Scandalous 2 Page 0,49

mine and I tell him, "I told them that I've always loved you." Jack's brow wrinkles as he looks away from me. He pinches his temple with his right hand and takes a deep breath.

For a moment, everyone is silent. When the talking starts again, no one is yelling.

"It makes Abby look worse and Jack look better," Gus offers. He's staring at Kate, who's pacing the floor across from him. Jack stands at the head of the table with his thick arms folded and flexed across his chest. Jack glances at him, but says nothing.

Kate is chewing on the ends of her hair, thinking. Her eyes dart to the side and she looks at me. The soggy hair falls out from between her lips. Turning her head slowly, she looks toward the window. Everyone watches at her. "Did you hear that?"

Cara rushes toward the door, her eyes searching the room for a sound that some of us missed. I glance at her and the hairs on my neck stand up.

"Hear what?" Gus asks, and gets up from his chair. A second later, something smashes through the glass and tumbles across the floor before coming to a stop. It would have hit Gus in the head if he were still sitting there.

Heart pounding, I ask Cara, "Did you call the cops?"

"They're coming, Abby," she says from the doorway with worry pinching her face. Her jaw hangs open, staring at the broken window.

Jack swiftly moves across the room. The blinds were drawn, but that didn't keep the brick from coming through. It just made it harder for us to see it coming. The salty sea air rustles through the blinds. Jack rips open the shades. Every muscle in his body is flexed, ready to fight. I step toward him with my hand outstretched. I'm not sure what I intend to do, but I move all the same.

The blinds rip off in Jack's hand and the entire thing falls to the floor with a loud clatter. No one is there. No reporters, no protesters, no one. The glass is shattered, glistening in long sharp shards like crystals in the sunlight. The shattered bits spill into the room and glitter on the carpet.

Jack bends down and lifts the brick. He turns it over, and on the smooth side his fingers brush over the big black letters as his eyes narrow with rage.

There are only five letters on that brick, five letters that form one nasty word. I feel my throat constrict when I see the fat letters. They wanted me to see it. They knew we were in this room. Still, it jars me, making my stomach lurch like I'm going to be sick.

"WHORE."

Jack's eyes shift to me as he holds the brick in his hand. Kate is standing perfectly still. Gus says nothing. I walk over and take the brick from Jack and put it on the table. I've been taught since I was a child that words are only words, that they only hurt you if you let them, but that isn't true. Words can build you up and words can destroy a person. I pretend it doesn't hurt me. I don't want it to sink beneath my skin. I don't want to spend hours crying over what some hater thinks of me. I shouldn't care.

My finger touches the word on the top of the brick. I say, "It's only a brick. It could have been worse."

Chapter 27-28

Chapter 27

ABBY

Jack doesn't wait for someone to speak. He takes my hand and pulls me away. We leave the others behind and he speaks to me in the gallery. It's dark. There are no windows and no bricks in here. He grabs me and pulls me into his arms. Jack breathes hard, his hands stroking my hair like I'm hurt. "I'm so sorry, Abby. I don't want you to go through this. Let's take the next flight out. We can wait for it to blow over and come back after the eye of the storm passes." There's desperation in his eyes. He wants to protect me, but he can't protect me from this.

"They're just words, Jack." I trace the skin on his forearm and avoid his eyes. He can see right through me when I look at him. "I'm more concerned about the brick itself. It seems like a stupid kid prank."

He tilts my face up so I have to look at him and holds me there. I feel my chest swell with pain