Trepidation by Suzana Thompson

Author:Suzana Thompson [Thompson, Suzana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-07-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Lunch turns out to be extremely awkward in an unexpected way. Jaxon and Jordan maneuver me to sit alone at our own table at first, but that doesn’t last long. Queen bee herself comes to invite them to sit with her at what anyone can see is the popular table. They stare at her with eerily identical flat expressions.

Jaxon speaks. “Mackenzie is with us.”

Jessica’s expression sours as she glances at me before returning her attention to Jaxon and putting on a bright, fake smile. “That’s fine. I heard she’s your stepsister.”

Jaxon’s cool gaze seems to chill even more, but Jordan gives her a wide smile. “She is! And we’d appreciate it if you’d spread the word about that. Basically…” He trails off with a pause and pins her with a suddenly feral look. “If you mess with her, you mess with us.”

His tone is as cold and intimidating as his brother’s has been when he’s at his most menacing, and Jessica stares at Jordan. She blinks several times before regaining her composure, although her voice sounds a little too high pitched and squeaky when she replies.

“Yes, sure, yes, I’ll do that.” She takes a shaky breath and continues. “So, um, yeah you can sit with us, if you want.”

It sounds to me like she’s regretting ever asking them in the first place and is hoping they’ll tell her they don’t want to, but they both stand up and grab their trays with that twin synchronicity they sometimes display.

“Mackenzie,” Jaxon prompts me in that commanding tone of his.

It makes me want to defy him and stay right where I’m at, but another part of me is afraid of being left to sit here by myself. He’s relentless about getting his way, but he’s already walked away from me once today. I know that Jordan follows his lead without question, so he’ll do whatever Jaxon does. As much as I thought I could stand on my own, the two of them have provided a buffer between me and all the people who apparently are just waiting to pounce on me. I’ve noticed that my classmates tend to refrain from saying nasty things to me when I’m with my stepbrothers. I’d been called a lying bitch by one of Nate’s friends as soon as Jaxon was out of earshot.

“Watch out,” another guy had said. “She might call the police on you.”

They had both laughed before Nate’s friend had fixed a disgusted look on me. “Pathetic,” he’d uttered like I was completely worthless.

It had gotten to me in a way that the name calling had not. At least that could inspire outrage in me, but I seemed to have no defense against such a sad assessment of myself. While Jaxon and Jordan can be intimidating or infuriating, they never make me feel like I am less.

Right now I will take Jaxon’s controlling attitude over being left alone and vulnerable. I stand and pick up the tray of food I no longer have any appetite for.

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