Surviving Slater - Loving Bad Series (Sample of Published Book)

Chapter 5 - Part 1

My last class for the day finished. I breathed a heavy sigh as I closed my book and began to clear my stuff from my desk. I squinted at the sun as I exited the classroom.

When I refocused, I saw Slater leaning against the wall. The sight of him sped up my heart and I felt a shortness of breath. Was he there to meet someone?

His eyes met mine, a familiar flutter of awareness sweeping through me. His worn jeans and fitted white shirt only enhanced his magnetism. There was something sexy and intimidating about the way he watched me. He pushed off the wall and headed to me. I clutched my bag more tightly in my hand, feeling a nervous dip in my stomach as he approached.

"Jordan," he said, and I had to stop the effect of hearing my name on his lips.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, cutting the pleasantries.

"I wanted to talk to you," he said, his eyes still on me.

I tried to remain outwardly calm in his presence, when my insides were swirling around like a tornado.

"I'm not sure we have anything to say to each other."

His silvery pale-blue eyes were intense. "Yes, we do."

One small sentence was enough to open my wound of rejection from him. I allowed the pain to pull me away from his hypnotic gaze.

"No." I turned to walk away, allowing the ache to make it easier, but his hand wrapped around my wrist, stopping me.

"Let me go," I said, refusing to look back at him, fearing if I did I wouldn't be able to walk away a second time.

"We're not finished."

I closed my eyes briefly.

"We need to talk."

I didn't want to. I wanted to run and never look back. Slater had gotten under my skin and I had to be careful around him. I needed to be able to keep him at a distance. He would leave me alone if I just let him say what he wanted, so I turned to face him. He released my wrist, and my hand soothed where I could still feel his hold on me.

"Fine, talk."

His eyes swept past the interested eyes watching us. "Not here."

"Then where?" I asked, crossing my arms. It was a small action to protect the vulnerability I felt when I was with him. I hated feeling the weakness he made me experience.

"I could come over to your place tonight?" he offered, but I shook my head. "Or you could come over to my house?" he asked, studying me closely.

It would probably just be the two of us. Sin still technically lived there but Taylor didn't feel comfortable going to the house anymore; it reminded her of Eric. So they spent most of their time at our apartment. Sin was in the process of selling it so he could buy somewhere else to live.

"Fine."

"I can pick you up," he offered.

I shook my head.

"No, I'll meet you there." I didn't want to be dependent on him. "I'll be there at seven."

He nodded. "See you then."

He gave me one more unreadable look, like he was trying to figure something out, before he turned and left.

I should have done the same but I was rooted to the spot, watching him walk away from me, unable to look away. The feeling of loss reopened the ache in my chest.

A nervous knot tightened in my stomach and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon. I kept trying to figure out why he wanted to talk to me. He had already decided to stop anything from happening between the two of us and I couldn't figure out what he wanted now.

I remembered my conversation with Sin over the weekend the morning after my date with Steven. I wondered if that was the reason why Slater wanted to talk to me. Would he also feel the need to warn me about Steven?

*****************

"Do you think it's a good idea?" Taylor asked when I told her I was going to see Slater.

"No, but I don't think he will stop until I let him say what he needs to."

Taylor pulled her knees closer to her chest and rested her chin on her knees as she sat on the sofa.

"I don't want you to get hurt," she said.

"That makes two of us."

"I can try and find out from Sin what he's up to?"

It had already crossed my mind but I didn't want to drag the two of them into whatever was going on between Slater and me.

"No. It's okay," I assured her before I sat down beside her. I handed her a cup of tea and cradled my cup in both my hands. She folded her legs as she sipped her tea. "I'll listen to what he has to say and then I'll leave."

I shrugged. I doubted there was much he was going to say that would change what I had already decided in my mind.

"Slater is so easy-going, it's hard to reconcile him with the asshole who keeps breaking your heart."

I gave a hollow laugh before I swallowed my emotion. That was his outward projection—to everyone he was easy-going, but I knew different. I had glimpsed the true side of Slater that few saw.

"I won't let him," I said with a certainty like I could control what was going to happen tonight.

I wasn't going to allow him close again and I wouldn't allow him to affect me like he had before. My walls were up now, and there was no getting through.

Sin arrived a little later. He and Taylor disappeared into her bedroom. I wondered if she was grilling him on what Slater wanted to talk to me about.

I made a point of not dressing up, choosing some old jeans and a plain top. There was no reason to get all dressed up. It wasn't like it was a date. Instead of lipstick I put a little lip gloss on.

"I'll drop you off, if you want," Matthew offered when I came out of my room ready to leave, but I shook my head.

"Don't worry about it. I'll get a taxi."

He looked at me disapprovingly, but I wanted to do this on my own. They'd all had a glimpse of the hurt I'd experienced with Slater and were concerned I was in for a repeat.

"Seeing you like this brings out the big brother in me," he said, and I gave him a lopsided smile.

I hugged him.

"And from someone who doesn't have any siblings, it's nice to have someone who cares like you do."

"You will call me if you need me?" His face was serious. I'd never had a father around to be protective over me so this was something new. And I liked it. It made me miss what I had grown up without.

"Yes."

He called a taxi for me. It arrived ten minutes later, and Matthew insisted on walking me downstairs to the waiting car.

"You don't have to worry," I assured him as I got into the back.

"I'll try not to."

He closed the door and watched the taxi pull away. I tried to keep my stomach from tying myself up into knots on the way to Slater's. I gripped my hands together as I got closer to the house.

I hated the way my stomach tightened anxiously when the taxi pulled up outside the familiar house. I took a deep breath and released it before I paid the driver.

My feet felt like lead as I stood out front, trying to build up the courage to face Slater.

You can do this, I told myself. I wasn't some weak girl who was going to allow this to be a big thing. He wanted to talk, I would listen, and then I had already made my mind up. I would leave.

I climbed the steps to the front door. I took another deep breath to ease my nervousness as I clasped my hands together to stop them from shaking, refusing to allow him to see how anxious I was.

Before I could change my mind, I knocked on the door and stepped back. The house was quiet as I waited. Every second felt like forever.