Brazen and Breathless (Untouchable #6) - Heather Long Page 0,97

shoulder to find G standing there.

“And Mr. Reed,” his voice dipped in disapproval. Reed hadn’t quite collapsed from Jake’s punch, but he had dropped his bag and half-froze on charging back at us when G stepped out. “I think you and I need to have a discussion, Mr. Reed, on appropriate behavior.”

The other guy wiped the blood from his mouth and glared at Jake. “I’d like to file a complaint.”

“You could do that,” G told him. “Then I would also have to answer that complaint with your overt and inappropriate attention to a female student who quite clearly told you she wasn’t interested. In case you were wondering, the first clues were the way she backed away, but the second one, the largest one, was when she said ‘no.’”

Reed blinked.

“I thought you might see a little sense. Come with me, Mr. Reed.” He glanced at me and Jake. “As for you two, I suggest you go on about your day, unless you’d like to file a complaint, Frankie?”

“I’m good, Mr. G,” I told him, still wrapped around Jake’s arm. Some of the tension bled out of him, and I relaxed.

“Very well.” With that, G said, “And Jake?”

“I know.”

“I know you do, son. Don’t let me see that again, yes?”

“Yes, sir.”

Reed glared at us once more, then he followed G away, and I let out a breath and rested my head against Jake’s arm.

“I can handle a suspension. He doesn’t get to talk to you like that.”

“I know,” I soothed him. “Thank you for rushing to the rescue, but beating him up just hurts you.”

“Trust me, Baby Girl, it would hurt him a whole lot more.” With that, he wrapped an arm around me. “Let’s get this shit show on the road.”

The drive to Wittaker’s law firm was tense and uncomfortable. Archie’s bad mood descended as soon as Jake filled them in on why we were late. I hadn’t missed the look he and Ian exchanged either. Could people just leave us alone long enough to get done with high school? Then we’d be out of here and it wouldn’t matter anymore.

Jake followed in his SUV with the guys while I rode with Archie. “You know,” I told him after we went another couple of miles without exchanging a word. “I wanted to ride with you so we could talk.”

“I know, babe, and sorry, my head’s not in a good place right now. I’m trying to remind myself that we’re not going into that meeting with you, and I’m hating it all over again. Then I hate that you even have to see her…”

“I don’t.” Even at the soft volume I used, it would be hard to miss in the silent car.

“What?”

“I said I don’t hate that I have to see her. Not this time.” Not when I had more than a few things to say to her myself.

He frowned. “Why not?”

“Because…I have questions. Before you say I can’t believe anything she says, you’re right. I can’t. That doesn’t change the fact that I have questions and I want the chance to demand answers from her.” As alien as that even sounded to me. I hated rocking the boat with Maddy. A lifetime of broken moments with her trained me to avoid conflict. It never ended well. She could turn every situation to her advantage.

Something Erin and I had discussed during our last session when I told her about the craziness with the tests and the fact that I would have to talk to her eventually. Maddy turned everything around to make it about her, my words not Erin’s, but I didn’t have to accept the premise of her statements. Erin suggested I reframe them every single time to rob her of the power she wanted to take.

Sounded good, right?

My phone buzzed, a message from Rach, but I’d check it after. I needed to keep my focus on where we were and where we were going.

“Why ask? If you know you can’t trust what she says, why ask?”

“Because I deserve better,” I told him. “Just like you deserve better from Eddie, and I told him that.”

For the first time today, a real smile creased his face, and he reached over and tangled our fingers together. “Babe, you’re too damn kind sometimes.”

“No, I’m not,” I argued, leaning my head against the seat but keeping my gaze on him. “I’m protective. He treats you like crap, and I’m tired of it. You have been blowing off their behavior for years and acting like