Say you love me

Thirteen

POV KAIDEN

Chapter name: a feeling to protect

I watch as Tivelly angrily jabs her finger into Zane's chest. Surprise washes over my face at her actions. Every time I've seen her in school, she is always with Ray, Chloe, and Zane. I would've never thought she would get angry with him.

Within seconds he grabs her wrist, making her face twist. I put my hand on his shoulder, squeezing his tendon, "Let her the fuck go."

Tivelly looks at me as he releases her small hand. Her lip is swollen and busted. She has a dark bruise on her chin and a black eye so swollen she can't open her eye.

Her eyes continue to look dull. She looks lifeless as she stands in front of me. Her skin more pale every day as her clothes are starting to get big on her.

She says her wounds are from nothing, but now I'm searching for an answer. My mind continues to fall on an answer that could be true. Abuse. This isn't the first time she's come to school with bruises.

She's either covering it with makeup or having to show everyone. My heart stops as everything becomes more clear.

I look at Tivelly as she stands in the corner talking to Zane, obviously stressed.

"Ray." I break him out of his laughter as Tivelly glances back at me.

"What's up?" He asks. "How well do you know Tivellys's family?" I ignore his questionable looks.

"I... well, she has never let us meet her parents. She says they are nice, though. And she says she gets along with Pheobe, Able, and Bexley really well." Ray scratches his head, takes a swift glance at Tivelly.

"Have you ever even asked why she hasn't let you?" I feel myself starting to get annoyed. Why am I even barging into her little friend group?

"She's always used the excuse of them being busy. What do you think is going on?" Ray glanced between the guys and me nervously.

My mouth opens to reveal the word "abuse," but no sound comes out. I don't know if that's actually true, and if it is, then I should ask her about it, not spurt it out to her friends.

"What's going on?" Tivelly asks, looking distraught from her conversation with Zane.

"Nothing really. How was your conversation?" Case buts in for me, knowing I don't have an excuse for what we are speaking of.

"It was..." She looks around, searching for a word to describe her conversation with "interesting." She thins her lips, avoiding eye contact with us.

I scan her wounds once again, glaring at her discolored skin that stains her face. "So you get along well with your family?" I can't help but ask.

She looks at me, struggling to form a sentence as her mouth opens, but her voice remains unfound.

"Yes." She finally replies, her voice low, almost a whisper. "Even Able and Phoebe?" I ask, remembering how Phoebe acted hostile towards Tivelly.

"I don't think you should pry, Kaid." Grey places his hand on my shoulder to shut me up. My ears strain as the bell rings, classmates immediately rush past us.

"I'll see you later." I give Tivelly a small smile as Ray wraps his arm around her shoulder, guiding her through the thick crowd.

"What are you thinking?" Jayce sits on the hood of my car as we stand outside in the school's parking lot. Occasionally we find ourselves skipping the useless classes we have to take to pass.

"It's obvious. Abuse." I reply, swatting Case's cigarette out of his hand and into the ground. "Not cool." Case looks longingly at his smothered cigarette.

"We don't know if that's what's actually happened. But that black eye she has is definitely from a fist. And she is walking oddly today, almost like she has more bruises under her clothes." Jayce adds in.

I hadn't even realized she's walking weird today, and I'm the only one out of my friends that speaks to her. Guilt rushes over me— I'm around fighting and the aftermath of fighting all the time. How can I be so oblivious to how her upper body is angled weirdly, and she has a limp in her left leg.

"Maybe that isn't the case, don't make assumptions," Grey adds in, looking towards the school filled with kids. When he lived with his aunt, she would always beat him. I can't blame him for having an uncomfortable look on his face. He's always tried to avoid the topic, trying to forget about his cruel past.

"It's been a while." A female voice chimes in. I look up in shock as my eyes land on Avelina. Her once innocent features have aged into sharp features, causing her to look mature. She's in shorts and a shirt so small it looks like a bra.

I look at the guy's confused faces as she gives me a sweet smile, a jewel plastered onto one of her teeth. "What are you doing here?" I ask, annoyed.

"Have you missed me at all?" She asks, flipping her hair as she pulls her phone out. She types away as I stay silent. "What are you doing here?" Case asks irritatedly.

"Oh, Cason, I've missed you so much, but sadly I'm not here for you." She licks her lips as she turns her attention back to me, "I've been thinking about how sorry I am for what I did to you."

"I know I met you a little late but isn't this that psycho bitch?" Jayce asks, watching her reapply her red lipstick. "I want you to be mine again. I've changed my ways." She rubs her lips together.

I scan her skin, stopping when I see an Ace card tattoo on her arm. An ace card is the symbol of the gang. Everyone that's in the gang gets the tattoo once they turn eighteen. If I were still in the gang, I would have to get one in a month.

"Are you prostituting for the gang now?" I can't help but smirk as I ask, knowing the question will offend her.

"I have been watching you for a while, Kaiden. Who is that little blonde bitch? Your girlfriend?"

My heart speeds up as she brings Tivelly into the conversation. I glare at Avelinas face. Her face turns into an uneven smirk, her eyes dark, filled with rage and jealousy.

"You will not bring her into any of your sick plans." I step forward, looking down at her as I grab her hair, forcing her to angle her head uncomfortable to look up at me. "You need to settle down, Kaiden." Her voice strains as she speaks, looking deep into my eyes.

"I'm not in the fucking gang anymore. You cant get them to do anything to me without repercussions." I grit my teeth as I let go of her, shoving her to the ground. She falls flat on her butt and skids, stopping herself with her hands.

She brings her grazed palm to her face with wide eyes before bringing herself back to her feet. "If anything happens to you, it's not from the gang. It's from me. I don't need anyone else to back me up, dammit. Why can't you see how strong I am?" Tears glisten in her eyes as she yells at me.

I see how dangerous she is, how cunning and manipulative she is. Even after several years, she hasn't changed.

"Let's go, Ave." I hear an unfamiliar voice call Avelinas name. She turns around, not daring to look back at me as she walks towards the person in the black car who called her.

Let's hope she won't seep back into my life.

"It seems like another problem has found its way into the equation."