Jax

The crowds naturally parted as I walked through the hall. I noticed the chatter had stopped when I was close. People knew to be scared of me. I didn’t influence it; rumors and my reputation did it all for me.

I glanced down the hall, her ripped jeans catching my attention. Amber was going through her locker, what do you know, she actually looked like she was getting ready for class. “Amber.” I called, and leaned against the locker next to hers.

“Jackson.” She acknowledged, and glanced at me briefly. “Nice to see you awake.”

She closed the locker door and I walked beside her up the hall, people naturally getting out of our way.

“Yeah.” I yawned slightly, adding, “I heard you were up to stuff.”

Amber shrugged her shoulders. I don’t know whether it was because I was now fully caught up on my sleep, but Amber looked extremely beautiful today. In fact, it was catching me off guard.

“So your umm, brothers were worried about you,” I said as I stuffed my hands into my pockets, and our pace had slowed slightly. I was aware of glances from everyone in our direction but I didn’t care. If they had a problem with me talking to her, they could take it up with me. It was true Amber was sort of an outcast here, but that was because she made herself one.

“Yeah, they were whining at me too,” she said, her free hand brushing mine by accident. “Sorry,” she said, quickly making sure there was more space between us.

“So, want to tell me what you are up to?” I asked as I gently wrapped my hand around her small arm and stopped her. “And don’t lie.”

Her moody eyes stared up into mine. Her skin so pale and flawless; I always knew she was beautiful but this morning it was like she was shining.

“I met someone,” her words were a hushed whisper although they registered perfectly.

Fuck.

“Who?” I swallowed the feeling of complete disgust.

“I can’t say,” she blushed. AMBER BLUSHED!

I gritted my teeth. “Right, whatever.”

“Jackson, are you jealous?” She smirked tauntingly. “You shouldn’t be.”

“I’m not.” I let go of her, adding, “I’ll see you at home.”

“Jackson, wait,” she called.

“It’s Jax,” I snapped at her. I noticed her smirk had now gone. Well, I had a right to be angry. She’d replaced me within, what, days? Yeah, I meant heaps to her, didn’t I.

“You don’t have a right to be jealous.” She pursed her lips and gripped her textbooks tighter. “You broke up with me.”

“To protect you!” I scoffed. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter.” She could do whatever the heck she wanted. Why should I care? I’d never cared for a woman before, and this was why.

“You’re right. It doesn’t matter,” she said.

The school bell rang and she quickly turned her back to me, storming off. Why had I fallen for a moody one?

But it doesn’t matter now. She’d found a replacement. I gritted my teeth and stormed down the hall. It showed now, how much she really cares about me.

***

I glared into the back of Amber’s head. The whole day she had made it her mission to avoid me, but, now as we sat in, well whatever class it was, she was trapped. She sat as far away from me as possible, sitting down in the front of the class by herself.

How had she found a new guy over a weekend? A WEEKEND! I snapped a pencil. The boy next to me flinched. I gave the boy a look over. Who was he? I hadn’t seen him before.

“Can you believe her?” I said as I nodded my head in Amber’s direction. “She found a new guy.” I didn’t know the guy next to me, but he was the only one close enough to listen.

“Are you talking about Amber Shield?” The guy pushed his glasses up his nose, and looked closer at Amber, when I nodded my head. “He would have to be brave to date her,” the boy added.

“Brave?” I scoffed. “I doubt it.” I tapped my foot under the table, feeling irritated.

“I wonder if he likes orange too…” The nerdy guy had a bit of a snigger and looked at me with an amused grin. I gave him a look that wiped that look off his face. Like what the fuck was he on about?!

He quickly snapped his head down, and turned back to his work as I continued to glare at Amber. Who the heck had she met? I knew that I had a thing for her, but the jealousy that was ripping through me made me realize it wasn’t just a thing.

Bloody hell, I was in love with Amber.

***

I stabbed the piece of steak, cutting a large piece of it off and stuffing it in my mouth.

“I hate peas,” Tyler announced, flicking a pile of peas off his plate and onto the tablecloth. “Why the heck does the cook always put so many on?”

“Would you like to cook instead Tyler?” Mr Shield asked, from the head of the table.

The Shield boys were feared, and here they were sitting at the table having a good old family dinner together.

“There, there Tyler. Stop moaning about the fucking peas!” Cole grunted, with a mouthful of food.

“Language!” Mr Shield snapped at Cole, and that had everyone smirking.

Cole got told off by daddy.

“How was school, Jackson?” He looked at me. Jackson? What was I, ten?

“Fine,” I grunted back a reply; would have been rude to ignore him completely, considering I was still staying at his house.

“Where is Amber?” Troy asked, and I was grateful he had asked, because I had been wondering where she was. She didn’t come home after school. Maybe she was off with her new boyfriend. I clenched the knife in my hand.

“Here!” Amber announced as she walked into the room. I automatically looked up at her. Why was she looking so pretty lately?

“Amber! You hungry?” Mr Shield asked, and she nodded her head and took a seat next to Troy, even though there was one free next to me.

“So, where you been?” Adam asked her, and then pushed the bread basket across the table at her.

“Nowhere,” she replied. She took a piece of bread, beginning to nibble on it.

“She has a new boyfriend,” I spoke up, loudly. I knew one thing the Shield boys hated, and that was any other male close to their little sister. I was going to use that to my advantage.

“WHAT!” Cole was the first one roaring at her, demanding more. “Who?”

“Thanks!” Amber shot me a glare.

“Didn’t know it was a secret,” I said as I shrugged my shoulders.

“No one you know,” Amber answered Cole, but she should’ve known better. The boys wouldn’t stop at that. All of a sudden, all the boys were throwing questions at her and the dread across Amber’s face was amusing… to me at least.

“ENOUGH!” Mr. Shield shouted from the head of the table, and rose from his chair.

“Thanks dad,” Amber smiled, relieved.

“Amber isn’t…”

“DAD, YOU PROMISED!” Amber quickly cut him off, slapping her hands on the table. She was fuming with anger.

Mr Shield was actually chuckling. All of us were in silence. Mr Shield looked too serious to be chuckling and, by the shock on the boy’s faces, they weren’t used to it either.

“Amber’s boyfriend’s initials are C.S, and that is all I am saying. Now, leave her alone.” Mr Shield sat back in his chair with a grin.

“Thanks dad,” Amber rolled her eyes, and left the table with a huff. Now all I had to do was find out who C.S was and threaten him until he buggered off.

***

“I don’t know anyone named C.S.” Adam said. He was laying on the grass, smoking and thinking of who Amber’s boyfriend was.

“Neither do I.” I said as I lit up my own smoke. Adam and I were out in the backyard, with beers, enjoying the fresh air, and quiet - two things we didn’t usually get much of.

“You know Troy was saying that dad was thinking of sending her away,” Adam said as he sat up. “Troy was trying to get him to change his mind.”

“He wouldn’t send, her would he?” I asked and blew out the smoke. Amber couldn’t be sent away like a naughty child; she was an adult now, although she rarely acted like one.

“Don’t know,” Adam shrugged his shoulders, putting the cigarette out. “But he doesn’t want Amber to get mixed up with what we do, so he might.”

Amber was strong-willed; you couldn’t make her do anything she didn’t want to do. There was no way she would go anywhere she didn’t want to go.

“I’m turning in; night Jax,” Adam said as he pushed my shoulder slightly, walking passed.

“Night mate.”

I had more important things to think about than Amber. I should be organizing and planning our next run and I should be taking care of business.

But my thoughts were consumed with Amber.