Fake Love - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,22

I can’t imagine what you’re going through. You were terrified to open the door to your SUV. I saw that, Winter. And bitches like Evie and Darcy…”

“Okay,” I said. “I get it. I’m just not sure what to think. Can I, uh, ask you something?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“I kind of ran into a few guys…”

“Oh, nice. Who?”

“Noah. Easton…”

“Xavier,” Gia said, finishing my thought.

“Yeah,” I said. “Is that bad?”

Gia looked at me. “That’s very bad, Winter. They are not good guys. I mean, there are guys out there who are tough and act like assholes for attention. That’s one thing. These guys are… they’re scary. They will do anything to get whatever they want. Each of their families are worth a lot more than you or I could ever imagine.”

I started to shiver.

I thought about Xavier’s hoodie up on my bed.

“Okay,” I said.

“Why would they bother you if you have no memory?” Gia asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” I said.

I waited a few more minutes in the water and then told Gia I was getting cold.

Just bringing up the guys put a damper on the night.

We walked back to the steps, taking turns sipping the vodka.

“I think I’m tired,” I said.

“Me too,” Gia said. “See you tomorrow?”

“Sure. And, hey, anything I ever said or did to you…”

Gia smiled. “You can’t remember it, so it doesn’t matter, right?”

“Right,” I said.

Gia and I hugged.

Guilt pushed through me as she ran down the beach toward her house.

I turned to climb up the steps and paused.

If I was a bitch before… then everyone needed to be ready for what was to come.

Chapter 8

the memorial

The next morning, I ate breakfast while my mother stared daggers at me.

I didn’t speak a word to her.

I took my coffee and plate of food out to the deck and enjoyed a calm breakfast.

My mind wasn’t calm, but that was expected.

It was time to go back to BFH.

I wasn’t sure what I was allowed to do or not do, but I was going to play this by my own rules. I needed to see the building again. I needed to see the hallways. I needed to see Noah, Easton, and Xavier.

Because I had a plan now.

The only way my plan was going to work though, was I needed to get over my fear of driving.

That wasn’t going to be easy, but I’d get there.

After I finished eating, I got dressed.

I half considered wearing Xavier’s hoodie but decided to do something else with it.

I grabbed the hoodie and walked outside.

When I saw Gia parked in the driveway, I smiled.

Her car fit her personality.

A really nice and expensive yellow convertible.

It wasn’t some bright and boring yellow either.

This yellow color had some attitude.

Just like Gia as she sat behind the wheel with giant sunglasses on her face.

Her short hair tucked behind her ears.

Waiting for me.

I tossed my bag - and Xavier’s hoodie - to the backseat and jumped into the car.

“I’m your sidekick today,” Gia said. She made a fist and held it up. “Anything you need.”

“Thanks,” I said.

I hit my fist to hers.

She drove fast.

And reckless.

And she didn’t care.

My stomach twisted and turned a few times.

Around some of the turns, I had flashbacks to the accident.

But that was okay. That was good. I needed to live through those moments to get through them.

The big BFH campus was tucked away behind a giant wall of well-designed landscaping.

The first thing you’d see was the giant clock tower.

There was all kinds of history about the place. None of it was important though.

To the left was the parking lot for students.

To the right was the parking lot for the teachers. The professors. Whatever you wanted to call them.

The point of this place was to flaunt that you were rich enough to pay to go there.

You could afford the insane tuition costs.

You could wear the BFH logo with a different kind of pride.

Those who went to BFH East or West weren’t Trocs by any means whatsoever, but they weren’t shit compared to us.

We were the Bumps.

This building was a palace.

“It’s a lot to take in,” Gia said to me.

“Yeah, it is,” I said.

I had to give the occasional oh and ah to make my story real.

I kept looking at Gia. Feeling bad that I was lying to her.

But there was a purpose here.

Gia parked her car and we walked side by side.

The parking lot looked like a luxury dealership lot. Every shape, size, color, make and model. Plenty of custom vehicles too. Nobody too worried about showing off