Cruel Kisses (It's Just High School #2) - Thandiwe Mpofu Page 0,89
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“Well, I hate to say it bro, but any asshole with a dick can fuck her, and a girl like Mia, she has a sea of options. If she wanted a shark, she would definitely pick you.”
“She’s a shark too.”
“Not right now, she isn’t!” he shouts. “She’s grieving and she doesn’t need your attitude and judgment shitting all over her, reminding her of the things she doesn’t want to think about.”
What the fuck? Is that what I was doing when I confronted her about her self-harming?
“You’re fucking amazing, Julian! Everything you do is close to perfect. You graduated top of your class, got a fucking high GPA, you stay clean, eat clean for football and you still look like you when the rest of us have to work extra hard, scared shitless that I might wake up one morning and find all that weight I dropped back on me,” Liam says, looking sad now. “You make us flawed humans feel inadequate and the fact that Mia isn’t here proves my point. You pushed!”
“Careful Liam, you’re going to get yourself hurt,” I seethe. “She’s mine!”
“Newsflash asshole, Mia isn’t a fucking tree. You don’t get to give her a golden shower and declare her ‘mine’. She has to say it herself.”
“Well then that makes it all simple then,” I growl, eyes narrowed, my body coiled tight, ready for a fucking fight. “She already said it. Moaned it in my ear, in fact.”
I’m being crass and divulging way more information about my business with Mia than I want to, but I want to see his reaction, which isn’t much because Liam just stares at me, shaking his head.
“You need to reel yourself back in, J,” he mutters. “You’re working yourself up. I suggest a shrink.”
“Fuck you!”
“It isn’t a joke, J,” he counters. “You’re burning up from everything, maybe even losing your damn mind with the shit with Mom and what she did to Aiden. Dad’s shit with Mia’s mother-not mother, bullshit. You need to pace yourself.”
I don’t have time for that. I have so much shit to do and right now, hurting him is the last thing I want to do.
“Go back home, Liam,” I grumble, and he stops, stares at me for a long second, then shakes his head.
“If you’re not going to tell me where she is, I’ll find her myself.”
And with that, he picks his bag and goes down the hall to his room. Within a minute, he’s out, not sparing me a glance.
“Why the fuck do you care where is or where she isn’t?” I call after him and he stops.
Liam watches me for a second, throwing his head back and belts out an amused laugh that grates at my ears, my nerves, hell, my entire body.
“Ah so this is your fucking problem?”
“I’m fucking serious here,” I grumble. “Why?”
“J,” he starts, taking a step toward me. “Mia isn’t a toy. She isn’t a prize. She’s a girl you’re clearly fucked up over and you think she doesn’t reciprocate your feelings for her.”
“She fucking does!” I know she does.
“Oh yeah? Then why isn’t she here?”
I’m silent for a long second, feeling his scrutinizing gaze on me, but what can I can I say without admitting to my failures or letting him know that Mia’s been cutting herself.
“I’m not going to tell you again, Liam,” I murmur. “Go back home.”
Liam sighs, watching me. “It wasn’t your faulty, J.”
I tense up, my jaw locked, my palm and fingers now glued to the cold beer bottle. “What did you just say?”
“I said it wasn’t your fault,” he mutters. “I know that look on your face. I’ve seen it before. Right now, you’re blaming yourself for not seeing what Courtney was doing to Aiden.”
Fuck, I am to blame! If what dad said is correct, that I vowed to protect my brother, then did I do my fucking job? Did I see it through?
“Go home, Liam,” I growl. “And stay the fuck away from her.”
I turn away from him, not wanting to see the look on his face. Soon, he’s gone, leaving me with secrets I haven’t divulged.
“And by the way, you remember that girl you haven’t gotten over? Yeah that one from Mia’s school, I’m betrothed to marry her.”
Yeah, that has a nice fuck you ring to it.
20
After ditching Julian, I get to Rye’s and find her there, but she wasn’t alone. Jaz was also there.
“Ahh, Mia!” Jaz shrieks, jumping into my arms with a scream. “Hey!”