Chapter 4

Jay's POV

I sit in history class, continuing my drawing from yesterday but also silently waiting for Erin to walk in. She slips through the door just as the bell rings. She meets my eyes for a second but quickly looks back down and takes the seat in front of me quietly. The teacher's going on about something but I'm not listening, all of my attention is on Erin. She keeps checking the clock every two minutes, she can't hate this class that much.

The teacher then mentions the project from yesterday, and how we should be finished the essay by the end of class. I think about how Erin and I haven't even started yet. I don't need another bruise from my dad to match the one I already have.

The teacher tell us to get to work, amd I'm confused when Erin doesn't turn to face me. Instead I get up and make my way to her desk. I lay my hand on her shoulder to ask her if she's ready to get started. The moment my hand comes into contact with her shoulder her entire bdy flinches and she looks up at me wide-eyed. I don't think I'll ever forget the look in her eye in this moment, I've never seen anybody look so scared.

I take my hand away and speak quietly to her, unsure of how she's going to react.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I say, taking the smallest step toward her. I watch her clench her jaw and look away from me.

"Wasn't paying attention. "She mutters, I know that's bullshit, but I choose not to say anything.

Instead I pull my chair next to her so I can sit and open my notebook. I look back at her, and to say she looks anxious would be an understatement. Her leg is bouncing so quickly it's making the desk shake, she's chewing her fingernails and her eyes are glued to the floor.

I try to get her to talk by asking her if she has someone or something she wants the essay to be about, but the most I get are a few shrugs and I quiet "I don't like history. " I sigh and begin to write about the second World War, a topic I know enough about to not have to research.

I see her look at the clock again an this time she quickly gets up from her desk and says something about being right back and hurriedly leaves the room.

I watch her leave, watch the door shut quickly behind her. Something in me tells me to follow her, but something else tells me to forget it and finish the essay. So I continue to write.

She never comes back to class.


"Hey, Halstead." I'm making my way to my car, thinking about Erin's abrupt retreat when I hear someone call my name. I turn to see a group of 3 guys following behind me, I don't know them but I vaguely remember them from one of my classes. I can tell by their clothes and their smirks that they're all probably asshole jocks.

I don't say anything, but make eye contact with the guy who's leading the group.

"Saw you with Erin this morning, how much is she charging these days?" He says, smirking. I don't exactly know what he's talking about, but I have a few good guesses. I do my best to keep my composure, I'm not sure why the comment effected me so much, but it did.

"Nice eye too, did she do that? Didn't know she was that wild, I'll have to get my hands on that."

That's when I snap.

"Shut the fuck up." The words come out low and steely, my voice sounding more threatening than I've ever heard it. I'm not sure where it's coming from, but I feel the anger build in my chest. I feel my fists clenching at my sides.

"What did you just say to me?" The guy asks taking a few steps toward me.

I'm about to say something when I hear her voice. Her raspy, worried voice with a hint of fear in it call my name.

"Jay." I turn to see her standing behind me, eyes darting between me and the group of guys.

"Speak of the slut." The guy says loudly. My head whips back at him and before I realize what I'm doing, I feel my fist make contact with his nose.

"Jay, stop." I hear Erin yell but I can't control myself, my fist repeatedly slamming into the guy's face.

I feel myself get thrown off of the guy by the other guys and feel their feet and fists pound against me. The last thing I hear is Erin's scream before everything turns black.


I hear a voice saying my name, I can feel hands on the side of my face. I peel my eyes open and the first thing I see are Erin's emerald eyes looking into mine, I then realize it's her hands that are holding my face. I realize I'm laying on the ground, and then everythung that happened comes flooding back into my mind.

"Erin." I say, my voice is rough and scratchy. I see her smile and feel her run a hand through my hair.

"Hey. " She says, looking t me worriedly.

"Are you okay to get up?" She asks and I nod. She extends her hand as she gets up and I take it. My head spins a little when I stand, and my face is sore. There's a pain in my side as well.

"Are you okay?" I ask, checking her for injuries.

"You're not." She says, gesturing to my face.

"I've had worse." I say without thinking. I look and see the question on her face.

"You gotta get that cleaned." She says and tells me to follow her. I walk slower than usual due to ache in my side.

She leads me to my car and tells me to get in the passenger side.

"You're going to drive." I ask.

"Yeah." She says.

"Do you know how to drive? " I wonder, because I've only ever seen her walk.

"For the most part. " She replies casually, slipping into the driver's side.

I sigh and climb into the car, not really looking forwrd to getting into a car crash on top of getting my ass kicked. To my surprise she's actually a pretty good driver, except for the fact that she completely ignores stop signs.

We stop in front of an old white house, which I'm assuming is hers. We walk through the door and I look around, there's empty beer bottles scattered across the coffee table.

Looks like my dad's room. I think.

"Sorry about the mess." She says embarrassedly, noticing me scan the room.

She tells me to follow her and we enter a small white room. There's an unmade bed tucked in the corner, a guitar leaning against the wall and a small dresser in another corner. I watch her crouch and grab a first aid kit from beneath her bed and she tells me to sit down. I sit on her bed and she sits next to me and opens the kit.

"This is gonna sting." She warns, applying liquid to a small square and gently rubbing the wounds on my face with it. I hiss when she brushes over a particularly deep spot by my eye and she apologizes but keeps rubbing.

There's a look of concentration and concern in her eyes, making them look a little darker than usual. I watch as he effortlessly cleans and cares for my wounds.

"How do you know how to do this?" I wonder.

"I've had to do it too many times. " She answers.

"Why?" I ask, but she doesn't answer. I realize this is how most of our conversations go.

She finishes cleaning up my face and is putting everything back in the kit when her hand brushes against my side, I wince and she immediately notices.

"You okay?" She asks, noticing how I'm leaning my weight on my one side. She gently takes a hold of the hem of my shirt, silently asking permission.

I nod and she slowly pulls the fabric up to expose the dark bruises scattered across my ribcage. She gasps and looks up at me. She's wearig a look of guilt, I've seen the look in my mom's eye as well. For some reason seeing it in Erin's makes it worse.

"It's not your fault. " I whisper.

She shakes her head drops my shirt back down so it covers the wounds again.

"I told you you didn't want to be seen with me." She says coldly, ducking her head and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Is it true? The shit they said about you?" I ask, silently hoping it wasn't.

"Probably. "She mutters.

I feel an ache spread through my chest, not like the ache from the bruises, somehow it's different. I get an urge to hug her, but I decide against it.

We're both silent, I check the time on my phone and know I should probably be home before my dad.

"I should probably go." I say, she nods but doesn't look at me.

I gently lay my hand on her arm, her skin cold but soft.

"Thank you." I tell her, hoping to get some kind of response from her.

She scoffs and pulls her arm out of my grip.

"For what, getting you beat up?" She asks, shaking her head.

"Erin-"

"You know what, just...stay away from me okay." She says and gestures to the door for me to leave.

I know there's no point in arguing with her, so I stand and gingerly make my way back to my car. I settle into the seat and look back at her house. I swear I can see her silhouette in the window, I start my car and drive away.