Page 31 of The Jester and His Outlaw: Part 2

“What can you do?” My eyes fall shut, embarrassment clouding my judgment. I left my league such a long time ago. Optimism always sends me right back to failure. My best friend is one of the richest men in the country, or will be one day, and my girlfriend… well, she has a shit ton of money as well. What the hell am I doing bothering with either of them? I’ll never be able to provide her the life that she lives currently and I’m just using Jensen. “Riggs… come back, bro. What can you do? I’m only asking because I know you won’t live there without paying something, so what is it?”

I clench my teeth. “Four hundred is all I can do without quitting school.”

“Deal.” He presents his hand for me to shake.

“That’s less than half, Jensen. I won’t take advantage of you like that.”

He shrugs. Fucking rich people. “Just so happens, I have a job opening. My father is giving me the Bleudale office. I need a graphic designer.”

“I’m not a graphic designer.”

“No, but you’re an artist.” I ponder his proposal for a minute. I’ve never thought about pursuing art as a career. It’s still early enough that I can change my major if I like it. “I know you don’t want to work for my father. Hell, I don’t want to, but he is expanding the company and he’ll be moving up north soon to work on another branch. Eventually, we won’t see him and the house will be mine. You could even move in there when things become more permanent. Right now, it’s mostly work you can take home, so you won’t have to commit to actual hours and can still work at the bookstore. Summer break, I’ll need you full time.”

Shit.That’s a lot to take in. Jensen has been thinking about this for a long time. To say I’m grateful would be an understatement, but I’m also wary and a little skeptical that it’s too good to be true. I mean, why me?

“Just say yes, man. The opportunities here are endless. As much as you hate my father and his companies, the money is good and you need it from where I’m sitting. You don’t want to depend on me and I get that. I wouldn’t want to depend on anyone either, that’s why I work for him, but you have to let me help you—”

“Okay,” I cut him off. His mouth snaps shut.

“Okay?” He scrunches his brow and rubs his thighs with his palms, fighting a grin.

“Okay. I’ll do it. I won’t let you down, man.”

CHAPTER15

I’m sweptup into a hug the next morning in the middle of the hallway. On instinct, I drop my books, step wide, and sweep my leg around behind my attacker. I stop immediately when I see a head of curly blonde hair attached to a freakishly large body.

Jensen stands before me, stunned, legitimate fear tacked on to his expression. “Shit, Charley.”

Relaxing to the best of my ability, I take deliberate breaths to dispel the adrenaline of being grabbed from my system.

“Jensen. Oh, my god. You scared the crap out of me.” I pant, slapping my hand to my chest.

He bows his head sheepishly and my frustration grows. I guess Iamworried about Jonas. Kai may have trained me to defend myself, but instead of assuming the hug was friendly in a place where I’ve not been harmed before, I felt the need to protect myself. That counts for something. Maybe Jonas isn’t as harmless as I think if I’m so on edge.

“I am so sorry. I won’t ever do that again.” He approaches me, dropping a hand to my shoulder, a mask of concern covering his usual playfulness. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” My shrug is casual, but I’m not fooling him. “All good.”

“Jonas?” he asks.

“I guess so.” His concern deepens, his gray eyes cutting a serious gaze at me, protective.

“Has he done anything else?”

“What? No. I guess he’s just in the back of my mind more than I thought.”

Jensen’s chuckle helps to settle my frayed nerves as we move to the side of the hallway, away from the flow of traffic. Swift and sure in his movements, his enormous hands scoop up all of my belongings and he hands them back to me in a less than organized pile. I mutter my thanks, shuffling the papers and notebooks around until they’re straight.

“Well, even if he tries something, I know you can take care of yourself. Kai wasn’t kidding when he said you were a natural.”

“Kai likes to tell everyone that. I’m hardly a natural. Rusty, actually. That was a slow approach to getting out of that—” A palm faces me, stopping my word vomit.

“You’re a badass, Charley.”

“Thanks.” I sigh, hating that phrase. Learning to fight for the reasons I had, I didn’t want to be a badass. No one should have to fight because their parents beat them rather than parent them.

“No, I need to thank you. I have never seen Riggs talk about his future, let alone with a smile on his face while he did it.” My cheeks flush as I think about my previous visit with Riggs in my bedroom. I will never think of my bed the same way again. My childhood bedroom isn’t so innocent anymore.

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