Jaded by Sophie Stern

Author:Sophie Stern
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: bully high school, bully academy
Publisher: Sophie Stern
Published: 2021-02-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Karen

Just in case I didn’t already feel like a giant piece of shit, finding out what Jenkins went through breaks my heart more than a little.

“It’s not your fault.”

“Everything’s my fault,” I tell him. “If I had just been honest with you...if I’d just given you a moment to explain...”

“The end result would have been the same,” he tells me gently.

“No,” I shake my head.

“I couldn’t risk my brother not going to jail,” he tells me.

“Wait a minute...”

“What?”

“If you’re part of the reason he went away, or if you view yourself as it, what makes you think Ryan won’t come after you?”

“I absolutely think Ryan will come after me...or the person I care about.”

“What?”

“Yeah,” he nods, but he sounds resigned. “It’s what I would do if I was the one in his shoes. There are a lot of things I’d do. I’d try to get revenge, probably.”

“What...do you think he’s going to try to kill you?”

“He won’t kill me,” Jenkins says quietly. “Will he try? I don’t know. The cops were kind enough to notify me of his release, but there’s not much else they can do.”

“Have you talked to your parents?”

“No. Luckily, I’m 18 now, so I don’t have to interact with them too much these days.”

“Except for money.”

“Except for money,” he sighs, and I’m suddenly sad I brought it up. I realize it’s a sensitive subject, especially after the divorce. I remember Jenkins having a trust fund from his grandparents, but I’m guessing that his parents make accessing that fund hard.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

I look up at him, thinking about everything we’ve talked about tonight. This is so different from the way our relationship usually looks. It’s a lot more peaceful. It’s a lot more wonderful. I’m also starting to realize that despite everything else, I’m a little bit crazy about Jenkins.

I’m a little bit crazy about the way we’re touching each other.

I reach for him and pull him closer to myself. Then I press my lips to his forehead. It’s a gentle movement, and I’m not sure if it’s conveying everything that I want it to. I want him to know that I’m here for him. I want him to know that I’ll do whatever I can to keep him safe, to protect him.

Instead of saying that, though, I just comment on the situation.

“We haven’t snuggled like this in forever.”

It’s a safe comment neither one of us can argue with.

It’s safe.

“Well, snuggling is a pretty dangerous activity,” he tells me seriously, breaking the illusion that I was being careful with my words.

“Is it?”

“If you snuggle with someone, you might accidentally find your hands on their breasts,” he murmurs, running his hands over my tummy. The thin fabric of my shirt doesn’t hide the hardness of his hands. It doesn’t stop me from wishing he would inch those fingers just a little bit higher.

“Oh,” I nod, whispering. “Like this?” I take his hands and place them over the thin black fabric of my tank. I’m not wearing a bra. He can definitely feel everything.

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