Trace + Olivia Series Boxed Set (173 page)

By the time I checked on her again, she’d eaten. I helped her into bed and turned off the light in her room.

I closed and locked the door to my room when I stepped inside. After what happened with my dad I wasn’t going to chance leaving it unlocked again. Lesson learned.

I sat down on my bed with my laptop. I pulled up the word document, read over the last thing I’d written, and began to type. The words flowed easily now and I even found myself smiling as I typed.

After a good hour, exhaustion overcame me. I saved my paper and put my laptop in my backpack. 

It took me a little while to fall asleep. I missed Jude’s warmth surrounding me.

I FELL INTO A PATTERN that week.

School.

Homework.

Work.

Homework. 

Sleep.

Finals were killing me and I wanted to curse myself for getting a job now, instead of waiting till after graduation. At least I’d have almost a month’s worth of pay saved up, so that was better than nothing, but it left little time for anything else. I barely saw Jude, which meant I hadn’t seen his grandpa in a while and that made me immensely sad. 

Luckily, all seniors were in the same boat. Jude was just as busy as me, cramming in as much study time as possible in-between tests. 

Jude, Rowan, and I sat in the school’s library at one of the tables with papers, books, and computers scattered around us. All of us had dark circles under our eyes and Jude looked like he hadn’t shaved since last week. At this point my brain was so dead that I couldn’t even remember when I showered last. 

I’d gotten my paper done for Professor Taylor and I had two more to finish by next week, on top of tests. 

I was pretty sure that when I took my last test I’d immediately fall over asleep…or dead. One of the two, because I also couldn’t remember the last time I ate. And I really needed a coffee. Someone! Get me an IV of caffeine, stat!

As if he heard my thoughts, Jude’s head rose and he rubbed his tired eyes. “I’m going to Griffin’s. Y’all want anything?”

“I’m coming with you!” I jumped up, stuffing everything into my backpack. 

“I’m going home,” Rowan yawned, standing up and packing her things away as well. “I’m so tired that I keep reading the same sentence over again. This isn’t benefitting me. I just need some sleep at this point. See y’all later,” she waved, heading away without a backwards glance.

Jude and I headed out to the parking lot, neither of us talking. We were both too tired to form sentences it seemed. 

When I turned to head towards my car, he cried, “Whoa,” and grabbed my hand.

“What?” I asked. 

“You’re riding with me,” he stated, entwining our fingers together and leading me to his truck.

“I should really take my car,” I told him, trying to get him to let go of my hand. “It’ll be easier.”

He stopped in the middle of the parking lot and looked down at me. “I’ve seen you barely any this week. Even if we don’t talk, I just want to spend some time with you.”

How could I resist that?

“Okay,” I smiled. I understood where he was coming from. I felt the same way. Being in his presence was enough to make me happy. We didn’t have to talk or do anything else. I thought that might be how you knew you’d found the one. It wasn’t one single thing that attracted you to them. It was everything. 

“Did you finish your paper?” Jude asked as he pulled out of the library parking lot. “The one you shadowed me for?”

“Yeah,” I smiled, tucking my hair behind my ear. “I’m really happy with how it turned out.”

His gaze flicked to me. “Do you think you might let me read it?” 

I shrugged. “Sure.” My cheeks started to heat. “I hope you like it.”

“If you wrote it, I’ll love it. I always love what you write,” he grinned crookedly.

“How do you know what I write?” I asked curiously.

Jude chuckled, scratching his jaw. “I happen to find reading the school paper highly entertaining.”

“Really?” I asked, my eyes widening.

“No,” he shook his head, and dark strands of hair fell into his eyes, “I only ever read the articles you write.”

“You’re messing with me,” I stated, crossing my arms over my chest.

“No, I’m definitely not,” he laughed. 

“Name an article I wrote,” I countered. I still didn’t believe him and wanted him to prove it. I didn’t care if he read them or not, but since he claimed to I was dying to know.

“Hmm,” he thought, watching the road ahead of us, “last month you wrote an article about the merits of the plea bargain. Interesting topic choice, O’Connor.” His grin was wide when he glanced at me.

“I can’t believe you read my articles,” I shook my head in disbelief.

“Hey, I might have a pretty face,” he rubbed his jaw, “but I’m not stupid.”

“Definitely not,” I agreed, not being the least bit sarcastic.

We arrived at Griffin’s a few minutes later. “Want to study here for a while?” Jude asked.

“Sure, why not,” I shrugged, grabbing my bag. If I didn’t study here, I’d study at home since I didn’t work today, and I really didn’t want to go home. My dad had come home the past few nights, and while he hadn’t said anything to me, his glances were chilling.

Jude and I ordered coffee and snacks. I found a quiet table in the back and sat down.

I pulled my computer and notes out, getting ready to study once more.

Study, study, study. That’s all I seemed to do lately. Graduation couldn’t come fast enough.

Jude appeared a few minutes later with our coffee and food. His grin was nearly infectious as he held the steaming cup of coffee out to me.

I grabbed my coffee from him and took a large gulp—not caring that I probably scalded my throat in the process. I need the caffeine too bad to care.

He chuckled and handed me a cupcake. I’d ordered a sandwich, so he’d added this. 

I took the cupcake and devoured it like I’d never eat one again.

Caffeine and sugar? I was a happy camper…until I looked at my computer and realized I was nowhere near done with my papers or studying. It never ended. At this rate I’d be thirty before these papers were done and I only had five more days to finish them. 

Jude leaned back in his chair, sipping slowly at his coffee. He appeared relaxed. I knew I should probably take a short break too, before delving in once more, but I didn’t feel like I had time for that.

Before I had time to start typing, Jude asked, “So…can I read your paper now?”

“Now?” I blanched. “As in right now? Where I have to watch you read it? Uh…” I’d thought maybe I could email it to him later. I wasn’t sure I could stomach watching him read the paper I’d so lovingly worked on. I was terrified that he’d think I hadn’t done the medical field justice and he’d hate it. 

“Come on, Tater Tot,” his grin was boyish, “it’s not like I’m going to rip it apart and tell you it’s horrible. After a month of helping you, I’d like to see where all that note taking on your part went.”

I sighed, knowing no argument on my part would deter him, and brought up the correct word document on my computer. I turned my computer around to face him and slid it across the table.

My heart raced with nerves as his eyes scanned the screen. No one else had laid eyes on my paper yet, and since he was the one responsible, and the reason it took on a new direction, I thought I might pass out as he read it.

It was the longest five minutes of my life.

“Tate?” He slid my computer back across the table to me and a wrinkle marred his brow. My heart stopped and I bit down on my lip to the point that I tasted blood. He hated it. I knew it. “You know how you told me that you wanted to make a difference with something you wrote?” I nodded my head at his words. “I think you’ve done that with this,” he tapped the open lid of my computer. “Your essay is absolutely beautiful,” his brown eyes were warm. “Thank you for letting me be a part of this.”

Relief flooded my veins.

Oh thank God he didn’t hate it.

He had me really worried there for a minute.

“You really like it?” I asked, needing to hear him say it again.

“I love it, Tate. You couldn’t have written anything better.” His voice rang with sincerity. 

I let out a deep breath I hadn’t realized I was holding in. “Thank you,” I whispered, smiling bashfully. I always got shy after someone read what I’d written. No matter what I wrote, each paper held a part of my soul. I invested so much of myself in it and always feared that it would be rejected. I understood that rejection was a fact of life, but it’s not always easy to handle when it comes to something so personal. “I’m really happy you love it, Jude.”

“You know,” he paused to take a sip of coffee, “I think you should print it off so I can take it to Mr. Jenkins. He asked me about you every time I saw him this week. He likes you and he’d want to read this.”

“I can do that,” I smiled, relaxing a bit and taking a bite of my sandwich—I probably should’ve saved my cupcake for after the sandwich, but my sweet tooth couldn’t wait. “I really need to see about volunteering after graduation so I can visit him.”

“Yes, you do,” Jude agreed, stifling a yawn. “Man,” he scrubbed his hands over his face, “I’m so exhausted I feel like I’m starting to see things.”

“I know what you mean,” I agreed.

“No, seriously, that guy looks exactly like your dad, but—”

I whipped around in my seat to see my dad sitting at one of the tables, chatting with some woman who looked like she was barely thirty years old. He reached across the table, taking her hand in his. I cringed, bile rising in my throat. I turned back around before he could see me. “Yeah, that’s my dad.”

“Shiiiit,” Jude cursed. “I really thought I was seeing things. Honest.” He raised his hands in surrender.

“I’m not mad,” I sighed tiredly, “I’m just…done. I’m done with the whole thing. I’m mad at him, but not for that.” I shook my head, taking a deep breath. “How dare he think he can lecture me on my love life when he’s nothing but an asshole and a cheat,” I spat.

“Tate…” Jude said my name slowly, like he knew something bad was coming.

I could feel my anger rising inside me, boiling over to volcanic levels. Oh, yeah. I was about to lose it. It was bound to happen eventually. Too bad it couldn’t have happened behind closed doors. Nope, instead I was about to go batshit crazy in public. 

“Grab my stuff, and get out of here,” I warned Jude.

“What are you going to do?” He asked, his face paling. “Tatum, he’s not worth it.”

I ignored Jude and picked up my coffee cup. I only had to hope he did as I asked, or I was screwed.

I marched over to my dad and the woman.

I forced the sweetest smile on my face I could muster. “Hi,” I said, and both their heads whipped up to look at me. Confusion laced the woman’s face, while my dad looked pissed. Gotcha.

“Uh…do I know you?” The woman asked me. She had blonde hair, but unlike mine it was obviously fake, and judging from the size of her breasts those were fake too. Great taste dad, I thought to myself, if you were going to cheat on your mental wife you could’ve picked someone a little more…I don’t know, real.

“I’m his daughter.” I grinned and nodded my head at daddy-dearest. 

“Oh,” her mouth parted and she started spewing out all these silly excuses for why they were together.

“Look,” I held up a hand to shut up her insane babbling, “I honestly don’t care what y’all are doing, and it’s obvious what that is, I just came over to tell my daddy that he’s an asshole and he can choke on his tongue and die.” I smiled manically and before I lost my nerve I threw my coffee at him. The lid flew off and coffee splattered all over his suit, the table, and Malibu Barbie—that was the nickname I’d given his mistress in my head. 

“Bye, daddy,” I sing-songed before running for the door.

Jude stood there with both our bags in his hands, his mouth hanging open. He was shell-shocked.

I pushed his shoulder roughly. “Run!” I screamed.

That got him moving.

We ran as fast and hard as we could to his truck, not daring to look behind us.

When we were in the truck, he locked the doors, and sped out of the parking lot and down the street. We saw my dad standing on the street, chest heaving like a bull, and drenched in coffee. 

I laughed until tears ran down my cheeks. “God that felt so good!” I cried, looking out the back window at my dad’s retreating form.

I knew I should’ve been fearful of how my dad would retaliate, and I would be later, but right now I felt giddy. Almost like I was high. 

“I can’t believe you did that,” Jude laughed too. “Remind me to never piss you off.”

I expected Jude to take me back to the library, but he didn’t. 

Fifteen minutes later we pulled into the driveway of the townhouse he shared. 

“What are we doing here?” I asked.

He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Do you really think I’m going to let you go home after that display? You need to give your dad a few days to cool off.” His jaw clenched and he stared out the window for a moment before his gaze met mine. His eyes were dark and his face was shadowed with worry. “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

“I can look out for myself,” I whispered.

He picked up my folded hand and kissed the top. “You might be tough, Tate, but there are some things even you can’t fight. I experienced your dad firsthand. He wouldn’t think twice about hurting you. Seriously hurting you.”

I grew quiet, nibbling on my bottom lip. “Fine, two days tops.” I held up two fingers and waved them around. “Then I’m going back home and you’re not to say anything. Deal?”

He clenched his teeth and a muscle in his jaw twitched. “I don’t like it, but deal.”

“I don’t have any clothes,” I frowned.

Jude’s eyes brightened as he grinned. “That is not a problem.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think you want me going to school naked.”

“True,” he agreed. “We’ll figure something out. I’m sure Rowan would bring you some clothes to wear. Y’all are about the same size. I’m definitely not letting you go into that house tonight.”

“Aww,” I smiled, “look at you being all protective.”