Safe with You (29 page)

If J sees him next to me, he will blow a fuse.

“Relax, Cassie, I just came to tell you that I will be at the party tonight after the game so if you need me I will be there.”

Is here serious right now?

“Trust me, I won’t need you.”

Jess leans forward and adds, “She has me and her
boyfriend
if she needs someone. You need to go.” She flicks her hands like Zack is a dog she is trying to scurry away.

I stifle my laughter with my hand. Zack grunts then thankfully, walks away. When he is gone, I burst into a laughing fit with Jess.

J is on fire tonight. Bo, unfortunately, has dropped a few passes. The coach is currently yelling at him on the sidelines as we speak. I think the coach is taking him out of the rest of the game because Bo just threw his helmet. Clearly he is pissed.

I lean over to Jess, who looks concerned as she watches, Bo. “I will be right back.”

“Okay.”

I walk down the bleachers and straight up to the fence behind, Bo.

“Bo!” I call out. His head whips around behind him. I don’t know who he was expecting, but he had a look of hope on his face until he noticed it was me.

I motion for him to come to the fence. He hesitates for a moment, then finally gets up.

“Yeah, Cassie?”

Okay, now I know something is really bothering him because any other time he calls me “darlin’”, which I hate, but I’d rather him be happy and picking on me than not.

“Talk to me, Bo. I know what went down between you and Jess because she told me, yet somehow I think there might be more to it.”

He sighs and rakes his hand through his sweaty hair. “I told her from day one that I don’t do relationships, Cassie, and yet she still bugs me. She wants commitment, I don’t.”

“Okay, but why do you keep hurting her with the things you say? There are nicer ways to let someone down, you know.”

“I can’t help it. I try to be nice, but she keeps pushing my buttons. Jess is the most frustrating girl I have ever met,” he replies, sounding annoyed.

Bo looks behind him when the coach hollers at him.

“Look, I’m going to let you get back out there before you get in trouble so we will talk later. I’m here if you need me. I just miss your happy-go-lucky self who calls me ‘darlin’ and picks on me for being a Yankee.”

Bo smiles, looking genuinely happy for the first time all day. “I’m still here, darlin’.”

I reach over the fence to hug him. “Good, now go kick some ass. You have a game to win.”

He winks at me, then runs over to his coach.

Satisfied, I walk back up the bleachers, reclaiming my seat.

Jess give me look. “What did you tell him?”

“I told him he needed to be himself. He told me he didn’t want to be in a relationship and he snaps at you because you push his buttons.”

Her face falls. “Oh, I guess I do, but Cassie, I really like him and I always go for what I want.”

“There is no harm in that, Jess. If you want my honest opinion, I think he likes you too, it’s just the thought of a relationship scares him.”

“Oh, then what do I need to do?”

I give her an apologetic shrug. “I wish I knew, Jess.”

Chapter Thirty- Six

Cassie

Since the team won again, they are throwing a bonfire, a huge one this time, I heard. So far they have only lost one game this season, which was the one I missed.

My hand is firmly clasped in J’s as he leads us through the field towards the party.

Zack mentioned he was going to be here tonight. Dad has made him my watch dog or whatever you want to call it. Dad won’t let me go anywhere unless Zack is in attendance, apparently. It’s so frustrating, yet I could possibly tolerate it if Zack would keep his distance.

Dad, along with Mom and of course, Zack, have this crazy idea for Zack and I to get back together. None of them will listen to me when I tell them I’m not interested in Zack. They don’t believe me.

My life is falling apart because everything is so screwed up. If it weren’t for J in my life, I’d go plum crazy. Hell, I’d become a runaway. J is keeping me from making such a rash decision.

All our classmates are still pumped up from the win. Trucks are lined up with their tailgates down to be used as seats. Hay bales are also scattered around for people to sit on. The bonfire is blazing, and J was right, it is huge. The party is in full swing and J is dragging me in the middle of it. Surprisingly, these parties have started to grow on me.

The air is cooler tonight so I hope J’s hoodie is enough to keep me warm.

I spot Jess relaxing on the tailgate of someone’s truck with Colt and Bo so J and I make a beeline towards them. We are lucky they aren’t killing each other right now.

With J’s help, I hope up on the tailgate next to Jess while J stands next to me with one arm snaked around my waist and his hand on my leg.

Jess smiles brightly when she notices me next to her. “Hey, Yankee! Glad you can make it!”

I smile back at her. “Me too, Jess.”

“So, Cassie, is it true?” Colt asks, grabbing my attention.

I look around Jess and arch my brow at him questioningly. “Is what true?”

What has he heard?

“That you’re the team’s good luck charm?”

What? I couldn’t help but giggle. “Oh my word, why would anybody think that?”

“The one game we lost, were you there?”

I shake my head no.

Colt tips his red solo cup in my direction. “The team wins when you are at the game, Cassie. So, you are our good luck charm.”

Then Bo had to add his two cents in. “I thought we just got good. Cassie is not lucky, just saying.” He holds his hands up in defense when he insults me. I scowl at him, but otherwise ignore his comment. Bo played ten times better after our little pep talk and he still seems to be back to normal.

This is crazy. How is that even possible?

I look at J, hoping he agrees with me.

“He’s got a point, babe,” J agrees, siding with Colt and Bo. “Now, you really can’t miss any more games, especially is we make it to the playoffs.”

I lean down, pressing my lips to his cheek. “I don’t plan on missing any of your games. Like everything else around here, it is fun.”

J shifts, stepping in between my legs, his hands resting on my hips. He tilts his upward to capture my lips, the taste of beer lingering in his mouth. My hands raise to their own accord, linking my fingers around the back of his neck. I’m buzzing, getting drunk off of his kisses.

Someone clears their throat and I sigh, reluctantly pulling my mouth away of J’s. I look over at Jess and she holds her hands up innocently.

“Don’t look at me, Yankee, it wasn’t me.”

I look around her to Colt and Bo and the do the same. Then Bo cuts his eyes forward so, I turn to see who he is looking at. How did I not see this coming?

Zack is seething, his eyes narrowed in ourdirection.

“Cassie, it’s almost time to go,” Zack informs me, not sounding happy at all.

I feel J’s body tense up beneath me.

“We just got here, Zack. Besides, my curfew is not until one,” I remind him because clearly he has forgotten.

“Your dad called, he wants you home, now.”

J turns around, shooting daggers at Zack. “If my girlfriend has to go, I will take her home.”

“How do I not know you’re lying?” I question him.

He produces his phone from his pocket and holds it out to me. “Want to call him and find out I’m telling the truth?”

I snatch the phone from his hand and call Dad. I’m sure Zack is telling the truth, I just want to know why I have to leave two hours early.

“I’ll be right back,” I murmur to J and he moves so I can hop down.

I walk away from them so they can’t hear my conversation because I know it’s going to get heated.

“Did you get her to leave?” Dad asks when he answers the line.

I’m fuming as I enter the woods. I figure this is the best hiding spot to have a conversation with my drug headed father. The moonlight is glowing, shining through the trees. It casts off enough light for me to see just a little bit.

“She is wondering why she has to leave two hours before curfew,” I reply, not hiding my frustration.

“Cassie, don’t ask questions, just do what you’re told,” he scolds.

I glance around me, making sure I wasn’t followed. “No, I deserve an explanation. Has something happened?” My worst fear is that we are close to being found and now we have to leave. My stomach churns at the thought of leaving. I know it is coming, it’s inevitable, but I’m praying for a miracle. If we can hide out here until I turn eighteen, I don’t have to go with my parents. I can stay here and continue my life with J. I would get a job and apply for college, you know, live the normal life.

“Can you for once stop asking questions and just do what I say?”

“I’m not leaving here until you can give me a good reason why I need to leave, otherwise I will see you in two hours.”

“Cop an attitude with me again, Cassie, and I won’t let you see that boy at all. Now, do as I say and get home.”

The line goes dead and my heart plummets in my chest. Dad won this round and he knows it. J is my weakness and I will do anything to make sure I get to see him. I only have one day a week to where I can spend all day with J and forget about the crap going on in my life.

I start to head back when a glimpse of something to my left catches my eye. I stop and narrow my eyes, trying to figure out what caught my eye.

My heart thumps hard in my chest, I can hear the rapid beating in my ears. All the color drains from my face when I see a body lying on the ground, unmoving.

Fumbling with Zack’s phone, I use the light from his phone to get a closer look. Maybe they are just asleep or passed out from too much alcohol.

It’s a girl, that much I can tell. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, with a ribbon tied around the hair bow. The girl, whoever she is, is wearing blue jeans and a letterman’s jacket. She is lying face down, her head turned to her right.

I barely kick the girls body, trying to see if she will wake up or stir, something to let me know she is alive. Nothing.

By now, I’m starting to shake. Letterman jacket. Blonde hair.
Ellen.
She was wearing this at the game earlier.

She’s dead, I’m almost positive. Slowly, I crouch down so I can get a better look at her face.

I flinch when I see her dead eyes staring back at me. My breathing starts to become shorter.

I look for any signs that she is murdered, but what I find is white foam, falling from her mouth, telling me she overdosed.

I take off running out of the woods back to, J. My eyes burn with unshed tears for Ellen. I know we hated each other, but I can’t stand the thought of people dying from drugs. I should have tried harder to help her.

J notices me coming and abruptly stands. He must see the anguish on my face because he grows concerned and starts walking toward me.

I slam into him as I choke back a sob. Seeing Ellen like that makes me think I might see my parents like that one day if they don’t stop.

“Cassie, what’s wrong?”

I open my mouth, but words fail me.

“What is it, babe?” J asks frantically.

“Ellen,” I manage to say.

I grab his hand, dragging him behind me.

“You’re scaring me, Cassie. What about, Ellen? If she said something to you, just ignore it.”

Right now, I wish that was the case.

I take him right to Ellen and back away a couple steps. I can’t handle seeing her face again.

“What the hell?” he mutters as creeps closer to her lifeless body. He straightens then looks at me. “Cassie, have someone call 911, now.”

I nod and take off running back to get Bo. I don’t want to go to anyone else.

Zack steps in front of me, catching me as I try to run by him. “Let me go, Zack.”

“Cassie, we have to go. Your Dad keeps calling wondering where we are.”

I stomp on his foot causing him to grunt, his arms falling away from me. “We can’t leave yet, there is an emergency.” I toss his phone at him then continue running to Bo. If I had thought about it, I could have just used his, but my mind is all jumbled right now.

I’m not telling everyone just yet because we don’t need a crowd around her. No one needs to remember her like that.

Running up to Bo, I whisper to him, “I need you to call an ambulance.”

He pulls his phone out of his pocket, looking alarmed. “Who’s hurt?”

Standing on my tip toes, I whisper in his ear what’s going on.

“Where is she?”

“The woods.”

Bo is immediately on his phone with a dispatcher as we sprint back to where I found Ellen.