Page 54 of Redemption
I follow him to the end of the hallway to a room full of desks. MJ sits beside one, her head hanging down. When she hears our footsteps, her head lifts, and the sight of her nearly breaks me in two.
Mascara streaks are running down her face from crying. Her hair is a frizzy mess where she took it out of her ponytail, and paint still covers all of her clothes.
This crushing feeling in my chest makes it hard to breathe. I shouldn’t have invited her along tonight. I didn’t know what Langston had planned, but she wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t invited her.
Her bottom lip trembles as I take the seat beside her.
“Sorry, it took me so long to get here.”
She shrugs but doesn’t meet my eye. “It’s fine. I didn’t even think you guys would show up. I’m just glad you didn’t get caught.”
“We should have,” I grumble under my breath, but she must hear because she finally brings her eyes to mine.
“What do you mean?”
I fill my lungs with air, holding it in until it burns and then releasing it.
“I saw the cop show up. I tried to come out there to help, but Langston tackled me. Gave me this,” I say, pointing to my jaw, which I’m sure is starting to bruise.
MJ gasps, and with a movement so slow I’m not even sure she realizes she’s doing it, she lifts her hand and runs her fingers along where the bruise is forming. Her hand is light against my skin, but I want to groan and lean into it. I want to feel what it’s like to have her hand firm against my jaw while I kiss her again.
Right now is not the moment for that, though. There’s never a moment for that. There’s no future where we can be together because she’s my best friend’s little sister, and I’m going to college in just a few months.
Despite that, though, I’ll take this moment to be there for her because it seems to me that not a lot of people are. I’ll revel in the softness of her skin against the stubble on my jaw, and I’ll dream about it later.
“I’m not glad Langston punched you, but I’m glad he stopped you from doing something stupid. If you had gotten caught, you might have lost your scholarship.”
“And you think that should matter more than you?”
She sighs, dropping her hand from my face, but I’m not going to let this go. She deserves to know she is worth the trouble I would have gotten into. I don’t think anyone has evermade her feel that way, including her brother, and it sends a fire of anger through my veins so strong that I might explode.
“Yeah, Hayes. I do. It’s not like I’m really in trouble—not with the police, at least. But I’m positive the punishment will come when my parents get here. I can handle it, though. I’m used to it.”
Hooking my finger under her chin, I lift her head until she’s looking at me.
“You would have been worth the trouble, MJ. Your brother shouldn’t have left you to fend for yourself, and I’m sorry that I inadvertently did, too.”
Her breath hitches, sucking in between her teeth, and tears swim in her eyes.
“Thanks for trying to save me,” she whispers.
I want to kiss away every tear on her cheek and love away her hurts.
“Always, MJ. Always.”
She slips her bottom lip between her teeth.
I don’t think she realizes how distracting it is. It makes me want to do something reckless, to drag us both down into a place of no return, but she deserves better than that. So I drop my hand and scoot my chair to the side, just a hair.
“I’m worried about him, you know.”
“Who?” I ask, too focused on not kissing her to concentrate.
“Langston.”
I grunt, feeling like the officer that left us here to wait, but I don’t have many nice things to say about my best friend right now—and my momma taught me if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
“Seriously, Hayes. He’s going through a lot.” Her shoulders slump. “Will you promise me something?”
