Your Guardian Angel (GirlXGirl)

Chp. 18

-RILEY’S POV-

Keeping Jenson and Jake apart wasn’t an easy task, on top of making sure Jenson stayed alive and I kept up with my school. Lying to Jenson and Jake about the other wasn’t easy either, and in the back of my mind I constantly told myself it was for the best… but I knew deep down it was because I didn’t want Jenson to be with Jake.

I wanted her to be with me… but that was never going to happen.

Jenson refused to talk about the kiss, and for some reason she was acting shady around me. She was to herself, and she wouldn’t talk to me about personal things anymore… and I was getting worried.

All I wanted to do was help her, protect her… what if she knew I was lying to her about Jake? If she found out I was doing that… she would hate me. She would despise me and it scared the living shit out of me.

Tonight she was planning on going to a party, more like a bonfire, but there was going to be alcohol. I didn’t like the fact, but I wasn’t going to turn down spending time with her. Even though I knew her and I would be separated by the end of the night.

Jenson was physically safe… but emotionally…well I was doing everything I could to help her. I would take her pain away when I could but, it was just so frequent.

Another thing I was worried about was Bren.

He had been quiet ever since the mall, but I had a bad feeling, like he was planning something. I wasn’t sure of what though, I just knew to keep my eyes peeled and my senses at 100 percent at all times.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and I looked at it, reading the text from Jenson, “I’m outside.”

I was planning on driving her car tonight, because I knew she was going to want to get drunk. I raced downstairs, locking my house and locking eyes with Jenson as I looked up. She gave me a wry smile and I felt uneasy, Why was she acting so weird?

I climbed in the car and I grabbed her arm, again immediately absorbing her pain and anxiety, leaving her with no sadness left.

She smiled, “Ready?”

I nodded, “As ever.”

I was bundled up in my clothes, it was cold tonight, and I wasn’t expecting to stay all night. I knew Jake was going to be here and naturally I was nervous. I knew him and Jen were going to talk even though I lied to both of them saying the other didn’t want to talk to them.

And I had a feeling tonight would be the night they would find out the truth.

In a way I wanted to say screw it, but I couldn’t say that, because I needed to protect Jenson. I was doing the best I could though…

I looked at Jenson, “Jen… are you ok?”

She nodded slowly, “Yea? Why?”

I shrugged, “Because… lately, you’ve been absent, and sad… and I’m worried.”

She rolled her eyes and I felt myself enrage, “Riley can we please not talk about this? I don’t want to get bummed out before the bonfire.”

I turned my head toward the window, shaking my head slightly in disgust. You didn’t have to be a bitch about it… “Sure.”

She didn’t apologize but I could feel her emotions sadden again, and she was regretful. We arrived at the house and there was a good bit of people here, I could hear the music loud and clear through the woods as me and Jenson got down.

She walked on the side with me but I decided I didn’t really want to be next to her, so I looked down, “See you later.”

She looked up, confused as if to why I wasn’t stay with her and I grabbed a beer off the table. I wasn’t supposed to be drinking but I could fix that whenever I needed to sober up in about two seconds. All I had to do was snap my fingers.

Jake ran into me, “Woah, slow down there, don’t want you wasted tonight.”

I shook my head, swallowing a mouthful of beer, “Why not?”

He tilted his head, “Because we don’t want a replay of what you were this summer.”

I looked up at him, he was right, completely, and I didn’t want to end up like that again. I handed him the cup and he smiled, “Good girl,” he looked around and I knew exactly what he was about to ask, “Jenson here?”

I rolled my eyes, “Of course.”

He tilted his head, “Why has she been avoiding me?”

Then Jenson appeared around the corner with her friend ,”Avoiding you? You’ve been avoiding me…”

Oh shit.

Jake shook his head, “Um, no, you’ve refused to talk to me.”

“Because you’ve been ignoring me!”

Jake pointed to me, and my heart fell, “Riley said you’ve been pissed at me, and you’ve moved on, and all kinds of shit!”

Jenson looked at me, her features turning from madness to betrayal. “Riley? You’ve been lying to us?”

I took a step back, this was all unraveling so fast. How had all this happened? Where did Jenson even come from? I shrugged, “I just… I don’t-”

“You’ve been lying to us?” Jakes voice had risen and he was upset, shit, this had gotten out of hand to quick. I was dead.

My back was pressed against the wall, Jake and Jenson were looking at me for the answers and I didn’t know what to say. Jenson saw I was scared and grabbed my arm, pulling me outside, “Do you wanna tell me what the fuck is going on? Why have you been keeping me and Jake away from each other?”

Was it really that unobvious? There were plenty of reasons I could tell her… but I didn’t know which one to say.

I sighed, becoming frustrated, “Because Jenson, I’m tired of fixing you while you’re broken.”

She raised her hands, “I never asked you to fix me! You take that on yourself, and if I want to make a mistake, let me make it Riley, you’re not my mom.”

I didn’t know what to say, but Jenson obviously had plenty, “I don’t need your protection! And frankly it’s been getting on my nerves. You’re smothering me Riley, you don’t need to be with me all the time, and I don’t need your protection.”

I felt my heart ache, great, that was just the icing on the cake. I nodded, not even saying anything and walking off down the street.

Jenson didn’t bother to bring me home, she just watched me walk off while every step I took made my heart shatter a little more.

And no one was going to save me this time.