Is she for real?
Jenna turns and looks at us. Larry has her back to her, but from the shocked look on Jenna’s face, I know she’s heard everything.
“So, the two of you are involved?” I ask slowly.
“Of course.” She gives me a condescending smile. “He would be lost without me and I’m the only mother Cam’s known. So you should just back off now before you get hurt. Or, at least understand that when Jesse’s seen with you, it’s only to protect what the two of us have.”
Jenna’s mouth pops open in shock.
Jesse can’t be involved with a sixteen-year-old girl. Can he?
“You don’t really think my mother wanted me home last night do you?” Larry gives me a condescending smile. “We had plans and it was time for you to go. Jesse was simply waiting for me to let him know when Cam was asleep. Why else would he sit with you on the bench where he could watch the studio?”
I know it can’t be true.
But, what if it is?
“You’re sleeping with Jesse?” I ask slowly, unable able to believe I fucking just asked that question.
“Of course.” She chuckles.
“What the hell?” Jesse yells from the other side of the counter. He’s holding a painting and his face is a mixture of disbelief and rage. At that moment, I’m not sure if it’s because he angry at her for lying, or angry at her confiding in me. Holy shit!
Kian and Cole are next to him. They’re all holding paintings which they slowly set on the counter. Their eyes shift between Larry and Jesse. How much did they hear?
Clearly enough.
“Jesse. I didn’t know you came back down,” Larry says sweetly. “Did Cam have a nice nap?”
“What the hell did you just say to Deirdre?”
“I thought she should know about us.”
This keeps getting worse.
“Us? There’s no us!” Jesse is staring at Larry as if she’s grown two heads. There’s clearly no relationship and I should have never even thought for a millisecond there was.
“Of course there is.” Her smile drops and her eyes dart around the room. “That’s why you want me here all the time. I stay late. You need me. You want me. Don’t pretend.”
“Pretend? You’re a fucking kid.”
Pain flashes in her eyes. “But, Jesse…”
His fist slams down on the glass counter. It cracks and caves in. Blood starts dripping from the side of his hand, but I’m not sure Jesse knows he’s cut. “Tell them the truth!”
Her mouth is opening and closing but nothing’s coming out, as if she’s shocked. What the hell did she expect his reaction to be? Profess undying love?
“Get out!”
Tears fill Larry’s eyes and start to spill down her cheeks. “You can’t mean that.”
“Out!” He points to the door. “And stay the hell away from me and my son!”
“But I love you,” she sobs. “You love me. You have to. I’d do anything for you.”
“Larry!” he warns between clenched teeth.
Her chin comes up. “It’s Laurentia! You will be mine. Just you wait.” She’s wagging a finger at him, her eyes wide and a bit wild. “We’ll be together until death do us part.”
A chill snakes down my spine and Larry turns on her heel and runs outside. Kian rushes past me, following after her.
My mind is reeling and I can’t think. Why the hell would Larry make up such lies and tell them to Deirdre?
Jenna, Cole and Deidre are staring at me and look about as shocked as I am at the moment.
“Let’s get something on your hand,” Deirdre says.
“What?” I look down. My display case is broken and the side of my hand is sliced open. Blood’s dripping on the jewelry some of the students made. “Shit!” I yank my hand back, but I don’t have anything to stop the bleeding so I pull up my t-shirt up and wrap my hand in it.
I knew I’d slammed my fist down hard, but I hadn’t realized I broke the glass.
“Come on.” Deirdre sends me an understanding smile.
It’s too much to hope that I stand a chance with her after this. “You can’t believe her.”
“I don’t,” she assures me.
Jenna and Cole follow us back into the studio.
“Can you put the closed sign out and shut the door?”
“Sure.” Cole goes back to the gallery.
What if someone believes her? I’ll lose my job. Oh my God! The people at Baxter will probably wipe any reference to me being connected to them from every record. A lot of those kids at that school are messed up because of what Larry just accused me of.
I’m going to be sick.
I look up at Jenna, my eyes pleading with her. “None of what she said was true. I swear.”
“I believe you,” she says gently. “Calm down.”
How the hell am I supposed to calm down? What if Larry tells those same lies to her parents? I’ll be arrested. I’ll lose Cam.
My throat and chest are getting tighter and tighter, and I’m not sure I can breathe.
“How did I not know she was fucked up?” I studied psychology and work at Baxter so how the hell was so blindsided?
“She hid it well,” Jenna says.
“I should have caught on. She’s been acting weird, but she’s a sixteen-year-old girl.” I look from Jenna to Deirdre. “No offense, but teenage girls can be strange sometimes.”
Jenna and Deirdre both smile. At least I didn’t piss them off.
“Do you have a first-aid kit?”
I point to the shelf above the sink and Deidre grabs it.
She starts cleaning my hand and I try not to wince when she uses tweezers and pulls splinters of glass out.
“I don’t have a temper. Ever.” I need to assure her that I’m not a violent guy. I abhor violence. Not that she’ll believe me now. “I’ve never struck anyone or anything in my life. I rarely even yell.”
“I believe you,” she says calmly. “I probably would’ve hit something too.”
She turns my hand and presses towels against the bleeding. “You should
