Jaded by Tijan Page B

challenged, but my heart really wasn’t in it.
    Denton stiffened before he replied, coolly, “Look, I’m just going to be honest with you. Our family has its problems, but we’ve got two parents in each home. Mena might have some serious anger problems against her biological dad, but…she’s got her parents. And you…” Don’t.
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    I felt my heart slam back into this conversation. I slid off a stool and asked, coolly, “What exactly are you saying, Denton?”
    “I really didn’t come over here to piss you off or hurt your feelings.”
    “But you are, so say what you came to say,” I bristled.
    Denton sighed and studied me a moment. I felt like everyone did that when they were carefully picking their words. People did it a lot around me.
    He broke, “I don’t want my sister to become a girl that screws her movie star neighbor because she’s pissed off at how fake her parents are.”
    I felt a punch to my gut, but replied smoothly, “You’re in luck. You don’t have a movie star neighbor. You just have a girl that screws her movie star neighbor because she’s bored and he’s pretty good in the sack.”
    He grinned tightly and shook his head. Denton raked a hand through his hair and considered me again.
    The silence was thick, but he broke it when he murmured, “I’m out of line. I know that. I know I had no right to say what I did and if a guy ever said that to my sister, I’d beat him down.”
    “Was that an apology?” I asked in disbelief.
    “Yes. No. Kinda.” He shook his head and chuckled in disbelief. “I cannot believe how I’m just stumbling over my words. I’m an actor and I never stumble over my words.
    It’s one of the reasons I’ve gotten most of my jobs.”
    I
    didn’t
    care.
    He caught my look and stopped, “But then again, you probably don’t care.”
    I tilted my chin up.
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    “Okay. Look…I just don’t want Mena to become as tough as you.”
    That was different. I sighed and stepped back. “For what it’s worth,” I murmured,
    “I think that’s why your sister wants me as a friend. I’d give her some protection at school.”
    That caught his interest.
    “She’s your sister,” I added. “That’s going to get out and she’s going to be eaten alive by some of those girls in there.” Mena might’ve thought otherwise, but she was wrong. In fact, she was delusional.
    “I never thought of it that way,” he admitted and skimmed his eyes over my figure again. “You’re hot when you’re pissed off.”
    I grinned silkily and shot back, “I’m not that girl who screws her movie star neighbor because she’s pissed at how fake her parents are anymore.”
    Denton barked out a laugh and glanced away.
    “Wow,” he whistled. “That was good.”
    Just then the door shoved open and slammed again.
    “Sheldon,” Bryce called out before he turned the corner. “We gotta go.
    Corrigan’s in jail…” His voice trailed off when he saw I wasn’t alone.
    Denton sent me a frown as he glanced between the two of us.
    This was ironic.
    I said weakly, “I’m not in jail. It’s my friend who…”
    “Would be Mena’s friend too,” Denton finished. He walked past Bryce and threw over his shoulder, “Just talk to her and let her down gently, please?”
    When the door shut again, Bryce asked, “What was that about?”
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    “Big brother thinks I’m not a good example for his precious little sister,” I muttered.
    “You haven’t even met her yet.”
    Never mind. I asked abruptly, “What’s Corrigan in jail for?”
    Bryce hesitated, but said, “Fleeing the scene of an accident.”
    “What accident?”
    “Corrigan smashed up Yerling’s car. When he tried to leave, the police flashed their lights and he took off.” Bryce chuckled. “He led a high-speed chase. He’s so proud of himself for that one.”
    I sighed, but darted to my room and quickly changed. Again.
    I threw a bulky sweatshirt on and replaced my pajama