Page 5 of Four Simple Rules
Jesse shakes his head, his eyes pleading with me to walk away. Every muscle bunches beneath his tight t-shirt again.
Waves of nausea slosh through my stomach when Jesse’s gaze meets mine with renewed determination, darkening and closing off his emotions. This isn't my Jesse standing in front of me right now. No. This is the Jesse he pretends to be to be popular and earns good favor.
“Um, who are you?” he says louder than necessary with a vicious smirk, turning my stomach. His eyes bounce over each of his laughing friends, taking in his carnage.
Welcome to Jesse’s Kingdom. I’m the invader with my loser status. That much is clear. My heart sinks. So, this is our demise—the ending of something beautiful and toxic. I never thought I'd be the one to walk away from the only person who truly sees me. But it's on his terms. Not mine.
Who am I? I'm Blake Sarah Reynolds. That's who I am. I love my plants, taking pictures of any piece of nature I can get my hands on, and I’m also the girl that’s done.
Heat billows from behind my eyes, blurring my vision. Jesse becomes nothing but a shapeless blob. My anger blocking out the smirk on his face and the sounds of laughter billowing from his throat.
Their voices dim over the sound of my heart beating wildly in my ears. Not that I need my hearing to understand they're mocking me. Laughing at me. Relentlessly picking me apart like the vultures they are. Posey's beady eyes rake up and down my attire again. Pointing her fingers, she says more.
My spine stiffens. All the hope I had for us filters out of me. It vanishes into thin air like it was never there before. This isn’t a friendship. Not at all. It’s a facade. At least, not how it’s supposed to be. If he doesn’t want to acknowledge me publicly, I will no longer accept the terms of his rules.
Game over.
The end.
I nod a few times, offering him a sad smile. This will be the last time he will ever lay eyes on me or hear the words I have to say. I shut down, put my walls up, and bar him from ever crossing that line again.
He may be the love of my life, but I won't be disrespected any longer.
“Just wanted you to know you have a flat tire. And I’m no one. Not to you anyways.”
His face falls, turning ashen. Those eyes I’ve fallen into so many times before widen with fear resting behind them. He must hear the finality in my voice or see the unshed tears burning behind my eyes. Turning quickly on my heels, I make my way to Mr. Campbell’s office, bursting in without knocking.
He startles from behind his desk, pushing his glasses further up his nose.
“Blake,” he says, gesturing for me to sit down when I close the door behind me. “Miss Reynolds, how can I help you?”
So, I tell him.
I want out. It may only be April—close to the end. But I’m done. Gone. I will no longer sit in this school pretending like anyone needs me.
Olivia is gone.
Jesse is a ghost in the halls.
And I’m over being the girl he can fuck in private but refuse to look at in public.
I won’t be someone’s secret. So, it’s time to live my best life away from here.
Away from him.
No!
I grip my hair tight, bailing on the last class of the day.
With determination settling in my bones, I march through the almost empty halls just as the bell rings, signaling everyone should get their ass to class.
But not me.
The loud click of six-inch heels frantically following behind me makes me internally groan. When I peek behind me, my heart sinks. I don’t have time for her right now, nor do I have time for any distractions. I have more important things to do. And the last thing I want to do is talk to Natalie Lamar.
All I want is to run to Blake. I saw her earlier. The hurt in her eyes when I stupidly replied—who are you? Who does that? Me, apparently. I’m the biggest asshole these halls have ever seen.
That’s not the real me. The real me is so madly, deeply in love with Blake that last night….
