Chapter 41

I was sure everyone saw my face morph into one of pure, barely restrained rage. "Caroline, don't be rude. He is a new student like yourself, after all," Lailah prompted and I wanted nothing more than to smack the smug look off of her face. I wasn't sure what he had told her, but it most certainly wasn't the truth otherwise they wouldn't be parading him in front of me like he was just some random ex boyfriend. At least, I hoped to God they wouldn't have done that had they known the real truth about who he was. "What are you doing here?" I seethed, my words coming out in angry pants. If I hadn't gotten some closure through talking about it with Kieran, I wasn't sure I would have been able to say a single word, let alone be in his presence without passing out. His brown hair fell across his face that I wanted nothing more than to slice off of him. "Oh you know, just thought I'd follow your lead and check out this town for a little bit. My dad owns hotels and holdings in almost every state so I figured, why not. You're here, so that was definitely a plus." His blasé attitude made me want to rip the expensive clothes off of his body and shove them up his nostrils until his brain had to eat them. "Kind of stalkerish, don't you think?" I asked him, standing up from my spot on the picnic table and I felt Kieran and Eva follow suit. Although she didn't know quite exactly what was going on, she at least had the decency to tell that it wasn't good. He laughed, a sound that most girls would swoon over, however it made me feel nauseous. My legs were shaking but my outward appearance remained cool and collected aside from the facial expression that probably looked as if I'd just smelled a batch of soured milk. "Nathan here was just telling us about your time together in New York," Lailah said pointedly, and I raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Was that before or after he told you about the three different girls he put in the hospital?" I heard a few gasps around the area and Nathan's eyes hardened into the black pits that I remembered. How quickly it took to see his true colors. "Rumors are poison, Caroline, surely you wouldn't want anyone to know of the ones started up about you in New York? Especially since they are the true reason you left..." he trailed off and I felt the fire ignite in my bones. "Or was it after he told you about the time when a girl said 'no' to him, so he gave her a black eye. Then a bruised rib, cracked lip, broken leg. Did he tell you about how he carved her stomach up like a pumpkin on Halloween? What about-" "ENOUGH!" Nathan's voice roared over the campus square, his barely controlled rage making his body quake with anger and a vein pop out on his neck. Lailah and Jake were smart to back away from him then, fearful eyes retreating as they came to stand beside Kieran. Cowards. "You will NOT spread lies about me, woman! Not when I have the power to make your life a living hell! I've done it before and I can do it again." "No, you won't. Because I'm not just going to roll over and take it this time." "Dude, what's your problem? Is what she said about you true? You're a psycho!" I heard Jake yell out at Nathan and he turned his icy glare on me but before he even took a single step towards me, Kieran was in front of me, arms crossed in front of his chest towering over Nathan like an adult would over a child. "One more step and you'll be on the ground." Nathan's eyes went crazy for a second and I felt Eva's protective arm around my shoulders. "Do that and you'll hear from my lawyers. They will bury you in lawsuits that you'll never be able to pay your way out of!" "Those cameras pointed directly at you say otherwise," Eva called out and I was in awe of the protective barrier my newfound people had formed around me. Even Jake and Lailah who I couldn't stand were standing closer to me, probably because of Kieran but I wasn't going to deny anyone who wanted to be a human shield. I had spoken for myself and defended myself as much as I could, but I knew when to step back because I knew that when it came to Nathan and what he'd done to me, there was no stopping him. I knew I couldn't fight back against him even if I wanted, no matter the amount of training I'd had. It was just simply a matter of fear. "Yeah well video recordings have a way of going missing. This isn't over, Caroline. We'll meet again soon, and next time, it'll be alone." "Don't count on it." Kieran said, his breathing in front of me coming quicker as if he was just as angry as I was on the inside. He sneered at me around Kieran's body one last time before stalking away, not even bothering to look like a student that he'd tried to pose as beforehand. "What the fuck was that dude's problem? He said you were his ex girlfriend and I thought it would be funny to mess with you about it but he was seriously a psychopath!" I heard Lailah exclaim to me but Kieran was all I could see as he turned around to face me, hands cupping my face so that all I was looking at were his verdant eyes and shivers of the excitement and adrenaline stopped its surge and I suddenly felt tired like I'd ran a marathon. I didn't realize I was shaking until Eva put a hand to my arm and I flinched out of Kieran's grasp, ready to attack whoever touched me until I realized she was harmless. "I'm sorry," I said to her, not really responsible for my actions in that altered state. "Don't worry about it. Come on let's get you inside away from the prying eyes," Eva said, Kieran's arm on mine allowing me to make my way through the throngs of people who'd gathered to witness the altercation. I heard whispering as I did. "Do you think she was one of the girls she was talking about?" "He abused her, I bet." "He won't try anything anymore, not with Kieran by her side." "I think she just did it for attention, like she does with everything else." I shook off the incessant dramatic whispers and found my face in Kieran's chest, breathing in and out slowly as I tried to ward off the tears and the panic and the pain. "It's okay to cry, it doesn't make you weak," I heard Eva's whimsical voice say in my ear. "No, but once I start I won't stop," I pushed out, wanting the rest of the day to just be over with so I could have just gone home. "Come on, I'll walk you to class," Kieran's voice said and once it reached my ears, my heart rate immediately started slowing down, the amazing effect his nearness had on me was astonishing even to me after having been washed in it for so long recently. "Thanks," I stuttered out but suddenly we were standing by the door, and I had to suck in a breath when I realized I had a class with Lailah and Jake.  How lovely. "I'll meet you after class is over," he told me, and I had my back against the wall near the door.  He leaned in close, his scent enveloping me and I almost forgot that we were still at the school, still in viewing of other students and teachers. He placed both hands on either side of my cheeks and looking up into his eyes, the world melted away as he placed a gentle but lingering kiss on my forehead and then rested his own against mine, our noses touching as I leaned into the embrace. The sound of a throat clearing garnered both of our attention and broke us apart when we realized it was a teacher glaring at us for 'PDA'. I quickly said goodbye to him and went into the classroom to face the sharks who, apparently, didn't smell any blood in the water and left me alone for the rest of the class. The rest of the day went about like that, hushed whispers and gossip about what had happened that morning, Kieran walking me to my classes being my white knight. I just wished he didn't have to be my bodyguard basically, protecting me from someone that I was incapable of standing up to, physically speaking that was.  I could tear him apart with my words any day of the week but when he took a step towards me it was game over. And he knew it too. I knew that if it came down to it and Kieran put himself in danger because of me, though, I'd never forgive myself.  And something told me that Nathan already knew that weakness about me, and I was terrified that he would use it against me sooner, rather than later.