Page 71 of Fractured Mind
“Stuff this!” I mutter under my breath. I head toward the bonfire. When a hand grasps my arm, I swing around, but it’s Maree holding out a can of cola.
“Is everything all right? Did I say something wrong? You just left.”
Guilt jabs at me, but I can’t say, “Well yeah, your cousin is a creep,” so I lie. “No, everything’s fine. I just want to go down and spend time with Ashton.” Okay, half-lie.
“Oh, good.”
I take the chilly can of soda from her. “What are you doing after school finishes?” I ask her.
“I’m not sure yet. Maybe I’ll stick around and hang with you guys.”
Over my dead body, I think to myself. I jolt at a sharp pinch at the midpoint of my back. I touch the area with my hand, finding nothing there, and realize the pain has vanished.
“Well, I better be off. Have a good night,” Maree says in a rush while looking out at the crowd. She hurries away.What was that about?
As I turn around, I recoil at Joe, who’s right behind me with a suggestive smile. “How about I bring you to my house and show you a good time?”
The way he looks at me makes me feel violated. Fear grips me tightly, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing my panic, so I roll my shoulders back. “No. Leave me alone.” His dark chuckle makes the bile rise in my throat, but relief floods me when I see a friendly face. “Theo,” I call out in alarm.
Theo turns his head, and when his eyes find me, he gives me a sad smile and walks toward me while I hurry to him. The closer Theo gets, the more distant Joe becomes. When I reach Theo, I peer over my shoulder and blow out a breath, letting the fear leave my body. I can no longer see Joe.
Theo rubs the back of his neck, looking almost shy. “I wanted to tell you how sorry I am.”
I stare at him. “Shouldn’t I apologize to you?”
“Nah, I provoked Ashton. I knew straight away when you said your last name that I should stay away from you. Everyone who knew Ashton heard you were his. When I left, I felt awful that I could have hurt you when I tackled Ashton.”
I place my hand on his forearm and squeeze it. “It’s okay. And I’m sorry too.”
He looks down at my hand. When he raises his head, a small smile has replaced the frown. “Where’s your boyfriend, anyway? I’m not here for another punch in the face.”
I press my lips together, trying not to laugh. “I’m sorry about that too.”
“Don’t worry about it... What are you drinking?”
“Cola.”
He chuckles and raises his brow. “With?”
“Just cola,” I tell him again, lifting the can up so he can see the top of it to prove it.
“There she is... oh crap!” I freeze at Ruby’s voice.
Ashton is at my side, his top lip curled. “I thought I told you to stay away from her,” he seethes. Levi, Jackson, and Roman all line up behind us, ready to back him up. My stomach drops as a wave of tiredness hits me, so I grab Ashton’s arm for support.
When Theo moves closer to me, Ashton sneers at him, “What did—” but Theo interjects, directing his words solely to me.
“What’s wrong, Mia?”
There is something wrong, but I don’t want anyone to worry. “I’m fine.”
Ashton’s body softens. “Are you sure?” His gaze sweeps over me. “What happened?”
Silence descends over the group, with all eyes on me. Roman, Jackson, Levi, and Ruby all step closer to us, listening to the conversation. My mouth opens to tell everyone I’m fine, but everything spins, so I step backward, trying to keep my balance.
Ashton’s hands seize my waist, holding me upright. His eyes are wide with panic, and I know he won’t believe me if I lie. “I’m drowsy.” My body heats. “I’m sure it’s nothing,” I reassure everyone.
“Have you taken any drinks from anybody else while I was gone?”