Day After, PT. 2

Violet was caught off guard when he suddenly beamed at her.

“God heard my prayers and answered them. There’s no need to worry. What isn’t meant to be, God won’t allow.”

Her mouth dropped. “Dad!”

“Did I miss something?” Lynne asked with raised brows.

“Vi broke up with her wannabe rock star,” Dad shared with unashamed delight.

“Oh, honey, is that why you weren’t feeling well yesterday?” Lynne asked with great sympathy as she reached across the table to pat her hand.

Jesse plopped a plate of pancakes in front of her and Mom. “Better eat them while they’re hot.”

***

She was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when Jesse double knocked on the bathroom door. Before she could say he could come in, he did so, startling her.

“You sure you want to go to school?” he asked. “You don’t have to if you’d rather stay home and rest.”

She lifted her chin. “I’m fine.”

He held her gaze as he closed the distance between them.

“You don’t have to pretend with me,” he said softly. “I know I hurt you yesterday.” His eyes moved over her face as he reached out and gently stroked her side. “In more ways than one. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

She swallowed hard, eyes watering slightly at his tenderness. “I really am okay.”

Whatever he saw in her eyes must have reassured him because he nodded.

“I’m ready when you are,” he said and left without another word.

She stared after him, heart thudding in her ears, every nerve ending buzzing. Everything was the same and yet… not. He wasn’t ignoring what happened, but he also wasn’t discussing it in detail. She was relieved and confused.

She went into her bedroom and looked around before she remembered her backpack was probably in the parking lot. She hoped no one had stolen her cell phone. She wished she had that so she knew what to expect at school today. She suspected Tucker’s pride would have him skip school… Unless he wanted to report Jesse’s unprovoked attack to the school? Had anyone witnessed what happened? Were there any rumors circulating? Had Tucker tried to contact her?

With countless questions crowding her mind, she headed down the hall. Mom was already gone and after a quick scan of the kitchen and living room, she headed outside where Jesse was already behind the steering wheel of the SUV. She walked toward him, feeling naked and awkward without her backpack.

She slipped into her seat and buckled herself in. Jesse had the country station on. She tried to get into the music, but her thoughts were too hectic to concentrate on the lyrics.

“Where’s your backpack?”

“It was on the side of Tucker’s Bronco. I hope it’s still in the parking lot,” she said, rapping her fingernails on the door.

“Hopefully, someone turned it in.”

“Yeah.”

There was a long pause before he said, “You’re breaking up with Tucker?”

The toe of her right shoe tapped restlessly. “Yes.”

“That’s good.”

She waited for him to elaborate, but when he didn’t, she didn’t pursue it. Instead, she asked, “You aren’t worried you’ll get in trouble?”

“For what?”

She finally looked at him. He wore a white shirt with jeans and a navy hat pulled low over his eyes. The gold cross on his chain gleamed on his chest.

“For assaulting someone,” she said sharply.

When he glanced at her, she wasn’t quite able to meet his eyes.

“You could get kicked off the team for fighting. What you did to Tucker, could get you banned from sports completely.”

“I had cause.”

She tensed and balled her hand into a fist as she reminded him quietly, “He didn’t force me.”

A hint of the rage he displayed yesterday crossed his face as he shot her a hard, glittering look. “Don’t, Vi.”

“I’m just being honest! If you get pulled into the office...”

“I won’t.”

“How do you know that?”

“There was a reason I left practice and went looking for Tucker.”

She straightened, this new piece of information catching her totally by surprise. That’s right. Jesse should have been occupied with football practice. That was why she allowed Tucker to take such liberties. She was so rattled, it hadn’t occurred to her why Jesse had come looking for them in the first place.

“Why were you looking for him?” she asked.

The muscles in his forearms shifted as he tightened his hold on the steering wheel. “I had a bone to pick with him, but once I found you two…”

He shifted restlessly in his seat, yesterday’s aggression permeating the air.

“When I found you two,” he rasped, “Why I was looking for him no longer mattered.”

“So, you weren’t looking for me, you were looking for him,” she clarified.

“Yes.”

“And you weren’t expecting to find me with him.”

“No.”

Her mind, which had already been on overdrive, began to spin even faster. So, the domino effect of events that unfolded yesterday wasn’t because of her, as she thought. Jesse was already angry enough with Tucker to leave practice. Catching Tucker fingering her set off Jesse’s temper, which was the driving force behind his behavior. If Jesse hadn’t caught her, she would still be a virgin today.

Feeling suddenly ill, she looked out the window and was relieved when they pulled up to the school. She scanned the parking lot, but there was no sign of Tucker’s Bronco.

 When she pushed open her door, Jesse came around and said, “I’ll walk with you to lost and found.”

Apparently he, too, hadn’t seen her backpack where she’d left it. As they made their way toward the cluster of buildings, she eyed the students hanging out by their cars. No one pointed or came running up to them to confirm any rumors. When their friends called out to them, she and Jesse raised their hands in acknowledgment, but they didn’t stop to chat. Again, everything seemed so normal. Freakishly so.

**This is a raw draft of the prequel for Corrupt Idol. Please do not share or distribute.

Copyright © 2024 Mia Knight. All Rights Reserved.