Last Ride

Chapter Two - Corra - Letting Go

“You’re distracted,” Dazzy said over her sundae. “It’s him, isn’t it?Jackson.” There was a coolness to her voice that squeezed my heart.

“It’s not…” I let out a heavy sigh, meeting her gaze. “I don’t know.”

My walls were supposed to help me keep my boundaries, so to step out of the confines of my perfectly fine life and take the risk I did was pretty unusual. It wasn’t like I’d planned for Alec to see Jackson at my house let alone dropping me off. He was just there and now Alac and his goons were throwing a fit and thank god he didn’t tell Warren. It was all like a slow building wave, and before I realized what had happened, it crashed over me and swept me out from under the rug. But it’s not like I couldn’t explain any of this to Dazzy, she had no idea who Alac was, to her I was just trying to figure out my love life with Jackson. Just then, the door opened and a swarm of people entered, all wearing green and black jerseys.

“Crap,” Dazzy grumbled as we watched the Quinton prep academy, football players stroll up to the diner counter Alec leading them. “Don’t they know this is Switzerland?” She Whispered.

Bella, the owner of The dinner, refused to let the rivalry between Creek High and Quinton prep school across the river affect her place like it did for everyone else around here. Anyone was welcome here so long as they played nice. That meant no football jerseys, colors, or even talk of the sport. It’s why both football teams usually avoided the place like the plague. Being truthfully honest that made Bella really happy. 

“Apparently the rules just changed in here.” Dazzy retreated into herself, and I couldn’t blame her. Elliot, Alex best friend had given her a hard time when she was with Tank at the last game, It had been a shitshow and my mess to pick up since Alec couldn’t give a s**t.

“Ladies,” a deep recognizable voice said, and we both glanced up to find alac and Elliot staring down at us. “ corra and, I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your name?” alac said to Dazzy.

“You didn’t,” She sassed. “Because I didn’t give it to you.” The anger from their last encounter still bubbling inside her.

The whole diner had fallen quiet, everyone straining to hear our conversation. I flashed Dazzy a look that said, ‘don’t make it worse’, but of course there was no way she would just sit here while Elliot taunted her. 

“You can go now.” She dismissed them with her hand and focused on Me again. I Silently was praying that Alec got the hint, But just like Dazzy he didn’t. 

“I like this one,” Elliott said and I slammed my head into my hand knowing there was no way we were going to get out of this easily. “I wonder what else her mouth can do—” I stared him down and he took a step back “You need to leave,” I ground out, my hands curled around the edge of the table, turning my knuckles white. 

“Funny,” Alec leaned down and whispered into my ear “Because it sounds like a warning, and yet, I know my girlfriend would never say something like that to me?” 

“ yet we both know you're just a guard dog sent to me from the biggest prick around.” I whispered back.

Relief slammed into Dazzy at the sight of Tank, Grady, and Jackson standing in the door. alac immediately straightened, but he didn’t leave My side, in fact he tightened his hand around my wrist.

Dazzy stood up and ran to Tank “Are you okay?” He asked worry flooding out of his word. My eyes deadlocked on Alec’s neither of us blinking “ corra, baby, why don’t you come on over here?” Grady waved me over, I looked over at them and Jackson was frozen in his tracks, I knew now, he recognized Alec, there was no doubt about it.

ignoring the low growl coming from Alec I spoke. “ hey guys thanks for showing up, could you please do me a favor and get Dazzy out of here. I’ve got some stuff to work out.” I forced a smile and Jackson retreated, Tank pushing the four of them out of the diner. Although with the anger rolling off Jackson , I wasn’t sure if he would leave. I didn’t want to incite a fight, but I didn’t want to stay with Alec either. 

As soon as they left I pulled away from him, “ you’re a real particular kind of asshole you know, i’m not your property and I’m sure as hell not Warrens ”  

“ bullshit,” I shot around looking at him like I could rip his Head right off his shoulders. 

“ bullshit, that’s what you wanna say right now. You  and Warren told me you wouldn’t mess with my School life, well this is my school life.”

“ do you think I’m just gonna let other guys put their hands on you and God knows what else, especially those mutts.”

“ God I wish I never agreed to this. I can’t do this anymore I’m done.” I stormed out of the diner alac hot on my heels. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into him ,I pulled away.

 “stop!” He said using his beta voice. “I don’t care what you want, you got a problem you take it up with warren, but cover or no cover your stuck with me the rest of your life so behave yourself.” I pulled away.

“I thought you of all people would understand alac, i never should have trusted you.” He relaxed and then his eyes realizing what he had done softened, he reached for me again but I quickly dodged him.

“ corra I get it I f****d up, I always do! what do you expect.”

“ no not this time you’re not pulling that crap with me, you f****d up. You know that you f****d up. You’re sorry I get it trust me, I get it. But you being sorry I won’t change what you did in the past, it won’t change what you just did. You being sorry won’t change the way that I look at you now… It won’t change how I feel about you now. Everyone has their limits, their boundaries, lines, that once you cross you can’t cross back over. I had a line you crossed it I thought maybe just maybe we could fix this but now you’ve got to stay on the other side of it I can’t keep doing this.” He grabbed my wrist again, looking me in the eyes pleading with me. “ I think what hurts the most is that so many people saw it coming, the only thing I ever wanted you to do was prove them all wrong. But you couldn’t even do that for me.” I pulled away and left him standing in the parking lot, I climbed in my car driving down the road. Headlights flashed in my rearview mirror and I recognized Jackson's truck. I pulled over to the side and he followed. Grady's car pulled to the side next to Jackson's.

Jackson came to my window, I rolled it down and turned down the music that was blaring in the background. "You ok.?"

"What does it matter to you."

"Don't be like that you know I care."

" Oh ya you totally care that's why half the time you pretend I don't exist and avoid me like the plague." His face tightened and he retreated from the car. "I'm sorry." I know he cares about me, he has always protected me at school, and looked out for me when I was in trouble.

" No it's true. Don't be." His head dropped. It wasn't that he didn't like me he just had too much responsibility and pressure to actually get close to me. He still thinks I don't notice him looking at me every chance he gets it just bugs me that he won't talk to me about it.

I swallowed down what I really wanted to say " I have to go meet up with my brothers." I pulled away watching him fade in my rearview mirror.  I could feel the wet tears starting to fall down my cheeks I turned the music back on, and slammed on the gas.