Her words broke part of me, and I knew she was trying to convey more than what had happened in the fight. She wasn’t breaking apart; she’d already shattered before my very eyes.
“Jesus fuckin’ Christ,” Dad’s voice boomed. “Has she had medical treatment?”
I shook my head, the mist around the edges of my eyes clearing, and I finally got a proper look at her. Her one eye was swollen shut, dried blood above it, along with her cut lip. Dark purple bruises were forming on her beautiful face, and I had no doubt she had bruised ribs with the way she was holding on to them.
“I…” Mr. Smegly pulled at his collar. “Not yet. The victim has been in the nurse’s office.”
“Victim?” Sal growled out.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Aria as Ford stepped forward. I hated how close to her he was. That was meant to be me, not him. “Lemme look at you.” Aria turned her head, and his eyes roamed over her face. My hands clenched into fists as he gripped her chin. I couldn’t bear watching someone else touch her.
“She needs to get checked out,” Ford told Dad.
“Come’re, baby girl.” Dad held his hand out to her, and she didn’t hesitate to take it. She trusted him. She trusted him more than she trusted me, and I only had myself to blame.
“I’m gonna sue your fuckin’ school!” Sal shouted. “I’d bet my bottom dollar the other girl don’t look half as bad as Aria.”
“Mr.—”
“Don’t you fuckin’ mister me.” Sal slapped his hand on the desk. “You’re done. You hear me? Fuckin’ done.”
I stepped forward as Ford opened up the door and followed him out, but turned back to see Dad’s arm wrapped around Aria’s shoulders. “Call the authorities, Mr. Smegly,” Dad said. “Be sure to tell them who I am and that you kept a minor away from medical treatment.”
I winced as he said minor, and my back straightened. It was just another reminder of who I was and who she was.
“Please see these people off the school grounds, Cade,” Mr. Smegly told me, his whiny tone trying to sound authoritative. “You have a one-week suspension, Miss Sayer.”
No one said another word as we all filed out of the office and into the hallway. The bell rang for the next class, and students started to file out of the classrooms, but they all kept to the edge of the hallway and toward the lockers as Dad, Ford, Sal, and Aria walked down the middle.
I couldn’t catch what Dad was whispering to Aria, but I didn’t move my gaze off the back of her head. She’d needed me, and I hadn’t been there. I was never there when the people who mattered most needed me.
“She deserved it. The ginger bitch had it coming,” I heard a football player say, his back to us. He wasn’t aware we were here, but we’d all heard him loud and clear. My hands clenched into fists, and I growled so loud I was sure they all heard me.
Ford darted forward and slammed his face against the locker. “What did you say, boy?” We all halted, but I didn’t make a move to stop him. I’d heard what Aria had said in the office. She’d had this from Jasmine since the first day, which meant she no doubt had it from the football players too.
“Hey! Get the fuck off of me!”
“Listen good, boy,” Ford growled. “You think you’re a fuckin’ big shot right now, but all it takes is one person to bring you down.” He let go of him and the football player—Harry—spun around, his fists raised, but he stopped his momentum when he looked up at Ford. “You know what my job is?” Ford didn’t wait for a reply. “I’m DEA, which means I put drug dealers behind bars. You deal drugs, fuckboy?”
“Wh-what? No, sir.”
Ford tilted his head to the side, his gaze roving over him and then the other students watching. “Good.” He backed away a step. “Now excuse me, my family needs medical attention.” Ford brushed his hands off as if he had something on them. “You know Aria, right?” Harry’s gaze flicked over to me, his eyes widening, but there was no way I was going to step in and stop him.
“Ye-es, sir.”
Ford nodded and tutted. “Shame about what happened, but I heard no one saw it.” Ford shrugged. “What did you hear?”
“The…the same?”
Ford grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. “Good for you, boy. I best be going now.” Ford hooked his thumb over his shoulder, moved back to us, and we all started to walk out of the main doors.
“Jesus, Ford,” I whispered to him.
“I only did what I knew you wanted to,” he murmured back, his eyes connecting with mine. “We’ll make sure she’s okay.”
“I’m coming with—”
“No,” Ford said as Dad pushed inside of Sal’s truck with Aria and Sal. “You stay here. You ain’t gonna do anything good if you come with us right now.” His eyes narrowed, and I knew he was only looking out for me, but that didn’t mean I liked it. “I’ll call you later and let you know what happens, yeah?”