The mafia's bride (On Hold)

Chapter seven: the right choice?

Ok, I'm going to pretend that my encounter with the beautiful Jonah is nothing more than a coincidence. I mean sure the guy did give me a ride but only because I missed the bus. He's only being polite and besides I'm pretty sure the guy has a girlfriend. His body's sexy, and so is his pure face. Thicken eyebrows and luscious lips. Everything about him would send girls after him and tumbling over me if I so much as talk to him. Hopefully for my sake no one sees us together. But my wish is denied of course.

He walks me inside with his arms still around me like we're already a couple.  Not to mention the stares of a million people. It makes me feel self-conscious, being this close to a boy who also happens to be part of a gang. Don't worry I haven't forgotten that Jonah's part of a gang. His attire explains everything except of course his manners. Delightful manners that is. But I don't mind being around him. You know give him a wave here and there. Flirt with him every now and again. But no love. No drooling over him. I refuse. There's too much at stake for me to be in a relationship with anybody at the moment. And trust me the last thing I want is to talk about how my body feels around the radiant angel.

"Is something bothering you, Pryor?" He asks me as we walk up the stairs to my home base class. My silence has him worried plus I'm too keen on keeping myself away from him to see it. Looking back into his green eyes, I smile and shake my head. "Nothing's wrong, um thanks for walking me to class." Pulling in closer, I feel him sniffing me which is not awkward at all. "You wearing any body lotion or perfume?" Blushing, I open my mouth to answer his question but something stops me. The sudden dark footsteps of someone behind us. "Jonah!" We both turn and find Wade with two of his friends and an apple clutched in his muscular hands. Something seems different about him.

It's not the fact that he's crushing the apple like it weighed nothing but rather the dark stares he's giving Jonah. Pulling me behind him, his grin fades and replaces with a defensive frown. "What the hell do you want? I haven't caused you guys any trouble have I?" Smirking, Wade pulls in closer not even caring that I'm still being shielded by Jonah. "You weren't at the meeting, that's why. Skipping town again aren't we, buddy?" Tilting his head, Jonah searches for any signs of revolution in Wade's eyes. Luckily there isn't.

"I did leave town but I sent someone else in my stand. Why, did he not show up or something?" Closing his eyes, Wade drops the apple and digs his hands back into his pockets. "It's not that, we needed you there whether gone or not. You can't just ignore your duties like that!" Flashing his eyes back open, he sends a bolt of fear inside me. My hands begin trembling at the sight of his anger. This isn't the same guy who held Lila in his arms when she finally got to seem him. Now I know what the others mean. Wade's personalities can shift depending on his moods. Obviously the only times he's ever happy is when Lila's around him.  Sighing deeply, Jonah puts up both his hands as if he's surrendering. "I got it, alright. I'll make up for it but right now....." Turning, his smooth green eyes dim closer to my own.

For some reason my tremble stops and I'm washed away by love and passion. It's as if Jonah really is an angel disguised as a human being. His hand found mine and my breaths are finally going back to normal. Wade's eye shift to me and he lowers his frown. "Fine, but this afternoon don't you even think about leaving school, understand!" Jonah nods and we disappear around the corner. Luckily no one's around to see my face burning with anxiety. Damn, my heart hurts so much. And not cause Jonah's still with me but because there was almost a fight and I may have just gotten myself involved in it.

"I'm sorry about all that. He's usually more carefully when a girl's in his presence." Hands now in his pockets as well, Jonah lets out a breath of air. He seems furious but with his head looking down instead of looking at me thinking of something to say is kind of difficult. Still I manage to say something to cheer him up anyways. "You protected me, didn't you? I'm grateful for that whether Wade came looking for a fight or not. Thank you Jonah." He takes my compliment and uses it against me, playfully. Lifting my hand, he smooches the palm of it, sending chills up my spine again. They feel good but I'm about to admit that to him just yet.

In front of my class, we part ways. His class is apparently on the other side of the building which makes me feel guilty. But the present smile still on his face tells me otherwise. "I'll see you around?" He asks before dropping my hand from my own. Nodding my head, I wave him goodbye and enter my class. All eyes look directly at me as I pass a couple desks to reach my seat. Miranda's kicking back with both feet on her desk and laying her head over the chair. Lila's sitting next to her filing her black nails, but grins when she sees me. "Pryor, damn I almost thought you were skippin school today, sugar." Miranda lifts her head and yawns. "Me too, I know you get lost easily but most new kids try not to make that a habit."

Rolling my eyes, I pull out my chair and slap my books on the desk. The two other girls who usually sit with us aren't here today, and Mr. Corbey looks even more ridiculous than he did yesterday. "I didn't get lost, someone dropped me off late." Both of them arch a brow, especially Miranda. "Who was it?"Lila asks before Miranda even can. She has the same serious glow in her blue eyes as well. Gulping, I straighten up in my chair and clear my throat. "A guy named Jonah. I'm guessing he lives around my neighborhood or something."

Lila covers her mouth and looks at Miranda who suddenly pulls up from her chair. "WHAT!" She screams, sending nearly everyone's eyes on us. I bite my lips and try to calm her down but she refuses. Spots of sweat begin to show up on her face and it looked to me like she hadn't slept in a long time. Behind her make-up and curly pink hair Miranda's restless about something. Do I dare ask her what? Nope, but a burning desire in my heart told me it has something to do with Jonah. "Calm down, Miranda. He only gave her a ride nothing more honey." Lila places both hands on Miranda's shoulders and forces her to sit back down in the chair. Did I make a bad choice? Was hitching a ride with Jonah putting myself in danger already? Shit, she isn't the only one raddled by this anymore. I know I'm doing the right thing by keeping my strange feelings for him a secret but that's not enough anymore.

Staying as far away as I can seems like my only option. Only I wish it isn't like that. His face, the way his eyes glow in the dark. Is it those special qualities of his that makes him desirable? Or maybe it's something greater. A bigger picture, I'm not seeing myself. Ugh, this is going to be tougher than I thought. But the good news is Miranda finally calmed herself down and finds her voice again. "Pryor, love, sweetie I need you to listen to me please...." Lila switches seats and sits next to me with her hands locked in mine. "Stay away from Jonah no matter what. If he offers you rides from and to school you deny him. If he tries to flirt with you, you need to pull away as fast as you can. Do you understand me? Don't go near him or even look him in the eye."

The way she's saying this makes everything seem like a lie. Is Jonah that bad of a guy that I can't go near him anymore? No.....it has to be more than that. And it is. The guy from the alley way and the poor girl who had been stabbed......there's no escaping what's in front of me.

Jonah + love = my death. Simple as that. Written on just a sheet of paper is my fate. Jonah is my future. Some way somehow he connects to this tormenting death of mine and I want to know how. But mostly I want to know why. Sighing, I finally have the confidence to look Miranda in the eye and promised her I'd stay away from Jonah. Still it excites me. The way he quickly pulled me behind him to protect me or how he's able to calm my heart without even trying. There's some magic in that guy that Miranda doesn't know about. And I'm guessing that Lila does. Comparing Wade's behavior to Jonah's, surely Lila has to know something about those whole territory thing that I don't.

And luck is on my side again. We both share the same chemistry class first period. Although Miranda wants me to stay away, I'm about to break that rule along with a  few others. But I say fuck that! It's better than dying isn't it?