Status: readers = heroes.
Thank You for Saving Me
Protecter. Protect Her.
[Jack’s P.O.V.]
Stella’s head turned and I looked in the same direction she was looking. Slut and Stel’s ex-friend, whose face pissed me off, walked into the kitchen.
“Hey Jack, Stella,” the blonde walked to the fridge.
“Hey Garden. You’re friends with the band, still?” That dumbass grinned over. I noticed that she had braces.
*Why the hell did she still have braces? Sick!*
“Yeah, but you knew that,” Stella said, timidly.
I could feel the tension in the room and looking down at Stella’s face told me that I needed to get her out of here.
“Jack,” Braceface said my name and it made me cringe. “You looked amazing up there tonight. I’ve been playing the guitar for a little while now, but you definitely make it look more interesting.”
*What? What the hell did she just say?!*
I just stared at her. I didn’t know what to say, but I was fucking fuming. I looked away to look at Stella. My heart broke. I slid my hand into hers and led her out of the kitchen. I intended on stopping once we got to the living room. I let her hand go, but she kept walking. I quickly followed her, not reaching her until she got outside. Even over the loud noises all around, I heard her whimper. I sped up my walking to get ahead of her, stopping her.
“Stella, where are you going?”
She shook her head, covering her face with hand. Her body started to shake and I pulled her into a hug.
*I want to kill Grace.*
Stella was one of the strongest people I knew, but this was killing her. She’d done everything to move on and they wouldn’t let her.
“Baby.” I gently pulled her back. Her eyes and nose were red.
“She’s just so rude.” Stella said in a still shaky voice.
“Don’t I know it?” I thought back to what that girl said to me. In front of a girl that
meant so much to me. “Come sit with me.” I led her to a small bench on the lawn. “Can I tell you something?”
She looked at me with her watery brown eyes. I used my thumb to wipe away a fresh tear.
“Yes.” She scooted closer to me.
“You look beautiful tonight.” I started. She opened her mouth to say something, but I interrupted her. “No, no. There’s more.” She pursed her lips as I started again. “I know you’re all dressed up tonight and I love it. But every day, every time I see you, you look amazing. You are the most fun. And you’re funny. I love your corny jokes.” She laughed. “I love your smile and that laugh. You inspire me and my music.”
By this time, she was blushing and not looking in my eyes. I smiled to myself because I liked that about her, too.
“That bitch in there…”
“Grace,” she said, trying to fight a smile.
“Grace…” I rolled my eyes, sighing. “She is so jealous of everything you are.”
I saw those words strike her and she looked at me again.
“She wants so bad to be what you are and do what you do and have what you have. She thought she got that when she started dating that jerk, Ryan. She tried to steal your fire and for a while, she did.”
Her eyes drifted off again.
“But Estelle…”
Her head popped up when I used her real name. “You got that back. Your fire is back and you cannot let her take that away from you. As long as I’m with you, I won’t let that happen.”
The side of her mouth turned up into a small smile, “WITH me?”
I nodded my head. “Unlike this other guy I’ve heard of, I’m not gonna let you go.”
She smiled, without showing her teeth. “So, you’re gonna keep me?”
I made a face at her. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She turned more toward me, biting her bottom lip again. That always turned me on.
“Come here,” I whispered.
Stella leaned in and placed her hand on my face. Our lips fused together and there was an energy that I’d never felt before.
“Hey Jackoff! Stop mackin on Memphis and get your ass in here.”
Stella pulled away, laughing. “I just adore him.”
“What about me?” I pouted.
She thought for a second too long. I poked her and she squealed, jumping up from the bench. I stood up with her.
“I think you’re kinda smelly.”
I fake gasped at her as she laughed at me. “Go inside, silly girl.”
“Thank you, Jack. Thank you so much.”
I reached over to hug her tightly before we walked inside.
Stella’s head turned and I looked in the same direction she was looking. Slut and Stel’s ex-friend, whose face pissed me off, walked into the kitchen.
“Hey Jack, Stella,” the blonde walked to the fridge.
“Hey Garden. You’re friends with the band, still?” That dumbass grinned over. I noticed that she had braces.
*Why the hell did she still have braces? Sick!*
“Yeah, but you knew that,” Stella said, timidly.
I could feel the tension in the room and looking down at Stella’s face told me that I needed to get her out of here.
“Jack,” Braceface said my name and it made me cringe. “You looked amazing up there tonight. I’ve been playing the guitar for a little while now, but you definitely make it look more interesting.”
*What? What the hell did she just say?!*
I just stared at her. I didn’t know what to say, but I was fucking fuming. I looked away to look at Stella. My heart broke. I slid my hand into hers and led her out of the kitchen. I intended on stopping once we got to the living room. I let her hand go, but she kept walking. I quickly followed her, not reaching her until she got outside. Even over the loud noises all around, I heard her whimper. I sped up my walking to get ahead of her, stopping her.
“Stella, where are you going?”
She shook her head, covering her face with hand. Her body started to shake and I pulled her into a hug.
*I want to kill Grace.*
Stella was one of the strongest people I knew, but this was killing her. She’d done everything to move on and they wouldn’t let her.
“Baby.” I gently pulled her back. Her eyes and nose were red.
“She’s just so rude.” Stella said in a still shaky voice.
“Don’t I know it?” I thought back to what that girl said to me. In front of a girl that
meant so much to me. “Come sit with me.” I led her to a small bench on the lawn. “Can I tell you something?”
She looked at me with her watery brown eyes. I used my thumb to wipe away a fresh tear.
“Yes.” She scooted closer to me.
“You look beautiful tonight.” I started. She opened her mouth to say something, but I interrupted her. “No, no. There’s more.” She pursed her lips as I started again. “I know you’re all dressed up tonight and I love it. But every day, every time I see you, you look amazing. You are the most fun. And you’re funny. I love your corny jokes.” She laughed. “I love your smile and that laugh. You inspire me and my music.”
By this time, she was blushing and not looking in my eyes. I smiled to myself because I liked that about her, too.
“That bitch in there…”
“Grace,” she said, trying to fight a smile.
“Grace…” I rolled my eyes, sighing. “She is so jealous of everything you are.”
I saw those words strike her and she looked at me again.
“She wants so bad to be what you are and do what you do and have what you have. She thought she got that when she started dating that jerk, Ryan. She tried to steal your fire and for a while, she did.”
Her eyes drifted off again.
“But Estelle…”
Her head popped up when I used her real name. “You got that back. Your fire is back and you cannot let her take that away from you. As long as I’m with you, I won’t let that happen.”
The side of her mouth turned up into a small smile, “WITH me?”
I nodded my head. “Unlike this other guy I’ve heard of, I’m not gonna let you go.”
She smiled, without showing her teeth. “So, you’re gonna keep me?”
I made a face at her. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She turned more toward me, biting her bottom lip again. That always turned me on.
“Come here,” I whispered.
Stella leaned in and placed her hand on my face. Our lips fused together and there was an energy that I’d never felt before.
“Hey Jackoff! Stop mackin on Memphis and get your ass in here.”
Stella pulled away, laughing. “I just adore him.”
“What about me?” I pouted.
She thought for a second too long. I poked her and she squealed, jumping up from the bench. I stood up with her.
“I think you’re kinda smelly.”
I fake gasped at her as she laughed at me. “Go inside, silly girl.”
“Thank you, Jack. Thank you so much.”
I reached over to hug her tightly before we walked inside.