BRIDGER (29 page)

Liam blinked spastically, trying to break down what Reese had just said.
 
“Why do you say that?
 
Don’t bring my mother into this.
 
We’re the ones that had to deal with Aiden being kidnapped –”

Reese pulled himself up to full height for more effect. “Oh, don’t you know?
 
Your dear old mum is the
same
as Ashlyn, here.
 
Well, actually Ashlyn is even more special than your mom.
 
But you wouldn’t know what they are since you don’t give them the time of day to explain.
 
I gave her the time and now know the story.
 
I’m still standing by her, even when her ‘Protector’ isn’t.
 
Maybe I should have gotten the job.”

Reese knew he had hit a nerve.
 
Grinning triumphantly, he sat back down, putting his arm around me.
 
Liam twitched slightly, obviously disliking the arrangement.
 
Being vindictive, I curled up even closer to Reese.
 
Turnabout was fair play.

“You have exactly twelve seconds to explain,” he grunted, pulling the desk chair up and sitting down.

“Let’s get your mom on the phone,” I said, standing up.
 
I shrugged off Reese’s embrace and strode past Liam to the desk.
 
Grabbing my laptop, I sat it on Liam’s lap, dialing Tess’s number.

“Ashlyn, you can’t tell me your loud friend has left,” Tess said.

“No, Mum, unfortunately he hasn’t, but it sounds like there’s a lot I don’t know about you and Ashlyn.
 
Care to explain?”

Reese eyed me, then Liam.
 
Reese might not have been the brightest bulb in the box, but he knew when to make a run for it.
 
“I’m gonna go grab something to eat,” he said, edging toward the door.
 
What a pansy, leaving me to the wolves.
 
Glad he wasn’t my Protector, I settled onto the floor against the bed.
 
This was going to take a while.

* * *

Three hours later, Liam was up to speed for the most part.
 
He knew Tess and I weren’t Changelings.
 
This didn’t change the fact that he still flinched when my hand grazed his shoulder as we told Tess goodbye.
 
I suppose if that were the worst, though, I’d take it.

Closing the computer lid, he finally looked at me.
 
“Just because I understand doesn’t mean I’m not mad at you for not telling me.”

I closed my eyes.
 
“Liam, Memaw and Tess both said not to tell you.
 
They said you wouldn’t react well.”
 
That had turned out to be the understatement of the century in my opinion, but I kept that part to myself.

“I can’t believe there’s even a bridging race.
 
What does that mean for us humans?”

“No one knows.
 
They can’t believe I can do what I’m doing.
 
I wish there would have been a better opportunity to show you than having you walking into the room and seeing two Reeses.”

Liam chuckled darkly.
 
“It was a scary sight.
 
One Reese ruins enough of my life.
 
Two kind of sent me over the edge.”

“At least I don’t try to stab you.”

Reese had returned.
 
His icy comment was a definite indication he had heard our attempt at mending things.
 
He wasn’t good with forgiveness.

Liam didn’t help the situation.
 
“At least I don’t think I can get the girl that hasn’t ever wanted me.”

Moving to stand between them before the situation became ugly, I held my hands out to either side, silencing them.
 
“Chill out, guys.
 
You’re both acting like kids.”

Reese pushed my arm aside and headed for the door. “Oh yeah, kids.
 
I act like a kid when that joker has only hurt you.
 
Makes perfect sense.
 
I’ll see you in the morning to pick you up for school.”

“About that, Reese.”

Liam had stood up, hooking me with his left arm and pulling me behind him.
 
“That’s my job.”

Reese looked at him defiantly.
 
“Haven’t been there to do it for a few months, have you?”

“I believe it’s in my job description, as I’m her protector.”

“Leaving Krista so fast, huh?”

Liam smiled.
 
“I’m fairly sure she’ll bounce back.”

I wasn’t sure Liam deserved a free ride back into my life, but I didn’t want to encourage Reese any more than I already had. The damage had been done and there was no going back on that, but avoiding encouraging him would be the best idea in the future. Choosing the most diplomatic option possible, I stopped them both.
 
“I can drive myself, thanks.
 
If memory serves me correctly, I do have a license of my own.”

Reese kicked the doorframe.
 
“Fine.
 
Let him get his way. We all know who’s been here for you while he was out swapping spit with other people.”
 
He smiled his best smile, then turned out of the door.

As I opened my mouth to call out, Reese reappeared.
 
“Oh, and Liam, just because you’re back, doesn’t mean Ashlyn
wants
you back. She didn’t seem to mind it when I kissed her a while ago.” With that, Reese left.

TWENTY-THREE

It was one of the more awkward days at school I’d ever attended.
 
Liam sat stock straight in each of the classes we had together, hand turned upward in an attempt to hold mine.
 
I had turned away each time, pretending to be more interested in the classes than him.
 
It wasn’t like he was going anywhere even if he wanted to.
 
He was stuck.
 
Plus, he really had been a jerk.
 
I wasn’t sure if I trusted him not to leave again anyway.

Krista wasn’t been too thrilled about his sudden breakup with her, or the fact he was trying to get back with me.
 
She seemed to take it as a personal insult that he preferred a sophomore that wasn’t on the homecoming court to her.
 
She’d push through and find someone else to yank around within a week, I was sure.

Reese met me at my locker at the end of the day.
 
He slammed it shut to announce his presence.
 
“So how goes the prodigal boyfriend?”

I sighed, reworking the combination to finish what I had started.
 
“He’s not my boyfriend.”

This put a smile on his face.
 
“So then you
are
fair game.”

“Reese, don’t do this.”

“Why? If he’s not your boyfriend, then obviously you’re not sure about it. My kiss left a mark, didn’t it?” He grinned his most mischievous grin, making me shake my head.

“Yes, you’ve scarred me for life, are you happy now? It doesn’t change anything, Reese. He’s my Protector.”

He grunted, running his hand through his hair in frustration.
 
“Well, here comes Mr. Prodigal himself, so I’m gonna split. Baseball practice. I’ll text you later.”

“Mmhmm,” was all I gave him.

Before he left, he gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Seriously, Ash. Just think about it.” With that, he bounced away, his demeanor unchanged by my denial. He passed Liam as he walked, turning to wink at me once more after they had passed.

My stomach was in knots as I watched Liam walk toward me. His usual confident stride was broken as he reached my locker. Leaning against the wall of lockers, his gaze didn’t meet mine.
 
“I miss you, Ash.”

“I bet you do.”

“Ashlyn, just answer me this,” he suddenly blurted out. I shut my locker and turned toward him, wary.
 
“Could you ever forgive me, or am I strictly your protector now?”

I looked at him, judging how honest I wanted to be versus how much I wanted to make him squirm.
 
He certainly deserved it.
 
“I’m not sure, Liam.
 
You said you wanted to kill me.
 
To kill your mom, essentially.”

He looked down, ashamed.
 
“I didn’t know.
 
I didn’t understand.”

“You didn’t give us a chance to explain.”

He opened his mouth to say something more, but then apparently decided it was best to say nothing at all.
 
Nodding his head in agreement, he turned and walked toward the parking lot.
 
There would be no chase on my part.
 
I was still thinking of Krista kissing him.
 
He definitely kissed her back.

* * *

Driving home, I considered the situation.
 
Part of me wanted to be as far away from Liam as possible, while the other part wanted to give him a kiss of my own that would make him forget he ever wanted to fool with Krista.
 
The part that wanted him far away was winning at the moment. Plus with Reese running around, trying to kiss me into believing I wanted to be with him at any opportune moment, it was hard to know what I wanted.

I pulled into the driveway to find Chris standing on the front porch.
 
I hadn’t seen more than the back of his head in almost a month, as he had purposely avoided me.
 
Figuring it was something he needed to work out on his own, I left him alone.
 
However, how he looked now was a complete shock.

Wearing dark jeans and a long, black leather trench coat that reached his knees, he had his head cocked sideways, almost jeering.
 
His hands were behind his back, waiting impatiently.
 
There was no trace of his usual smile anywhere on his face.
 
This was not the Chris I had known before Ireland.

“Hey, Sasquatch.”

He glanced my way, not bothering to meet my eyes.
 
“Don’t call me that.”

That was my nickname for him.
 
He’d always joked with me.
 
I took a step back from the hatred emanating from the stranger standing on our porch.

“Waiting for someone?”

He looked at me hatefully.
 
“No one you know.”

Reese’s Jeep pulled into the driveway with Liam at the helm.
 
He was just a glutton for punishment.

Hopping out, he smiled his best smile and held his hand out to Chris.
 
“Hey, you must be Chris.
 
I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Chris eyed Liam, eyes thinning to almost slits.
 
“So.
 
You’re Ashlyn’s
boyfriend
.”
 
He said it like he couldn’t believe I could manage such a feat.
 
There were dark circles under his eyes.
 
He couldn’t have slept in days.

Liam stayed friendly through the awkwardness.
 
“Your sister always has great things to say about you.”

“I can only imagine,” he said in a clipped tone.
 
He looked at me with such disdain. It was unbelievable. What had I done?

Liam grabbed my hand and I didn’t fight it.
 
I shifted my weight uneasily, trying to think of something to say.

Mom emerged through the front door, saving us from the strange predicament.
 
“Are you hungry, Liam? Ashlyn?”