Haven's Knight (Sample of Published Book)

Chapter 5 - Part 1

Haven

"Look," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I just wanted to say I was sorry about Angela." His tone had softened and his wide, expressive blue eyes conveyed the apology sincerely.

Who was Angela?

"The blonde that was giving you shit yesterday," he explained, when he saw my confusion. My eyes widened in surprise.

So Barbie has a name, I thought. The name Barbie suited her better: pretty and plastic. How did he know about Barbie giving me shit yesterday, anyway? I frowned at him.

"Your friend, Chris, told me what happened and gave me a piece of his mind," he explained. "His exact words were, 'keep your whores away from her.' "

Chris. Even though I didn't want him to get involved in my life, I couldn't help the warm feeling inside me, there because of what he'd done for me.

"She had no right to do that," he began to explain. I shrugged. I didn't care.

I'd come to the realization that it was mainly his fault. If he hadn't stared at me in a few of our classes then Barbie wouldn't have gotten jealous.

"She isn't my girlfriend or anything like that," he continued with his eyes on me. I still didn't care if they were dating or not. It didn't matter to me and I didn't know why he felt the need to explain it to me. I had no designs on him and I wished they would leave me alone.

"Angie can be a bitch sometimes," he explained further as he stuffed his hands in the pockets in the front of his jeans.

Only sometimes? I thought.

It didn't say much for him. Why would he associate with someone he knew wasn't a nice person? Then I remembered what Chris had told me about him. He had only one thing on his mind when it came to girls, and it had nothing to do with conversation or their personality. He wasn't that different from most boys his age. Most of them had one thing on their mind and nothing else, but he seemed to take it to the extreme.

"I told her to stay away from you," he assured me. My eyes widened in alarm. I honestly didn't think that she was going to listen to him and I was sure the fact that I'd told someone what happened was probably not going to end well for me. Barbie and her followers were probably going to make my life even worse.

"Trust me, she won't be a problem anymore," he told me when he saw my reaction.

Trust him? Was he kidding? I didn't trust anyone. I didn't even trust my own parents. My father had died-it hadn't been his fault, but he'd still left me. My mother had stopped loving me and it had literally happened overnight. Everyone I'd ever trusted had let me down. If I couldn't trust my own parents, how on earth was I supposed to trust strangers?

"I got something on her, something she wouldn't want everyone to find out," he whispered to me with a smirk. He was blackmailing her into doing what he wanted. I didn't want to know what he had on her, but if it was enough to keep her in line and off my back, I was happy.

"If she comes near you again, you let me know," he held my gaze. He knew as well as I did that if Blondie did try to bully me again, I wouldn't tell him.

"You don't talk much," he murmured as he brushed his hair out of his face. He watched me with fascination.

I'd done my part, I'd listened to what he'd had to say, but I wasn't interested in making pointless conversation. If he could keep Blondie away from me that would be great, but other than that I didn't want anything to do with him. He didn't need to know anything about me and I didn't want to know anything about him.

While he waited for me to respond to his comment, I picked up my school bag and hitched it over my shoulder. Pain shot through my side and I winced. I'd forgotten about my rib.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern when he reached for my arm. I pulled my arm out of his reach and I took a step backward. This was one of the reasons I preferred to keep my distance from people, because if I slipped up I didn't want anyone to witness it and ask questions.

"I'm fine," I assured him softly. His eyes widened in shock at the fact that I'd finally spoken. "Please leave me alone."

I'd said what I had needed to, so I turned and walked away from him, leaving him standing slightly open-mouthed while he watched me disappear. I was mad with myself for talking to him. I don't know what had made me speak to him.

No Damien and no Barbie was what I wanted. Then I thought about Chris, and as much as I knew it wasn't a good idea, I didn't want there to be no Chris.

By the time Chris dropped down next to me at our usual spot by the field I was fuming. I crossed my arms and glared at him-I wanted him to know I was angry with him. Like the day before, he set a brown paper bag in front of me and one in front of him. He seemed oblivious to my anger. When I didn't open the lunch he'd brought for me he looked at me and saw my expression.

"I take it you found out about my little talk with Damien," he said.

My glare intensified as I pressed my lips together.

"I'm not sorry I said something. Someone had to do something about that blonde bimbo," he insisted. I smiled at the nickname he'd given her-Bimbo. It almost suited her better than Barbie.

I eased my glare but kept my arms crossed.

"Ah, come on, you can't stay cross with me," he insisted playfully. Then he flashed that wide smile at me and I felt my resolve begin to crumble. "I couldn't do nothing and let her bully you."

Even though I hadn't wanted anyone to know about it, I understood why he'd done what he had.

"I knew she wouldn't listen to me, but I knew she would listen to Damien," he added, before he took a bite out of his sandwich. At the sight of food, my stomach grumbled in response. I was so hungry.

My anger vanished and I dropped my arms and opened the packed lunch Chris had given to me. I nearly hugged Chris right there and then. He'd packed a cheese sandwich, a pear, a chocolate bar and a soda.

I'd learned to keep a tight control over my emotions, it was how I survived the hell that was my life, but I struggled with the emotion that his kindness pulled from me. I felt the emotional lump in my throat and I swallowed hard.

He hadn't been offended when I'd tried to hide away from him. Instead he had brushed it aside. He'd never asked me why I never had lunch-instead, he brought lunch for me every day. I never talked to him but it didn't seem to matter to him. He would talk enough for the both of us and I could just sit there and listen to him. Even when he found out Barbie was bullying me, he'd done something about it. I couldn't control the tenderness I felt toward this boy who in a couple of days had done more for me than anyone else had in the last seven years.