The Price of Perfection (editing)

Chapter 6

I know, I know. I'm a terrible person for not updating for so long. But you know, real life got in the way. It happens. I'm gonna make sure the next chapter is up in only a couple of days. I've already written most of it.

Jade

I turned around slowly, recognising the voice but desperately wishing it wasn't him. I flinched as my eyes caught his cold grey ones. Whatever happiness I had felt, was gone. Simply looking into his eyes did that. He walked towards me until he was finally towering over me, trapping me in his gaze. To anyone else, it would have looked harmless. Just silhouettes of a couple watching a romantic sunset.

But I knew this wasn't harmless. This was the guy that had broken my heart, twice. Even looking at him disgusted me. "What are you doing here?" my voice sounded weak. He kept looking at me and  I saw something flicker in his eyes, an expression I wasn't used to seeing on him.

"I could ask you the same thing" he calmly responded. Taking a closer look at him, I saw that his nose was bleeding and his cheek was red, as if he had viciously tried to rub something off it. I frowned and didn't reply. Clearing my throat, I broke his gaze and took a few cautious steps back. He followed me so we were basically in the same position again.

"L-Look, I have to um, g-go now" I used to be a terrible stutterer, but I had lost the habit over the years. Sometimes, though, when I was nervous the habit came back. As I turned to walk away, I fell forward and a hand gripped my arm, steadying me. I hadn't realised that I'd walked into a pool of wet sand and my shoes  were stuck. I was struggling to get myself out of the sand when two hands gripped my waist and lifted me out. Connor.

I avoided looking into his eyes, afraid that the look I had seen earlier would be back; afraid that this time, I wouldn't be able to handle falling for him; that this time, I wouldn't be able to handle getting hurt.

When I pulled on his arms to take them off me, they wouldn't move. I had a sudden flashback of when this had happened before and immediately started to panic. "Get the hell off me Connor" I shouted but to no effect.

I continued struggling, getting more uncomfortable by the second, he had a smug look on his face and I had a terrible urge to slap it off, but I couldn't. I wasn't brave enough. I never will be.

Just as I was about to scream, someone beat me to it. "Hey, get the hell off of her!" I turned to see Eric standing there with a dangerous expression on his face. Before I would have said that a guy so harmless couldn't have scared anyone, but right now, he looked murderous.

As I took a closer look, I realised that he looked like he had fought a short war, on his own, with no armour. Yup! He looked that bad. He had blood trickling out of his mouth and several bruises on his arms. The way he moved suggested that his leg was hurt and his ribs seemed like they were broken. There was a cut stretching from the corner of his mouth to his cheekbone, making it look like he was sadistically smiling. Overall, he didn't look good.

I stared at him, Connor's arms still refusing to let go. In fact they tightened as an angry expression took over his features. "I'm not done with you yet. Get the hell outta here or I might decide to beat the rest of you up now.". Except he didn't say hell, but you get the point. I stared wide eyed at Connor. I knew he wasn't the nicest person, but I didn't know he was violent enough to beat anyone up as bad as he did to Eric. And to think of all the time I spent alone with this guy. Anything could have happened!

His eyes softened when he looked at me and again, I spotted that look from earlier. The one that scared the crap out of me. Then his expression hardened again and he gripped my arm roughly. I winced but refused to cry out. Eric took another step towards us, not faltering in the slightest. Soon he was face to face with Connor. Finally finding a chance for escape, I took a few steps back and surveyed the scene playing out in front of me.

Connor looked like the typical bad boy. Slightly long curly dark hair, piercing dark grey eyes, broad shoulders and a good six feet tall. He looked like he packed some muscle and right now, his hands were bunched up into fists as he glared at Eric.

Eric was almost the complete opposite. Despite Connor having a whole year on him, he was about the same size as him. But because of his dishevelled and scrawny appearance, he didn't look it. He was he sort of boy parents would love their daughters to date. Kind, trusting brown eyes. Blondish-brown hair that stuck up wildly in every direction, as if crafted like that purposely. He was the type of guy that got good grades, a perfect life and had a secret video game collection. He wasn't weak, but it didn't take long to see who would win this fight.

For some reason, I wanted Connor to know I wasn't the same girl he seduced...twice. I was actually capable of thinking straight now and I promised myself that next time I spoke to him, I wouldn't such a stuttering mess.

After telling Connor to go away and Eric to stop thinking he needed to protect me, I turned around and after a taking a few steps towards the ocean, I sat down with my legs crossed. I heard some footsteps and thought that Eric would have left. After all, this was the second time  I had snapped at him for helping me, everyone had limitations to their kindness.

I held my head in my hands and let my elbows rest on my thighs. I wouldn't cry. After all there was no reason, right. Just another messed up day in my messed up life. There was a long pause and I felt someone sit next to me. Thinking it was Connor, I set my mouth in a scowl and snapped, "What the hell do you want" .But I used something a little more colourful than 'hell'.

"Are you sure you're alright" To my surprise it was Eric that had stayed. I looked up into his familiar wam brown eyes. Eyes that made me want to melt. "Wait a second, weren't your eyes a different colour before?".

I looked at him confused before I realised that I was wearing my contacts again.  " Yeah" I replied lamely. He frowned as he watched me and no longer able to bear his gaze, I turned my head around.

"You know, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm a good listener. You don't need someone like him"

"What? You mean Connor? Hah! I wasn't exactly asking for him to be here you know. Wasn't what you saw enough to guess that?"

"Well, I kind of um...I thought you two were a couple or something. I'm glad you're not, he doesn't seem like your type of guy." He looked kind of relieved when I told him I wasn't dating Connor, what the hell does that mean?

"Okay, then. So how 'bout you tell me why you look like a car ran over you"

"Ever heard about reading between the lines? I don't even think that's necessary to figure out who did it" he said plainly. Looking at me like I was dumb. Well, the question was kind of because Connor had just said a few seconds ago that he'd beaten up Eric but, you know. What happens to the whole nice guy thing?

I was glad he didn't ask me why I was here, because I couldn't explain. I was afraid that if he asked, I might just blurt out everything. That would be more than enough to make him run away. For some reason, I din't really want that. I looked at him while he in turn looked at me. I desperately wanted to run my fingers through his soft golden hair.

I lied back on the grass, not caring how much of a mess my clothes were going to be and simply enjoyed the last rays of the sun shining on me. The whole sky was slowly turning dark blue and I just watched it. I felt weird how I was looking at the whole world moving on, and for the first time, instead of going on a mad run to catch up to everyone, I was just letting it run ahead. I was going to follow in my own pace.