Chapter 3

JADELYNN

Thad’s arm was laced around my waist as we walked towards the waterfall. It was one of my favorite places to go in this entire place. Georgia had gorgeous scenery that we both thoroughly enjoyed. There were many places on our bucket list to see one day, but this was the one of the most beautiful places that I could have ever thought about living.

This waterfall in the in the middle of the woods was a place of true beauty. There was a power and brilliance in the tranquility it provided. The rushing water as it plummeted down had a lulling effect. You could see through the water as if it was a piece of glass. It cascaded down the rocky outcropping into a deep pool below. Founder’s Peak Waterfall was the first and only one I saw in person. However, I doubted that many could compare to this one.

It was my eighth birthday when our parents brought us out to this waterfall for the very first time. We had a little camp out which turned out to be more fun than I had anticipated. I loved the outdoors, but I loved the comfort of my own bed more. We had a blast though and was my favorite birthday then and now.

Thad just turned seventeen the day after the start of summer. We had known each other for nearly ten years now and have been inseparable our whole lives. His eighteenth birthday was going to be one to remember because it would be huge. I had yet to decide what we were going to do, but I would make sure that it would be one that he never forgot. Perhaps we would do a huge bonfire party. That could be a lot of fun. We were no strangers to parties, but we always had to be on the lookout after Pauline tried to roofie him to finally get a taste. She would definitely not be coming anywhere near his party though. None of her friends would be either.

The sun peaked out through the shading of the tree canopies. It was warm but the slight breeze helped keep us cool. It felt perfect.

“Did you see how red Pauline’s face got?” Thad asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I threw my head back and laughed. Oh, I saw alright. It was hilarious and something that would replay in my memory forever. I would not say that I thrived off dominating Pauline, but it was something that I definitely enjoyed doing. She felt like she was everyone’s master, but she certainly was not, nor would she ever be, mine.

“I didn’t know that someone’s face could get quite that red,” I snorted.

We laid down on the blanket he put out. I took a good look at him. He changed over the summer. Not in a bad way, but definitely in a noticeable way. Besides the physical changes, he held an air of authority now. I was not entirely certain how to describe it. He had this type of aura which called out to me. It certainly made him sexier.

“What’s that look for?” he asked as he tucked some hair behind my ear.

His fingertips trailed down my cheek until his thumb ran across my jaw. His touches always ignited butterflies in my stomach, and this time was no different. It was amazing how his simple touch could ignite such a reaction from me. He was the only one who could.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said with a straight face.

Thad knew me better than anyone else did. There was not a single thing that I could hide from him. Even if my expressions were completely schooled, he still saw the truth behind the mask. The emotion behind each twitch and movement I made just like I could do with him.

“Mhm,” he hummed, clearly not believing me in the slightest.

“You’ve changed over the summer,” I said.

I did not miss the slight tick of his jaw. It was his tell that there was something he wanted to say but could not. He never once pushed me, so I would extend the same courtesy to him. Thad always told me whatever he could whenever he could. I trusted him implicitly, and this time was no different.

“It’s fine, you know. You don’t have to say anything until you’re ready,” I said with a smile.

My body curled into his and got lost in his arm tightening around me. He held me to him as if afraid to let go. Whatever was going through his head, whatever it was that he could not talk about just yet, worried him. That alone was concerning because Thad was the laid-back jokester. He did not worry about much unless it was about me. Was this about me? Part of me wanted to just tell him about the way I had been feeling lately, but I could not bring myself to utter the words because I felt like I was being completely ridiculous.

What would I even say? Look, I get this feeling of being watched even though I had no proof. I never once saw anyone or anything out of place. There was no reason for me to feel so weird. It made absolutely no sense, so until I had some shred of proof, I would just hold onto whatever it was.

“Thanks, Jae,” he said, kissing the top of my head.

Every stress and worry faded away when I was surrounded by nature. It was something I loved about our house because there were woods out back. I often took my coffee to the back steps in the mornings before going to school. There was something incredibly peaceful about the unchanging and unwavering beauty of nature. Many humans sucked to be around. The ones who were greedy and nasty really rubbed me the wrong way because they held themselves proudly just as Pauline did. What was so difficult about being a decent human being? Nature, on the other hand, did not suck like that.

We stayed in our peaceful bubble until my stomach made its presence known. He began laughing because I always hated my body’s reaction to being hungry. It was a beast that always made its presence known.

“C’mon. How about we grab some food at the diner? Our parents are having their double date thing anyways,” he said.

The diner was owned by Harold. He was a flirt and a half, but he was a great guy who would go to bat each and every time for the people he cared about. We both gravitated towards him because of that. This became our favorite place to eat years ago.

Thad opened the door for me, kissing my head when I passed by him. It was the little affections that made my heart swell around him. We grabbed our favorite booth just as Harold came over to us.

“If it’s not my favorite two customers. Hadn’t seen you all summer. I always feel so starved without seeing you two every week,” he pouted.

Harold was in his late thirties and took over Pop’s Diner when his father passed away. He renovated it to make it look like an authentic fifties diner, complete with the black and white checkered floor, red leather booths and stools, and a fantastic jukebox in the center of the room that always had the oldies playing. It was a blast from the past that I always loved visiting. I might not have been alive in the fifties, but I had an appreciation for history given that my father was a Historian and all.

“My epically sweet boyfriend was off punching sharks and saving baby turtles, so I waited patiently by my window until the moment that he returned to me,” I said, fluttering my eyelashes at Thad.

Thad’s lips tipped upwards when I called him my boyfriend. That was exactly what he was. It seemed like he needed the word uttered before he hoped. I would shout it out if he wanted me to. I was proud to be his girlfriend. He was the best boyfriend anyone could ever hope for.

“Not fair. You’re the only true beauty in this place. Now, I’ve lost my shot,” Harold sighed dramatically and clutched his heart.

“That’s not true. That chocolate malt you make is the true beauty of this place,” I said with a chuckle.

Harold barked out a laugh as he patted Thad’s shoulder before taking the hint and getting me the malt. We always ordered the same thing whenever we came, so he never had to ask what we wanted.

“Boyfriend, huh?” Thad teased me.

“Boyfriend. Partner in crime. Alibi. You are many things, Mr. Easton,” I said, taking his hand in mine.

The bell over the door dinged. I looked up and saw Brian and two of the cheer-whores who hung around him. They earned that name when they helped Pauline try to roofie Thad. That was when I lost all respect for them. Nobody messed with Thad because I would never allow it.

Brian noticed us right away and made his way over. Brian disliked me. Well, disliked might be a light term. He loathed me. Hated me. Wished I would drop dead. He tried to bed me Freshman year but failed miserably. He called me a stuck-up bitch and said I had better watch my back. It was something I never told Thad because I knew that Thad would have gone apeshit and quit the team. He enjoyed football, so I did not want to ruin that for him.

“T. Thought you were busy tonight,” Brian said as he sauntered up to the table with his two bimbos in tow.

“I am. I had plans with Jae which we are still currently doing,” he said matter-of-factly.

Brian’s gaze wandered over to me, and I did not miss the way his eyes drank me in. If he was not someone who could kick Thad off the team, I would beat the shit out of him for looking at me like a piece of tail.

“You always have plans with her,” the blonde said with a pout. “Why not join us? We would have so much more fun together.”

I was fighting the deep urge to rip her hair out because of her damn insinuation. She held no authority over his spot on the team, so I was free to do whatever I pleased with her. My hand clenched around his. I was just about to lay into her when Thad spoke up.

“Yes. I always have plans with Jae because she’s the only girl I desire to spend time with. I refuse to spend time with assholes who are fake as hell and don’t understand boundaries. So, let me make this abundantly clear to you three. I don’t have time for you because you are disrespecting my girlfriend. Even you Brian. We’ve talked about this, but let me remind you, back the fuck off of her. She denied you Freshman year, and she will deny you even now. She deserves better than you. She deserves better than me. She is a Queen, and that Queen is mine for as long as she will have me. Now, run the fuck along before I show you what I would do to protect what’s mine from bitches like you three,” he said without even looking up at them.

He kept eye contact with me the entire time. He knew. I should not have even been surprised because he always knew what was going on in my life. He always looked out for me no matter what it regarded.

The three of them stared at Thad for another moment before leaving without a word. They sat a few booths down, and I could hear them muttering angrily to one another. They apparently did not appreciate Thad talking to them like that.

“I didn’t realize you knew. I didn’t want you to risk your spot on the team because he was an asshole. Sorry for not telling you,” I said awkwardly.

Thad switched his seat to my side of the booth. His arm wrapped around me and pulled me into his side before leaning his head on top of mine.

“There’s absolutely no reason to apologize, Jae. You were just trying to protect me like I try to protect you. I overheard Brian telling Pauline that you wouldn’t bite the next day. I made sure to lay into him and define boundaries that he should not cross, or I would just quit the team. Jae, you are what’s always been important to me. I like football, but you mean more than it ever could. You, and you alone, are my priority, baby girl.”

I leaned nodded and leaned into his body. Thad said that I deserved better than him, but I knew he was mistaken. I did not deserve someone like him. He deserved better than me if anything.

Harold brought over the food and we both eyed our steakburgers with hungry eyes. Harold’s food was superb. He was a great cook, and the diner food was always fantastic. We dug in and made small talk while we ate. It was great to just hang out with Thad after not seeing him all summer. I was thankful that we were able to reclaim our relationship. He made me incredibly happy and fulfilled me. I could not imagine standing anywhere but next to him in life, and I never wanted to find out what that would be like.

I spent time that night looking up at the stars and wondering about what the future would hold. That dark cloud still hung over me, but I could not let that deter me from enjoying myself. My life was what I made of it.