Playing Patience(24)

She smelled like freshly cut grass and female. It was a weird combination since the feminine smell usually wasn’t associated with anything outdoorsy, but I liked it. It belonged to her and somehow, even though she was delicate looking and entirely too sweet, it fit her. She looked up at me and suddenly I felt sick to my stomach. A faint black bruise worked its way up her cheek and under her eye. I knew my bruises and this was definitely a backhand to the face. It was at least three days old, which let me know it happened once she left the police station.

The urge to reach up and run my finger softly across her bruise was strong. I’d never wanted to soothe something so bad in my life. I didn’t like feeling that way. As a matter of fact, I fucking hated it. I wanted to lash out at her, but more than anything, I wanted to beat the shit out of her dad for laying a hand on such a defenseless person. Then again, I should kick my own ass since I was positive me being a smartass contributed to the problem.

It must have been obvious that I was staring down at her bruise because she swiped at it anxiously with her hand and turned her head away a bit. She told me with her eyes what I already knew. That bruise was my fault.

“You again,” I said as I bit down on my lip ring. “Guess that means I’m going to jail today.”

She looked as if she was physically shaking and I wondered for a moment if she was afraid of me. “Why would you go to jail?” she asked. She reached up and grabbed at the ends of her ponytail.

Every time I saw her, she got prettier and prettier and after our last run-in at the jail with her asshole of a dad, I looked at her differently. Before, I thought her life was perfect, but after seeing her fucked-up relationship with her dad, I knew not everything was as it seemed.

“Every time I see you I end up behind bars. What happened to your face?” I blurted out.

I shouldn’t give a shit what happened to her face, but I did.

She shrugged and attempted to laugh it off. “It was a stupid soccer ball to the face yesterday at practice.”

She was lying, but I didn’t push it. I knew what it was like to make up excuses for a busted lip or a black eye.

Quickly, I changed the subject.

“Why are you here? I mean, other than to flirt with underage boys.” I smirked down at her.

She was so much shorter than me. I liked that. It made me feel powerful somehow… manly.

“I wasn’t flirting with underage boys, and I’m here to volunteer. It’s only fair since we were both arrested.” She shrugged.

I guess being the governor’s daughter had its perks, like being able to find out personal information on people’s community service, but then again, why would her dad tell her how to find me when he so obviously didn’t want us to be around each other? Not that I could blame him after my smartass attitude toward him the last time we were together.

“How did you know I was here?” I asked. I didn’t want the kids behind her to hear us so I moved in closer. “Does your daddy know you’re stalking me, snowflake?”

Her eyes filled with panic and it pissed me off that she was afraid of him. Then she stepped back so quickly she almost tripped over her sneakers. She glared up at me with a pinched mouth. She was pissed off about something.

“My. Name. Is. Patience!” she yelled at me.

I had to admit, I liked it when she yelled at me. Mostly because it let me know she wasn’t as weak and defenseless as she looked, but also because I’m a fucked-up individual and occasionally I get off on being jerked around.

Her voice reached every wall of the gym and everyone turned to look at us. I watched as a pretty red blush crept up her neck and filled her cheeks. Her eyes started to water and become bloodshot and she looked like she was about to blow up from embarrassment. The poor thing, she looked like she was about to pass out, but it was funny to see her so pissed off and embarrassed. I kind of enjoyed ruffling her feathers.

I laughed softly to myself, earning another evil glower and I couldn’t help but poke the bear one more time.

“Careful, snowflake, if your face gets too hot, you might melt.”

She pressed at my chest with tiny palms and actually growled at me as she pushed me out of her way. I fucking loved it. I turned in just enough time to see her fly into the girl’s bathroom.

The group of boys started to laugh. I turned and glared down at them. They all stopped laughing and looked around like they weren’t being a bunch of nosey asses.

“So, I guess I’m lucky enough to get stuck with you guys,” I said as I walked over to the group.

There were three of them and none of them looked old enough to be in any kind of trouble. They couldn’t have been much older than thirteen, but then again, when I was thirteen I was smoking weed and getting hand jobs from fifteen-year-old girls behind my trailer.