Fall Away

Chapter 41

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“Jared, why are you yelling?” My mother poked her head in, and Tate shrunk up into a ball underneath me again.

Oh, what the f**k?

“Jared!” My mother’s shocked gasp, when she noticed the extra arms and legs, caused me to clench my teeth.

Jax descended into a fit of laughter, and his face was turning red.

“Everyone, get out!” I shouted, and Jax cleared out, still smiling and obviously trying to hold back more laughter.

My mother, her face pinched up in anger and looking like she wanted to say something, grabbed the k.n.o.b of the door and slammed it shut.

“Oh, my G.o.d!” Tate cried into my chest. “That did not just happen.”

“Yeah, I’m afraid it did. But who cares?” I shook it off. I was p.i.s.sed, because Tate was embarra.s.sed, but my mom and Jax were no threat.

She looked up at me, her s.e.xy hair falling over her eyes. “Your mom will talk to my dad.”

“My mom is scared of your dad. We all kind of are. She won’t say anything.” I kissed her forehead.

“I’m so misbehaved.” She sat up, covering herself, looking a little sick. “I just couldn’t help it. Or…I didn’t want to, maybe. I woke up, and I wanted you so badly. I didn’t think.”

“Look at me,” I interrupted, holding her face in my hands. “You’re not misbehaved. You’re a good girl. No one takes this from us, Tate.” My voice hardened and my eyes got sharp. I nudged her chin, so she’d meet my eyes. “We’re eighteen. We’re in my home. You’re in a safe place. Quit acting like we should be apologizing for being in love. I understand showing your dad respect under his roof, but what’s done is done. We’re not going backwards.” I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her warm neck.

“I know,” she sighed, wrapping her arms around my neck and hugging me close. “I love you, and…and I trust this.”

But I felt the doubt sitting in my gut anyway.

Was she sure? Too much drama lately, or too much trouble, but she was still afraid of being hurt.

I cleared my throat and shook it off, changing the subject.

“Go get ready for school.” I pulled back and looked at her. “I’ll be over in thirty to pick you up. And you may as well leave through the front door. They know you’re here now,” I added as I stood up.

The corner of her mouth turned up, and she laughed when I threw one of my clean T-shirts in her face.

“Wear that.” It was another Nine Inch Nails T-shirt. They were one of my favorite bands, so I had a few of them. “To replace the one you burned last year,” I added when she pinched her eyebrows at me.

“Cool.” She smiled and slipped on her underwear and the shirt. “I always liked wearing your clothes,” she whispered s.e.xily and spun around once, modeling the outfit.

Annnnnd…I was f**king hard again.

“Dude, I take it all back,” Jax rushed to say when I entered the kitchen. “You should definitely get her name tattooed on your body. h.e.l.l, I’ll get her name tattooed on my body.” He started laughing again, the f**king p.r.i.c.k.

“Jaxon, that behavior is not tolerated.” My mother walked in, briefcase in hand. “Don’t think you’re going to get away with it when you live here.”

“Yes, Mom.” He mocked, but honestly, he had a better relationship with my mother than I did.

“Jared. Be home after school. We’re talking.” She pointed her finger at me.

“Yes, Mom,” I mumbled, echoing Jax.

“Jax, honey.” My mother looked to my brother. “Are you done with my laptop?”

“Yeah, I put it back in the case. Thank you.” And he spooned in another mouthful of cereal as he leaned against the sink.

My mother walked over to me as soon as she’d swung her laptop case over her shoulder. I let her put her hand to my cheek, but I still couldn’t manage to maintain eye contact.

“I love you,” she whispered gently. “And be home after school.”

I nodded, and she walked out, the sound of her heels fading away down the hall.

Looking over to Jax, who stood there trying to keep his smile at bay, I was suddenly confused.

“You have a phone. What did you need the laptop for?” I asked, grabbing an apple off the counter and taking a bite.

He just shrugged and stuffed his mouth with more Captain Crunch.

“Are you sure you feel comfortable in that outfit?” I asked as we walked into school, hand in hand.

She didn’t look at me, but her smile reeked of sarcasm. “Is it my comfort you’re worried about or your own?”

She didn’t look even remotely trampy. On the contrary, she was a f**king magazine cover. But the flimsy black dress was short. Tate usually dressed like a tomboy, but it was like she was on a mission to f**k with my s.e.x drive 24/7.

I was on overdrive.

“My concern has nothing to do with me.” I pulled her into my side and hooked an arm around her neck. “I only think of you.”

We strolled through the halls, barely noticed, finally, as the school had pretty much moved on to newer drama. Jax was a genius. I did a web-search after I got home last night, and I couldn’t find the video anywhere.

Everyone was moving on.

“Let’s go for a ride after school today,” I suggested. “Just get on the motorcycle and go.”

Looking up, she raised her eyebrows and grinned, but then her eyes shifted to the lockers at our side, and her bubble immediately popped.

Following her gaze, I saw two girls eyeing Tate and me and whispering. They were being very obvious.

One of the girls I didn’t know. The other one, I definitely knew.

s.h.i.t.

“Tate, just ignore them.”

“It’s easy for you, Jared.” Her voice was low and calm, but there was a bite to it. “You could’ve been filmed with ten p**n stars, and you’d be the man. I’m the one that’s paying for that video. Not you.”

She was right. While I cringed every time I saw that thing, I wasn’t in her shoes.

And there was little I could do to protect her.

I wanted to get her out of here. Get on the bike right now, and get lost, but she wouldn’t go for that. Instead I just grabbed her hand. “Let’s get to cla.s.s.”

We started walking through the throngs of people, but she hesitated.

Glancing down at her, I saw her take out her phone, which was buzzing. My eyes shot up when I heard several other phones ringing and vibrating.

Fear hollowed my stomach as déjà vu struck. Everyone was getting a message at the same time, just like Tate told me they did when the video exploded.

My own phone vibrated against my a.s.s, and with a cringe, I reached in my pocket to grab it.

Madoc.

Glancing around, I noticed almost everyone had their noses in their devices as well.

Sliding to unlock the screen, I opened the message.

Really?!

With p.i.s.s and fury burning my stomach, I watched a recording of Nate, blubbering last night in the hot tub. I was in the video, too, but I was blurred out, and I couldn’t hear what I was saying. All that was visible and audible was Nate Dietrich, pleading for his safety and apologizing.

f.u.c.k!

Heat rushed over my back, and a cool sweat broke out across my forehead as I looked to Tate. She was seeing it, too, no doubt. Others started hooting and laughing in the halls, while some whispered and showed their phones around to other’s who hadn’t gotten the message.

The video was not flattering. It clearly protected me and threw him to the sharks as a spineless joke.

Well, good. I was okay with that, but Tate?

Her eyebrows were pinched together as she looked at her phone, and then her serious and very unhappy eyes zoned in on me.

“Jared? This is you, isn’t it? You’re the one he’s talking to.”

Her breathing was fast, and her face was tense.

Son of a b.i.t.c.h. Just when I was hoping things would calm down. f.u.c.king Madoc and f**king Jax. Madoc obviously sent it to the whole school, but it had to have been Jax that filmed it when my back was turned last night. I was sure of it. Madoc didn’t know s.h.i.t about how to edit videos. Jax was the smart one.

And that’s why he’d borrowed my mom’s laptop this morning.

“Tate, it’s—”

“Was this last night?” she interrupted.

“It was spontaneous.” I held up my hands and shook my head, inching up to her. “Nate was at Madoc’s house, and Jax and I went over to confront him.”

“You threatened him? What were you thinking?” she accused. “I mean, don’t get me wrong,” she continued, “I appreciate the gesture, but it’s not worth it. Now everyone’s talking about us again, Jared. They all know what this is about.”

I looked around and—yes—people were eyeing us again. Talking and laughing, not to mention whispering. The grins weren’t snide or spiteful, but it was still talk.

And Tate was sick of it.

“Why didn’t you take me with you?” she asked.

I lifted my shoulders a bit and exhaled a bitter laugh. “It seemed like a bad idea to put you back in that mess. You’ve been through too much. I didn’t want you to get emotional—”

“Emotional?” Her voice erupted like an air horn in the otherwise hushed hallway.

Glancing around, I inched closer, feeling my nerves heat up with her obvious anger. “That’s not what I meant—”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this this morning?” Her wall was up, and I stood there in f**king awe of how close I’d been to her a moment ago. “Another video, Jared!” she burst out. “I should’ve known about this.”

“I didn’t know it was being recorded!”

What the h.e.l.l? Why was she mad? If anything, she should’ve been happy that I defended her honor! Of course, Nate walked away without a scratch, but the video cut off as my blade went in his face. People would a.s.sume the worst until Nate showed up to verify that he was fine.

Tate was overreacting, because she didn’t know what had happened.

“That’s the same excuse you used last time!” she retorted.

“‘Excuse?’” Was she really implying that I knew about the s.e.x video? “You’re blowing up about nothing. Again! Just like my f**king car!”

I ran my hand through my hair and blew out a breath.

“Look.” My teeth were bared, and my voice was low. “K.C. brought Nate over to Madoc’s house last night—”

“K.C. was in on this?” she interrupted. “And not me? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Oh, for f**k’s sake.

“I didn’t have a chance,” I gritted out, waving my hand. “You crept into my room and jumped on my c**k so fast this morning—”

“Ugh!” she growled and slammed her knee right between my legs.

I hunched forward and fell to one knee.

s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t … I moaned as a white hot pain shot through my groin.

Jesus Christ, Tate!

My eyes squeezed shut, and I breathed in and out quickly, trying to keep my legs from collapsing underneath me.

My f**king d.i.c.k was on fire and nausea rolled through my stomach in waves. Holy mother…

I sucked in breath after breath, trying not to vomit…or cry.

Tate was gone. I didn’t see her leave, but I felt her absence.

And there I was. Alone, and stupid in a hallway full of people I couldn’t see, because I was blurry-eyed and shaking.

Tatum f.u.c.king Brandt.

She was going to kill me.

Chapter 41

Weight hit my shoulder, and I sank forward a little farther.

“She does that well, doesn’t she?”

Madoc.

He helped me up, and I leaned against the lockers, trying to stay upright. The initial shock had pa.s.sed, but I was still in bad shape.

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