everyone into chaos worrying over me when I tell them I saw Jonas? Do I say IthoughtJonas was eyeing me in the cafeteria, following me down the hall? Not easily and not without them thinking I’ve lost my mind. This isn’t like me, and I have no idea what to tell them.

“Uh, nothing. I was hot, trying to get in and get the AC going so I can cool off.” His face goes flat and aside from a quick quirk of his brow, he doesn’t mention my lie. He’ll ask me later when the pressure is off, but at least I have a moment to think of something other than telling him I’m sure I’m going crazy.

“Right, okay,” Foxy agrees reluctantly. “We are ditching, getting lunch across town. You look like you could use some time off. Let’s go.” It isn’t a request and she won’t let me back out. Foxy doesn’t play when it comes to ditching.

“Okay, cool,” I choke out. Riggs is studying the doorway with a scowl on his face. Did he find Jonas in the doorway?

When he looks back at me, it’s almost like I feel his longing to be near me, or perhaps I’m projecting mine on to him. He takes another glance at the building, then nods, tugging the end of his glove to snug it over his fingers.

I nod back to him and plaster a smile on my face as Foxy climbs into her usual spot in the Jeep.

“You can ride with the guys. I’m fine,” I tell her.

“Shut up.”

CHAPTER36

As I figured,Foxy had something perfect in mind. We’re sitting at a table in the diner that is modeled to look like the one in Riverdale.

Everything I need for lunch.

Sugar and dairy.

Everyone else is eating burgers and fries, but all I can think about is downing my chocolate malt shake. So that is what I’m doing.

Foxy’s sitting across the table, sandwiched between her guys, which I guess is their thing. Kai is feeding her french fries and I never expected the word ‘adorable’ to be part of my vocabulary in relation to Foxy and my brother, but the scene is just that.

Riggs sits in silence next to me, taking a few bites of his food here and there. He hasn’t committed to the whole burger, and it’s obvious he doesn’t have an appetite. The booths we sit in are huge, but he is close to me. Not relationship close, but close enough that I have stolen a few brushes of the arm. He must not mind because he stays right where he is, even if he isn’t taking part in the conversation.

He picks up his burger again to take a bite. Second guessing it, he drops it on to his plate in defeat, then instinctively wraps his arm over his torso. Jensen catches the move.

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