Jesse growls, ignoring his brother’s glare with practiced ease while slipping his hand into mine. “I’m not going to fuck her over.”
Tora gasps as though realizing something. Her head flicks between the two Ryder brothers, and I begin to grow bored of this bullshit. “You haven’t told him?” Tora accuses.
Nate looks down at Tora, seeming hurt. “You knew?”
Nope. I’m done.
I slip my hand out of Jesse’s and he goes to hold onto it but Tora says something about being the one to convince Jess to ask me out in the first place, and suddenly it’s on.
I take my chance to make a break.
I step back while silently fuming. Who are these people to decide they get to have a say in my relationship? I don’t give a shit that mine and Jesse’s brothers are feuding. This isn’t Romeo and Juliet. We’re living in the 21st century and if they have issues, then they can shut the fuck up about them and let us do our thing.
I end up standing at the door of my homeroom despite the bell not having rung yet. I try the door handle and upon finding it unlocked, I push my way through and drop down into my seat. That lasts for all of two seconds before I fly back up and start pacing the room.
Was I an idiot for getting involved with Jesse? Jackson is never going to approve and it’s going to make an even bigger strain on our relationship. Though he already seemed to have done that when he slept with Henley and broke my heart.
Damn it. Why is this so complicated? My eyes brim with tears but I will them to stay at bay. I will not cry over this. I’m seventeen years old and there’s no point crying over something I can’t control.
Nate and Tora should mind their own business and Jackson should learn that I’m old enough to make my own decisions. As for Jesse, he promised to have respect for the fact that Jackson is my brother.
I guess when I think about it, he only got angry when Jackson was in my face, showing that he’s willing to protect me and stand up for the people he cares about. Can I really fault him for that? It’s not as though Jackson has any respect for what I’m feeling and going through.
The door pushes open and I find Jesse peering into the room. When he sees me pacing, he steps through the door and gently closes it behind him. I stop pacing and turn to face him, feeling completely defeated. “Are you alright?” he asks from the door, not wanting to come any closer in case I’m about to lose my shit.
I drop down onto the desk. “Is this going to happen every time we’re together? What about when you come and pick me up for a date? Am I going to have to fend Jackson off with pizza and sneak out the window?”
“No,” he says as compassion fills his eyes. He rushes toward me and pulls me into his arms, realizing that I’m not about to break up with him. “Babe, I promise. It’ll get better.”
“When?” I say, feeling the tears begin to well in my eyes again.
“He’s just angry,” Jesse says, oddly defending my brother. “Think about it, he only just found out about us and his protective instincts kicked into overdrive. To him, he probably sees it as me trying to get under his skin by being with his baby sister. He doesn’t understand us and that’s okay. Just give him some time, he’ll come around and it’ll get easier.”
I shake my head against his chest. “It’s one thing for me to be angry with him, but I don’t ever remember a time when he’s been this mad with me.”
“He’ll come around,” Jesse promises, rubbing his hand up and down my back. “He just needs a moment for it all to sink in, and an explanation probably wouldn’t go astray.”
I laugh, Jesse doesn’t know Jackson on a personal level, yet he was able to work him out. I pull back and look up at him. “And what about you? You weren’t exactly innocent in all this. Nate and Tora weren’t helping either.”
“Hey, back off Tora, she’s rooting for us,” he tells me. “She’s cool, you’ll like her.”
“Jess”, I groan, shrugging my shoulders, not really in the mood to be matched with his friend right now.
He takes my shoulders and runs his hands up and down my arms as he presses a kiss to my forehead. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “I really was trying to behave as you asked, but when he was in your face, yelling at you, I couldn’t help it. I snapped. No one gets to talk to you like that.”
I smile up at him. “As much as I hate that you two don’t get along, I really appreciated you standing up for me like that.”