Chapter 0027
BAILEE
EIGHT YEARS AGO (Sixteen years old)
“If it isn’t Baby Evans!” Jacob mocked, pulling on a chunk of my hair and jerking my head back.
“Ow!” I snapped, spinning around to swat his hand away. “Leave me alone!”
“So touchy! What’s wrong, Baby Evans? I thought you liked getting your hair pulled. I’ve heard all about you.” Jacob said, grabbing a fist full and yanking on my hair again, this time forcing me back so far that I stumbled, crashing into a warm body.
“Let her go,” The deep, familiar voice made me tense, but as his arms wrapped around me, I froze.
“Come on, Xander!” Jacob laughed, grabbing the strap to my backpack and tugging on it. “Lighten up. Ben’s not here, and she’s not your sister. I’m just having a little fun.”
“Don’t fucking call me that, and get your hands off her!” Alexander growled, and my hands grabbed his sides to hold myself up as Jacob gave one last tug on the strap.
Ben’s friends hadn’t always bothered me, not until I hit puberty a few years ago, anyway.
After that, Jacob asked me out, making several crude comments about my new curves and making me uncomfortable. When I turned him down, he decided to make it his goal in life to harass me. He couldn’t stand it that I wasn’t interested.
How could I be interested in anyone when Alexander Kingston was constantly around, making me weak in the knees with just a
look?
He was so far out of my league that it hurt to even look at him. Yet, I had to because he was my brother’s best friend and was at my house almost every day. 11
“You got a thing for Baby Evans, is that it Kingston?” Jacob snapped, a cruel laugh behind his words as if it were the most absurd thing he had ever heard. “Wait until Benny Boy hears about this!”
I expected Alex to push me away and vehemently deny Jacob’s claim, but instead, he spun me to stand behind him and stepped toward Jacob.
“Keep it up, and you’ll regret it,” Alex warned, and my chest tightened as he defended me. I had thought he had never noticed
me before.
Every time we were in the same room, he refused to look at me. He kept it short and sweet if he ever had to talk to me like I was bothersome and a burden to interact with.
“What are you going to do about it? Baby Evans is a big girl now. She can handle herself. Hell, if she gets bored, she can come handle me.” Jacob smirked, blowing me a kiss.
My jaw dropped in disgust, even though it wasn’t the worst thing he had ever said to me.
Alexander lunged forward, a loud cracking noise sounding through the school hallway as his fist collided with Jacob’s jaw.
I had never seen so much chaos at once. Immediately, people were running forward, pushing me out of the way to circle the boys as the fighting continued.
Phones were out, people were cheering, and yelling, and a few of Jacob’s friends were trying to get a shot in on Alex from behind.
Before I could stop myself, I was jumping on a guy’s back as he tried to rip Alex off Jacob, wrapping my arm around his neck.
I didn’t know how to fight, and I knew a man would easily take me down, but I couldn’t stand to see someone attacking Alex.
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“Get the fuck off me!” He shouted, grabbing my arms and flipping me over onto my back. Alex was there in a second, tackling the guy as I covered my head with my arms.
Whistles blew, and the sound of teachers shouting made the crowd disperse. I scampered to my feet, glancing back at Alex, not wanting to leave him after what he had just done for me. He jerked his chin up slightly, gesturing for me to get away from there before the teachers noticed me.
I nodded and jogged away, turning the corner as the bell rang to signal the start of the next class.
It was all anyone could talk about the rest of the day, but surprisingly enough, no one knew the real reason the fight started except those involved.
I kept my mouth shut and head down for the rest of the day, searching the hallways between classes for any sign of Alex.
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