Page 46 of Reckless
“But—” My attempt at using Vaughn and Dante as my backup instead of Jacob would never work. Jacob had told Ollie what we’d discussed at the cemetery, at least about Mr. Anonymous and the finger I’d found in my locker. Not about his past. That much I knew Jacob would never willingly speak to anyone else ever again.
“But nothing. Jacob will be your tail,” Ollie spoke, firm in what he said. “Have you spoke to your mother about this?”
I swallowed, running my palms against my jeans. “Not yet.”
“Then I suggest you use the fact that Jacob will be following you to your benefit,” he advised. “Piper kept you on a short lease your whole life. It’s not strange to me that you want to live now—it’s just not a good time, Jaz.”
My eyes fell to my lap, and I mumbled, “I know.” If anyone knew it wasn’t a good time, it was me. Me, the murder suspect. Me, the girl everyone assumed had something to do with all the other deaths of late. Me and my psycho dogs, Dante and Vaughn.
I really hated everyone around here. I did. All except a select few.
“I’d go talk to her now,” Ollie said. “Do you want me there to try to help ease the blow?” For someone who was so against me going, he was supportive nonetheless. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was how a father was supposed to be. I never had one, so I didn’t have anything to compare him to, but…but it was nice.
“No, that’s okay,” I said, getting up from my chair. “I’ll do it.” I started toward the door, but after opening it, I paused, half in the hall and half still in his office. Tossing a look over my shoulder at him, I gave him a smile. “Thank you, Ollie.”
He returned my smile, although it faded fast. “I’m trying” was what he said, and since I didn’t know what to say to that, I simply left.
He was trying. So was I. That’s all we could do.
I wandered through the house, finding Mom in her room. I was about to crack a joke that she wasn’t working for once, but then I saw she was in the midst of putting away clothes. I supposed, since keeping the entire house clean was one of her duties, it was technically still work.
Before wandering in, I knocked on her door. Mom paused before her dresser, having just put something away. Green eyes vibrant as they looked at me, Mom actually appeared to be doing better than she had a few days ago. Somehow, even when times were strange and you were accused of murder, you got used to it.
“Hey, honey,” Mom spoke, giving me a smile. “If you’ve come to ask about dinner, I…I haven’t figured it out yet.”
Okay, point taken. I did tend to bug about food when it was late in the afternoon and I was hungry, but this wasn’t about that. In fact, I wasn’t very hungry to begin with. My appetite all day had been thrown off; probably because I was so nervous about tonight with Archer.
Was it an official date, or were we trying to take things slow? And if Vaughn, Dante, and Jacob were there…they’d watch me like hawks, never wanting me to be alone with Archer.
“I didn’t come to bug you about dinner,” I said, carefully stepping inside, as if there were landmines on the floor I had to avoid. My mom stared at me quizzically, and before I had the chance to mentally prepare myself for the argument that was sure to commence, I blurted it all out: “I’m going to a party tonight.”
My mom’s jaw tightened, and she shot me a frown that would’ve frightened me, had I been, you know, eleven years old. “You will not be going to any such thing!” She rose her voice, trying to get her side heard.
Well, I heard her all right, but that wasn’t going to change the fact that I was going, and this was more like an informative meeting rather than me asking her permission to go.
“Mom, I’m going, and unless you plan on locking me in my room, you can’t stop me,” I stated matter-of-factly. “Jacob will be there. He’ll be watching over me—”
“Oh, right, because a thirty-year-old at a high school party is normal,” Mom cut in, rolling her eyes. “You and Oliver certainly seem to adore that Jacob, but he’s not God, Jaz. He won’t be able to save you from someone if they try to go after you—”
She really didn’t know how savage Jacob could get when his adrenaline was pumping, but that was something I wasn’t going to tell her. She’d only wonder how I knew that, and then…yeah, then I’d have to get into our history together, which would only freak her the hell out.
Yeah, had to avoid a freaked-out Mom, definitely.
“I’ll be fine,” I said.
“I’ve heard that before.”
Granted, that was true, but I never had a whole team of guys looking out for me before. Tonight would be different.
Mom let out an angry sigh, squeezing her eyes shut as she muttered, “The last time you went to a party, I didn’t hear back from you until the morning after, when you came home wearing clothes that weren’t yours.”
“I told you, nothing happened,” I said.
“Then why didn’t you come home?” Her voice cracked, and I found myself speechless at my mom’s emotional stance. “Why didn’t you call? I stayed up worried sick after you, Jaz. I thought—”
Finally, I found my tongue. “You thought what? You thought Dad had found me? You thought I’d decided to take after him and get myself into trouble?” I shook my head. “When have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?” Granted, there were a few times I’d gone behind her back and did things she probably would look down on me for, but I was a hormonal teenage girl. Like, give me a break, you know? Let me act out every now and then.
Mom’s eyes opened, and she let out a loud sigh. “I worry about you, Jaz. I worry that sometimes you take too much after him, even though he didn’t have a hand in raising you.” AKA I failed in raising you right.
