38. Monroe

THIRTY-EIGHT

monroe

I sat in the hallway of Jade's parent's house, my back pressed to the bathroom door. I glanced at the timer on my phone screen.

"Two minutes is up, Jade." Silence greeted me, and I pushed to my feet. "We're gonna be late for school. Just look at the damn thing already."

She tugged the door open, and her tear-filled gaze met mine.

"Are you…?"

She shook her head, then shouldered past me and down the stairs. I didn't know what to do, so I just followed her out to her car.

We listened to the radio the entire drive to school, and Jade never said a word. I was admittedly shit with situations like this. I wasn't sure if the tears meant she was knocked up, or if the head shake meant she wasn't. But if she wasn't, why would she be crying? She definitely was, and I felt horrible for her, but in Dayton, it was pretty common.

"Look, if you are, it's fine," I said. "You have options."

We turned into the school, speeding through the parking lot and right past Wolf's truck, the guys on the tailgate, smoking weed. She pulled into a spot a few spaces down.

"I mean, do you know whose it is?" Shit. That made her sound like I thought she was a whore. "Not like that—"

Jade was out of her car and halfway across the lot before I had closed the door. She didn't even lock her car.

Jesus, I was bad at this. I jogged after her. "Jade?"

"I've gotta talk to Mr. Weaver about a C he gave me." She hurried up the steps and through the doors, leaving me in the middle of the lot.

On a groan, I started toward Wolf's truck. Zepp's gaze met mine, a steady stream of smoke drifting through his lips. The second I stopped beside the lowered tailgate, Wolf and Bellamy got up and walked off without a word.

"Uh, do I smell bad or something?"

Zepp tossed the roach to the ground, his lips pressing into a hard line before he hopped off the truck and took me into his arms. "You okay?" The heavy thud of his heartbeat was audible through his shirt.

Aside from Jade… "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"So." He stepped back, ducking his chin to look at me. "Are you?"

"Am I what?"

A few seconds passed. A group of students passed behind us laughing, and Zepp eyed them until they disappeared across the lot. He exhaled a hard breath, his uncertain stare meeting mine. "Pregnant?"

My eyes popped wide. "No! Why would you—Oh, shit."

"You're not?" Relief washed across his face.

"No." Though now I thought about it, we probably weren't as careful as we should have been. I grabbed his arm, glancing over my shoulder before I moved closer. "How did you know, though?"

"So, you thought you were, but you didn't tell me. Roe, why would you—"

"It wasn't mine," I said, raising a brow and waiting for him to put two and two together. "Does Wolf know?"

The lightbulb went off over his head. "Fuck." He swiped a hand through his hair. " Fuuuck ."

"Don't say anything."

"I'm not saying shit." He snagged me by my waist and headed toward the school. "Wolf would shit himself."

"So that's why you look so tired. You spent all of last night thinking I was knocked up?"

"Yeah."

I actually felt bad for him, but I was curious. "Did you have a plan?" I fought a smile. "Change your identity and move out of state?"

"So far from the plan." He hopped over the curb, then grabbed the door and held it open for me. "I had just asked Wolf if he'd be my best man when you two pulled up."

I laughed and threaded my fingers through his as we maneuvered through the crowded halls. "You're crazy. No shotgun, teenage weddings."

"Crazy about you, maybe." He bit his lip on a smile before stopping at my locker.

"God, you used to have so much game."

"No. I used to be the game, Roe."

A group of girls sidestepped us, every one of them looking at Zepp like he was the only water in a scorching desert.

"And then I met you," he said. "And you fucked me up. So good." He traced his finger over my cheek, completely oblivious to the girls beside us.

"Good."

Zepp had fucked me up; I just didn't like admitting it.

The hum of conversation and laughter bounced around the busy cafeteria while Jade sat beside me, poking at her food.

"You okay?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She speared a carrot and took a nibble before setting her fork back onto her plate. I had no idea what to say to her. She visibly stiffened, right before the clatter of trays hit the table. Zepp's hand landed on my thigh as he took a seat next to me, the other guys falling into the seats around us. I was acutely aware of Wolf sitting right next to Jade. Zepp kissed my head before he stabbed a green bean.

"How big do you think your tits are gonna get, Red?" Hendrix grabbed at his chest, pretending to grope a pair of breasts.

Zepp tossed a bean at his brother's face. "Don't talk about her tits, dickwad. I'll punch you in the throat."

"I've been thinking about it." Hendrix opened his chocolate milk and chugged it. "I wanna be called Unky Nook Nook."

I finally clicked what he was talking about.

"Shut up, Hendrix." Zepp glared across the table at him, his grip on my leg growing tighter.

I leaned into Zepp. "You told Hendrix?" Of all people. I glanced at Jade. Her face was pale, and she looked like she wanted to crawl under the table.

"No. The little shit overheard Bellamy." So they all knew, except Wolf—shit. Correction, they all thought it was me.

"Well, Unky Nook Nook, go adopt a stray cat or something," I said. "You aren't getting a baby."

Hendrix scowled. "That's bullshit. I had plans for the kid." He pointed a fry at Zepp. "Knock her up."

"You're an idiot," Zepp mumbled.

"Look." Hendrix crammed his face full of food, pieces of chewed potatoes dropping to the table as he spoke. "I thought it was hilarious last night. Thinking about Zepp with a kid. But then." He shoved more fries in his mouth, his expression far too serious. "I thought about it. And I need a protege."

Zepp facepalmed and shook his head, mumbling whiffle ball bat under his breath.

Bellamy frowned at Hendrix. "The last person who needs a protegee is you, man."

"You go fuck yourself with that negativity." He chucked a fry at Bellamy's forehead. "I could teach a kid a shit ton of things. Like, how to piss in a Cheerio. Not to mention, kids are hilarious on social media."

Wolf elbowed him. "You know they shit and scream, right? It'll ruin your life."

I glanced at Jade, and she looked like she was about to freak out.

"Okay! No babies, let's change the subject."

"No." Hendrix pounded a fist over the table. "Did my brother's swimmers permenate your egg or what? And don't you bullshit me, Red. My next life decision is based on this."

I slapped a hand over the table so over Hendrix's dumbass comments. "It's penetrate!"

"Penetrate with a dick!" he snorted.

Wolf and Bellamy doubled over, cackling like a pack of Hyenas. When I looked at Zepp, he was trying his best not to laugh.

"Firstly," I said. "I'm blaming you for not sending him to school enough. Secondly," I looked at Hendrix again. "Taking a test does not mean you're knocked up." I had to take one for the team here because if any of them figured out it was Jade… She at least needed time to deal with this.

Bellamy raised a hand. "Told you, Zepp."

"Fine." Hendrix scowled before narrowing his gaze and searching the cafeteria. "I'll just make my own protege."

"You are not knocking up some girl." Zepp shook his head. "I swear to God, Hendrix. I will kill you."

Hendrix screwed anything with a pulse. "He's probably already got a few strays out there," I said.

He frowned at me. "I do not go into the flood without a raincoat, Red." His gaze strayed to Zepp. "Unlike you, evidently. Just sowing seed left and fucking right." He pretended to toss out feed for hens.

Sowing seed? Like he was banging half the town. "No, there is no sowing anywhere but here." I pointed at my chest.

Zepp slammed his palms on the table. "Jesus Christ, Hendrix. Shut the fuck up."

Jade grabbed her tray and pushed to her feet. "I'll see you in class, Monroe."

Wolf watched her go, a line sinking between his brows. "Hey, is she okay? She's really quiet."

I could have said yes, that would have been the reasonable thing to do, but instead, I panicked and blurted, "Her cat died!"

Jade didn't even have a cat.

"I'm gonna go check on her."I dropped my fork onto my plate, then hurried across the cafeteria. I caught up to her just as the bell rang and people started pouring into the hallway. "I'm sorry. They're idiots," I said when I reached Jade's locker.

"Thanks for covering for me."

"It's fine. But... Your cat died."

She frowned. "I don't have a cat."

"I panicked."

A tiny smile touched her lips before she turned to her locker and twisted the combination. "Okay."

"And, you know, I'm here for you. Whatever you need."

"Thanks. I'm not pregnant. I just…freaked out. Like how stupid can I be? Wolf of all people." She shook her head, and her gaze shifted over my shoulder. "Uh, Chase is staring at you like a dog begging for scraps."

I groaned, refusing to turn around. "He kissed me on Friday night."

Her brows hiked up. "Does he have a death wish?"

"It's really awkward."

"Well, it looks like he's going to come over, so good luck with that."

Jade smirked before she slammed her locker and walked away. God, I wanted to climb inside her locker.

"Good luck with what?" Zepp snuck up behind me, pressing a kiss to the side of my neck.

I was grateful for his presence because I wasn't ready to address the whole thing with Chase. If there was one thing that would undoubtedly keep him away, it was my mildly homicidal boyfriend.

"I promised I wouldn't break his arms, but…" He grabbed my shoulders and spun me around, pinning me to the lockers and covering my mouth with his. "Fuck his heart," Zepp mumbled against my lips before deepening the kiss.

Zepp had a way of making me forget about anything that wasn't him.

A loud clap sounded by my ear. "Mr. Hunt. Miss James!" Mrs. Smith huffed. "That's enough!"

Zepp swiped his tongue over mine once more before slowly moving away, then taking my hand in his and walking me to my next class.