Page 32 of Untamed
I watch Grayer, steady breaths and a strain not so discrete. Gritted teeth and desperate to remain unaffected, that remark doesn’t get Grayer to even look in Joel’s direction. It’s the next remark that yanks me closer to Grayer’s side.
It’s when Joel asks Grayer, “Lookin’ for a re-ride or somethin’?”
Grayer’s entire body tenses and he doesn’t make a move for a minute, an internal debate maybe. His dark side brings out the blackness in my choices. Shadows fill my empty heart.
Letting go of my hand, he gives me a gentle push back away from them, and then takes a step toward Joel, who doesn’t even register the threat.
With surprising speed, and an incredible display of fucking hotness, Grayer grabs hold of Joel and shoves him backward, hard. “Nothin’ to say now, huh?” Then, before Joel can respond, Grayer punches him square on the jaw and then again, but Joel turns his head and the punch lands on his eye. It all happens so fast even I don’t see the punch before Joel is struggling around, trying to get an angle.
Grayer only gets another few swings in when the crowd pulls them apart.
“Where ya think you’re going, fucker!” Joel spits blood to the side, running the back of his hand over his bleeding mouth. Shoving Danny aside, he tries to get back at Grayer.
Grayer shakes his head. “Touch her again and I’ll break your fuckin’ face, you piece of shit.Leaveher alone.”
His nearness overwhelms. I’m rooted here, next to him, his harsh breathing the only sound filling my heart with a hopeful outcome I don’t deserve.
“Who in the fuck do you think you are coming into town like you own her?” Joel shouts, reaching over Danny, and now Kade. “Her knight in shining armor here to protect her.” He laughs, looking to his buddies. They’re stone-faced. Expressionless as the one beside me.
Grayer flicks his hand to me. His exhale deep, eyes searching. He holds my gaze, gauging my reactions. “Do you want him?” he shouts, eyes shifting, alight with anger. He waits, raising an eyebrow and tilting his head. He steps closer, shading me in his shadow. No sound, no excitement. He lingers, I burn. I capture his eyes, but I’m not quick enough to hold them. “I’m pretty sure I heard you tell him ‘no’ more than once.”
I shake my head, tears pooling in my eyes.
His face is expressionless. The weight of a thousand seconds pass between us. It’s his eyes that tell me a story and burst to life inside me. Oh, how I want this rush. But then the harshness of him returns. “Then stop hanging around here. I’m fucking serious. Stay away from him,” he spits, throwing his hands up and walking away from me.
“I will,” I vow, unsure what to say, my voice lost in his dismissal. I want his voice, his touch, but not the reality of his words.
I’m not sure what just happened and I’m not sure anyone else does either. He brushes past Haylee, who gapes at him with wide-eyes, just as unsure as me as to what just happened.
I look to Joel, spitting blood and cursing the space Grayer filled. He watches me, his eyes a constant reminder of Jamie.
“What in the hell did I miss?” Haylee asks, rushing over to me, a lit cigarette dangling from her lips. I look past her, over her shoulder trying to see where Grayer is going, but I can’t make out his figure within the crowd. “I thought he didn’t want anything to do with jailbait?”
I take her cigarette from her, inhaling, deciding on how I want to answer that. I take a breath, the voices of the party dying off. “Apparently,defendingjailbait is different.”
I don’t look at anyone as we leave and they’re definitely staring. It’s like walking through a crowd naked. “He thinks I came here with a purpose.”
Her glossy eyes expand like saucers. “What?”
My throat’s thick, words forced out and trembling. I look around, the air still filled with smoke and embers. I want to float away with them, get lost and vanish into oblivion. “To tempt Joel. He thinks I’m a slut.”
“Hush your mouth. Are you serious.” I give her no doubt. I’m unsure myself. She stares, waits for me to tell her otherwise, then settles on unbelieving. “Whatevs. Did he actually say that?”
“No. Not really, maybe . . . sorta.” I shrug. When we’re in the driveway, he’s gone. “Let’s go.”
She waves toward her truck. “Oh, please. You can be at a party and not be a slut.”
She has a point. I shouldn’t feel guilty about coming here. I never once gave Joel the indication I wanted him.
Haylee and I leave the party and hit up our favorite late night taco truck. We can always count on tacos to cheer us up.
“I’d like fifteen tacos, chicken, no hot sauce,” Haylee tells Ramirez, the cook we’ve befriended.
Knowing she’s not serious, Ramirez smiles. “Chicka, you seriously gonna eat fifteen?”
Haylee plays it well and motions to her so petite body. “Do I look like I can eat fifteen?”
“Nah.” Ramirez leans into the stainless counter, winking at her.
