Checkmate

Chapter 4

LAURA’S POV

I sit at a coffee shop in the mall. I need a quiet place to go over my University application. The tension in my house this morning was high after last night’s event and I need my application to be perfect. I want to make my father proud. After all, he was the best lawyer I knew. I miss him dearly.

I wished for him to be here, to see me follow in his footsteps and start my journey at the best University in the country.

I went over the application again until a crowd of loud people entered the coffee shop. Of course, I would choose the coffee shop where students wake up late and get a fix for their hangovers.

My eyes immediately capture Jade’s, we’re his arms are locked around the girl from last night, and to my surprise, Jordan is behind them with Mandy.

Why would he hang out with Jordan after last night? I place my notebook and papers in my bag as fast as I can before they spot me, but I was too late.

“Well, well, look who it is?” Jordan’s voice echoes through the small coffee shop. A shiver run down my spine, not sure if it’s because of Jordan, or the fact that Jade humiliated me last night after I reached out to him. I turned around to face them. A clear smug on Jordan’s busted face.

His lip is split with a massive blue shiner on his left eye. Jade glared at me with hatred in his eyes, while his arms are still hooked around the girl, whose name I’m pretty sure they’ve mentioned, but I wasn’t interested enough to remember it.

“I was about to leave,” I said in a soft voice, trying to look away from Jade and the pretty girl hanging on his lips.

“Now why would you want to leave? After all, My face is smashed because of you.” Jordan showed his finger to his open lip and blue eye.

“Drop it Jordan,” Jade said in defence. His eyes met mine.

I can’t quite understand him. He smashed Jordan’s face last night for throwing himself at me, then fights with his dad, then my Mother, for what reason I don’t even know, and then he comes to the coffee shop with Jordan, only to defend me in front of his girlfriend.

“What’s going on with you?” His girlfriend asks the same question I’ve been asking myself over and over since I’ve met him. He shook his head, not answering her question.

“Common, let’s have some coffee.” Jordan grabs my hand to pull me closer, but Jade jumped in front of him.

“Let go of her,” he said through clenched teeth. Jade and Jordan stare at each other like I’m some kind of trophy they’re both trying to win.

“Let go of me, both of you, and Jade? I can protect myself.” I grab my bag from the floor and walked away.

Honestly, I don’t have the energy for boys who still think they’re in charge of a woman's safety. I can take care of myself.

“Laura?” I heard Jade’s voice behind me, making me walk faster. Whatever he needs to say, or wants to say, I don’t want to hear it.

“Just leave me alone, Jade. You made it pretty clear how you feel last night.”

“Laura?” He spins me around to face him, and to my own surprise, I punched him. I’ve never hit someone in my entire life, but for some strange reason, it felt good doing it.

“Are you feeling better?” he asked, draping his palm over the rosy mark on his cheek where I just punched him.

“No, yes. I don’t know why I did it.” I turned around and started walking again.

“I’m sorry. I was out of line last night,” he yells.

“You think? Why were you at my house?” I don’t know why I’m even bothering. I know he won’t tell me the truth.

“I told you, I was drunk and out of line. I don’t know why I went to your house.” tears started building up in my eyes, but I tried to suppress them. I won’t cry in front of him.

“No, let me tell you. You're an arrogant boy, who is angry at the world, you toy around with girls, and then you punched a friend of yours who probably learned from you how to play chess with girls, and when they’re out of moves, you drop them like soldiers in a battle. Well, guess what?”

His face boils with anger.

“What?”

“Checkmate, you out of f*****g moves,” I said, my face inches away from his.

“Even after you checkmate, you can still move on the board.” I didn’t take him for someone who will actually know the game.

“Yeah, well, I’m done playing anyway,” I said while walking away from him. I barely made it outside when I was suddenly pinned against the wall by the entrance.

“Get off me,” I said, breathing way too hard. Jade’s dark eyes are cutting through me, anger making his pupils dilate. He grabbed my wrist, but back down from pinning me against the wall.

I have the sudden urge to smack him again, but my mind can’t quite connect with my fist. My breathing still hasn’t slowed down, and it’s perfectly matching his rapid heartbeat.

“You don’t know me, or who I am,” Jade said, still holding my wrist.

“Yes, I do. Instead of being there with your girlfriend, you're here, pinning me against the wall. Why?” He lets go of my wrist the moment I call him out on his bullshit.

“I’m not my father, so don’t f*****g lecture me.” he turned around and walked away. My breathing turned back to normal, but my body still shivers after the adrenaline rush that just came over me.

What did he mean by his not his father?

His father is married. Did he mean when his father was younger? All these questions about Jade are making my head foggy.

I’ve never met such a confusing boy in my entire life. One minute he apologised for his behaviour last night, the next he pins me against a wall and tell me he’s not his father.

Mother was right. I should just stay away from him and his entire clan. They're trouble and I need to focus on my studies. I have a lot to do still before I go to university and finally start learning what I love, but I still can’t shake the feeling Jade is hovering over me.

He excites me and scares me at the same time. I need to breathe. This mall is getting packed and I need to get out of here and fast before I faint.

I finally made it home. My mother is not yet back from her meeting with Jade’s father, which means I have the entire house to myself.

‘Please don’t say a word to your Mother about me saying that I’m nothing like my father.’ the message reads from Jade.

Who does he think he is?

‘Don’t tell me what to do, you 're not my father, and if you don’t want me to say anything, then start telling me the truth?’ I press sent before I overthink it. I waited patiently for a return message, but nothing. I shook my head out of irritation before I pack out my notes and application on the table.