Page 51 of Reckless
I nodded. Listening to her would be enough.
And, as crazy as it was, it totally was. Jaz told me the entire plan, how Bobbi had helped her out, gotten her friend in the front office to help stage the voting results. I actually chuckled when I heard how Brittany had stormed the stage, frowned when Jaz said she’d hijacked the projector and played a video of Jaz at that fateful party, and nearly gasped when I heard that Brittany fell off the stage after lunging for Jaz.
“I might’ve helped her fall, just a bit,” Jaz was saying, hugging my arm close to her chest as we walked. “Jacob taught me some self-defense after what happened with Ryan and his friends.”
I looked down to the grass below us, hating that Brittany had told Ryan and his friends to go ahead and do it. Who the hell did that? Who could possibly give anyone permission to rape someone else? Brittany was a sociopath, and she always knew how to play the game and get what she wanted.
Not now, though.
“It’s ironic,” she muttered. “I got what I wanted—partially, I mean—and then she still has to go and upstage me by getting murdered.”
It was wrong to chuckle at that, but I did. Silently. Brittany always won. Her winning streak was officially over, though.
“You still don’t think it could’ve been her?” Jaz asked, stopping our walking. She still held onto me, but she angled her head up to look at me, her eyes reflecting the sliver of moon that hung in the sky. “She wouldn’t have told the police about your father?”
I shook my head. “It was the only reason I was with her. She knew that. She lorded it over me for so long…there’s no way she was the one who found out.” A beat passed before it was my turn to ask, “And you’re sure it wasn’t Vaughn? I know the Scotts have connections everywhere.” I’d bring up Dante, but he didn’t seem like the type to use blackmail against anyone; he was the type of person who liked to use his fist. Or another weapon.
Now, Vaughn? That quiet, silent guy? I knew better than to underestimate what he was capable of.
“Positive,” she said. “He would’ve told me if it was him.” Jaz let out a sigh. “I wish…I just wish we could figure out who’s doing all of this stuff, you know? It feels like we’re being targeted.”
“We just have to watch out and be careful.”
Jaz laughed, and the sound was like music to my ears. “Being careful means not going to parties together, Archer.” She stepped closer to me, now directly before me, her arm slipping from mine as she whispered, “It means you and I staying away from each other, but I don’t know if I can do that.”
The night breeze blew between us, a soft, gentle caress from the air as I let her words sink in. Honestly, I didn’t know if I could do that, either. Now that Jaz was within reach, I didn’t want to let her go, even if meant facing Dante or Vaughn daily. Hell, or even Jacob.
“Even if it’s stupid, I can’t stay away from you, Archer,” she murmured, angling her face up to mine. In the moonlight, she was beautiful, more beautiful than in any other light. Ethereal, unearthly, so beautiful it hurt. “This is where you tell me I’m crazy and let me down fast.”
Was that a hope, a plea? Was that what she wanted me to say to make things easier for the both of us? Well, if that’s what she wanted, she’d be sorely disappointed, because I felt the exact same way.
“This is not where you stare longingly into my eyes,” she spoke, her voice a bare whisper. “Things are so complicated between us. Do we really want to try to be anything when this entire town will look at us like we’re complicit? Is that what we want?” Another plea, but it fell on deaf ears. If she wanted me to be the bad guy here, I couldn’t.
I lifted a hand, lightly brushing at her cheek, moving the hair out of her face. “I want to kiss you,” I murmured, stepping closer to her, my other hand finding her hip and holding her there, “but I’m a little nervous that Dante’s going to pop out of these bushes and attack me again.”
Her chest hummed against mine. “I’ll have your back.”
It was all I needed to hear, all she needed to say. I lowered my face to hers, our foreheads touching before our noses grazed each other’s. Then, finally, after what felt like so long apart, our lips met, and it was like fireworks in my head. Having this girl in my arms, tasting her again, feeling her tongue sweep across my lower lip and push inside my mouth to dance with mine…I couldn’t describe it. I was on cloud nine.
Jaz practically melted against me, her body leaning into me, becoming one with me as much as she could while we were still clothed. God, I wanted to lay her down, tear off her clothes, and give her the attention she deserved, the love she needed.
I broke our lip lock enough to say, “I need you, Jaz, and I don’t care who knows it. I’ve needed you since the beginning.” Truer words I’d never spoken. My heart, my soul, laid bare for her to see and do with as she pleased. Whatever happened after this, at least I’d know I gave it my all. I gave her my all. “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done. I never…hurting you is the last thing I ever want to do—”
“Shh,” Jaz whispered, shushing me as she set a finger over my lips. Such a soft finger. I knew the rest of her was even softer. “No more lies between us. Promise?” The finger on my lips dropped to lean against my chest, bending down as a different finger poked up: her pinky.
She wanted me to pinky promise?
I wanted to laugh, but at the same time, I was too entranced by everything she was. Without a word, I met her pinky with mine, curling my finger around hers tightly. A moment passed, and finally I said, “I promise.”
Jaz made me want to be better. She made me want a future for myself, one of my own choosing. She made me feel alive, even if my whole world was crumbling. I didn’t deserve her…but was that going to stop me from going for her?
No. No it was not.
Chapter Sixteen – Dante
I had no idea if Vaughn was here or not. I’d done my own sleuthing to figure out where this party was, and I didn’t share the information with him. I just said that to further irritate Archer. At least, I hoped it irritated him to know multiple people were watching him and Jaz on their little date.
Whatever the fuck kind of date this was supposed to be. Starting over, blah, blah. Whatever.
