Still Jaded

  understanding on his face. His shoulders dropped, and his voice went soft. "I should've protected you better."

  I shrugged. Whatever. "They were reporters. They were harmless."

  Bryce moved closer. "I'm not talking about them."

  What—oh.

  "Stop." I moved back. I held out my arms to stop him, but I couldn't see through my tears.

  "Oh." And Grace understood.

  Bryce pulled me into his arms and tucked his chin into the crook of my shoulder. He whispered as he rubbed my arm in a tender motion, "I didn't want this. I won't let them hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you again."

  He meant the Marcus Donadelis out there. It was the second time he'd reassured me about him. There was something extra in Bryce's tone this time.

  I felt it. I felt him. He really would do anything to stop someone.

  I sighed and hugged Bryce back. My fists slowly uncurled, and I clung to him.

  We stood like that for a few moments, and then Grace coughed. "Uh…what happened with Corrigan tonight?"

  I started to pull away, but Bryce kept me close for another second. He pressed a swift kiss to my forehead. "It won't happen again. Promise."

  Then he shut the television off and went upstairs.

  "Sheldon, what happened with Corrigan?" Grace's voice rose.

  I sighed and opened my mouth. I was ready to tell her. I was ready to tell her that Corrigan had heard, and I knew she would be mortified again, but the doorbell rang. Then it rang again. Then someone pounded on the door. I cursed, but heard Bryce at the door. When I heard the raised voices, I recognized Corrigan and shot upstairs.

  "Wha—"

  That was all I heard from Grace before I turned the corner and saw Bryce as he blocked Corrigan in the doorway. Raz and Michael were with him. Both seemed reluctant to be there. Not Corrigan.

  "Bryce, I gotta make things right with her. You know us. Let me in."

  "And I'm saying no. I want to know what's going on between the two of you. She's never attacked you before."

  I held my breath. I wasn't sure what I was going to hear.

  Corrigan sighed. "Look, it's nothing. She pulled away this year. She's been here, but she's also not been here. Tonight was the sixth time she's come over to the house. Sixth time in a year! She hasn't been Sheldon, not really."

  Then there was silence. I expected Bryce to say something, but he was quiet. His head hung down, and I held my breath again. Everything was such a mess.

  Then Bryce sighed, "If it's any consolation, I think she went a little crazy when you left to be with your mom."

  "Really?"

  Bryce shook his head. "We all have issues, especially from that kid."

  Corrigan fell silent now. He seemed slightly relieved, but there was something else. His eyes skirted around, like he wasn't sure if he should say anything or not, but he looked at Bryce—who was staring outside. I followed his eyes and gasped.

  All heads snapped to me. Bryce cursed swiftly while Corrigan surged inside, "Sheldon? What's wrong?"

  At the gate to my estate was a media van. Lights were flashing. Another van pulled up. Its door burst open, and two cameramen jumped out. They set up their cameras, the lights clicking on, and I knew they were rolling. Reporters started to line up outside the gate, and one approached. He was going to walk up the driveway.

  I raced for my nearest control panel and hit the switch. I heard the gate closing. When they shouted in protest, my shoulders sagged in relief. They couldn't see anymore.

  When I returned, the guys had moved to the front porch. They gazed at the wall that now barricaded the media from my home.

  "I had it installed after Marcus Donadeli."

  Corrigan and Bryce both looked at me.

  "Sheldon…" Corrigan began.

  I shook my head. "I heard what you said. We're fine. I attacked you, and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

  "No, you had every right. I…I said…well, I shouldn't have called you out on something, and I did. I understand. It's okay. I'm sorry."

  I looked away. The truth was that Marcus Donadeli had worked a number on all three of us. What I said was true—Corrigan had almost died because of him. And Bryce had been violated too.

  I remarked, "Leisha and Bailey's families got the worst of it."

  Both Corrigan and Bryce grunted in agreement. We still had each other. Those families had lost their daughters.

  "Holy, talk about being screwed up. You have an effing moat, Sheldon," Corrigan laughed. "Is there a secret drawbridge? Is that how we're going to get out? Do we have to go through crocodiles and sharks?"

  And the serious moment was gone. The jovial Corrigan was back.

  "The reporters are the crocodiles and sharks." Bryce wrapped an arm around my shoulder to draw me against his side. "It serves them right."

  "You are a rad rad girl," Raz mused.

  Michael grinned. That same odd look was on his face.

  Then Grace called out from behind us, "Sheldon? What's going on?"

  I twisted to see her, but caught Corrigan's sudden frozen state. It didn't last long. No one said a word as he brushed past her. Grace was left shaken in the hallway. Her head hung a little as she watched him go, but then she met my gaze.

  I flinched at the hurt in her eyes. And then I knew that something had happened between them. Oh hell. This wasn't something I wanted to deal with. I couldn't handle hurt feelings and confessions that had real depth to them. I could barely handle my own crap, much less someone else's. But it didn't stop me from being the friend I needed to be. After the guys headed back inside, I found Grace back downstairs. She had curled up on a couch and I perched on the corner. "Is there something going on with you and Corrigan?"

  She brushed away a few tears. "What do you mean?"

  "Grace."

  She flung her hands down, but the tears continued to fall. "Corrigan and I slept together before you left for Europe."

  "What?!" But I wasn't surprised, not really.

  "I know. He was with Logan, and you know how Corrigan was at that time. I mean, he told me to my face that I 'was not hot.' You guys were awful that last year. You and Corrigan were especially mean because you would band together against people. Bryce, he just usually didn't talk to people unless they were in his circle or something. But you two—you guys went after people. It was awful. I remember Corrigan was always saying that stuff to me."

  I moved forward. I wanted to protest or apologize, but Grace waved me off. She combed her fingers through her hair. "He came and found me one night because he was worried about you. He said that he thought things weren't okay with you, like something was wrong and you weren't talking about it. I asked him what Bryce thought, and Corrigan wouldn't tell me anything. And…things just led from one thing to another. Pretty soon…I sinned, Sheldon. I lost my virginity that night."

  I narrowed my eyes, took in Grace's genuine distress, and stormed off. I swept through the kitchen, out the dining room, and found Corrigan with Bryce in the pool area where they lounged beside a table. Both jumped up when they saw the rage on my face.

  Corrigan gulped. He held out his hands. "Don't attack! Don't hit me, Sheldon!"

  I stopped just short. My hands balled into fists. "You took her virginity!"

  "I did—yes. What's the crime in that?"

  Bryce groaned. "Oh God."

  "You took advantage of her! She's my friend, Corrigan!"

  "I did not! I so did not, and weren't you harping on me because I hadn't dealt with her being in love with me? You were the one that let that cat out of the bag. What's your deal, Sheldon? You're like a maniac tonight."

  I surged forward.

  Corrigan backed off. "Okay, okay. It wasn't smart. I'll own up to that. I went over there because I was worried about you." He glanced at Bryce but continued, "Anyway, you were good friends with her so I thought she might know, but she didn't. And you know that things with Logan and me weren't going well anymore. She wasn't handling me go
ing to Europe that great so…I don't know what you want me to say. It happened. Deal with it."

  Deal with it? I crossed my arms over my shoulder. "The next time someone screws you over, you want me to say those words to you? Deal with it?"

  "I didn't screw her over."

  "Mmm. You did. Literally."

  "Well…" He opened his mouth and then closed it again. Corrigan groaned, "It's not the same thing."

  "Yes, it is! You knew she had feelings for you. You've known for over two years. You went over there because you wanted sex. Admit it."

  "Oh, come on."

  "She's my friend, and she's still hurting because of you. You just left her hanging."

  Shock flashed over his face. His mouth hung open, but then a storm surged over him. "Are you kidding me? I don't have to—"

  Bryce stood up. "She's your friend, Sheldon. She's not mine. She's not Corrigan's."

  My eyes shot to his. "Meaning?"

  His eyes narrowed. "Corrigan doesn't have to nurture her hurt feelings. That's not his responsibility."

  "But—"

  He interrupted, "And you know it. She's not blind. She slept with Corrigan knowing his reputation. Do you really think she thought he was going to profess his love for her? She's not a stupid girl."

  Grace made a choking sound, but I didn't look back. I couldn't; my eyes were held captive by Bryce's. I closed my mouth and gulped, but I waited for the rest of what he had to say.

  "Don't turn around and be hypocritical on Corrigan. He doesn't love her. He doesn't owe her anything. You might, but he doesn't."

  Corrigan added, "Those are our rules, Sheldon. You know that."

  I closed my eyes. I heard everything they said, and it was all true. All of it. Those were the rules that we lived by in our dysfunctional family, but they were hard to swallow that day.

  I lifted my chin and squared my shoulders. "And I'm being loyal to Grace by going after the guy that used her for sex. That's one of my rules."

  I couldn't look away from the two guys in my life. They'd been my family for so long, my only family, and now I was going against them. A part of my heart fell to the bottom of my stomach.

  This wasn't going to end well.

  Bryce snapped his eyes to Grace. "This is why I didn't want you around. You screw things up for the rest of us." Then he stalked past us and left.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Corrigan apologized for the awkward position he'd put me in but didn't say a word to Grace. He left but quickly returned with Raz and Michael in tow. They needed to know how to get out, so I released the lock on the gate. I told them it would open as they approached and to make sure it closed behind them. I didn't want any reporters inside; though I knew Corrigan wouldn't let that happen anyway. Once they were gone, I turned and stared at Grace. I was the friend that made things right, but I couldn't this time.

  "I'm sorry," I finally said.

  Grace waved me off. "Don't worry about it. We can talk later. I hope…" She glanced at me but never finished her thought. Instead, she grabbed her purse and followed behind the guys.

  When she was gone, I sighed as I looked around my home. I was struck by the same feeling as before—it was large and nearly empty. But Bryce was there and something righted itself inside of me. I grabbed a glass of wine and headed upstairs to the master bedroom. I found him on the bed, shirtless, as he watched ESPN. There was an open beer next to him.

  He lifted cautious eyes to mine, and I tried to lighten the mood. "I'm not here for a fight."

  I saw the tension leave him and couldn't help my smile. I placed the wine on my nightstand and crawled onto the bed beside him.

  Bryce cradled me against his chest and kissed my forehead. "I don't like it when you have girlfriends. I'm sorry, but I don't."

  I sat up and leaned back on my knees. I caught how Bryce eyed my midriff, and then, with a grin, I lifted my shirt up and threw it in the corner. I was left in my lacy black bra and jeans.

  Bryce unsnapped the button, and I leaned forward to kiss him. As our lips met, I felt Bryce skim my body with his hands as he helped remove my pants. They slid past my thighs and down to my knees. Then Bryce lifted me in the air and pulled the jeans off, flinging them to the side as I straddled him.

  With lust in his eyes, Bryce leaned back and grinned predatorily. He slid a hand across my stomach and fingered just inside my underwear. I sucked in my breath and caught his hand as I panted. "I want to know why you don't like my girlfriends."

  Bryce groaned in protest and tried to kiss my collarbone. I dodged and grabbed his hands. Then I pinned them against the headboard. "Bryce. Tell me."

  "Because," he sighed, "when you have guys as friends, I know that they aren't going to screw you over. You handle guys better, and they know not to hurt you. But girls play by different rules. I knew Mena was mental, but I couldn't prove it, and you don't listen when someone's gotten past your walls."

  I folded my arms over my chest and jutted my chin out. "Consider yourself included in that category."

  "I know. I know. I get worried for you. I can hurt Corrigan. I can hurt any other guy, but girls are different. I can't hurt a girl if she hurts you. I don't like those rules."

  I sighed as I understood his concerns. "Grace is not Mena."

  "No, she's not, but she can't handle this life. And I'm worried for you because you're going to have to take care of her. You're going to get hurt because of her and because she won't be able to deal with things. We don't have an easy lifestyle. We fight. And it's not high school anymore. We've got the media. I've got a nation watching me, now watching you. Corrigan's got—hell, he's got that entire campus or so it seems. Grace isn't going to be able to handle what's coming at her."

  I shifted even closer and slid until I felt him intimately between my legs. Bryce sucked in his breath and watched me, his eyes filled with desire. I grinned, one of those secretive smiles because I had the power in that moment. I arched my hips forward and nipped the corner of his mouth when he groaned.

  Then I whispered against his lips, "She's my problem. Not yours. And Grace can handle a lot more than you give her credit for."

  Bryce grasped the back of my head and held me still. He fused his mouth to mine, exploring me fully, slowly. I wanted more, and my hands twisted around his shoulders to hold him closer.

  "We'll deal, I guess." Bryce shifted to lay me down, covering me with his body while his lips lingered on my neck.

  I cradled his head and then moved my hands down to feel each outlined muscle in his back.

  He looked up, holding my gaze for a long minute before meeting my mouth. I gasped, fell back, and entwined my legs around his waist, holding on as if my life depended on his touch—and sometimes it really did feel that way.

  We shed what little clothing we still wore. The rest of the night left me aching, and I knew I'd be useless in the morning, but I didn't care. Bryce was back. That was all that mattered. I'd figure out the rest tomorrow.

  I woke the next day with a pounding headache. I groaned and twisted amidst the sheets and naked limbs. Bryce had me wrapped in his arms with one of his legs thrown over mine, effectively pinning me to the bed. Seeing his head tucked underneath a pillow, I couldn't stop a grin at the sight of his Mohawk as it stuck up in every which way. His eyes had crinkles from fatigue around them. I stroked his muscled shoulder and arm until I found his side.

  Bryce grumbled in protest and burrowed further underneath the pillow.

  Then his phone went off. I jumped at the harsh sound, but Bryce rolled over and answered in a smooth motion. "Hello?"

  After his first deep breath, I knew it wasn't good. After his second one, when he pinched the nerve in his forehead, I sat up. This was definitely not good. Then he snapped out, "We'll talk later! I won't discuss her with you."