I Wish You Never Met Me

24

CHAPTER 24

He had the audacity to walk in here.

A mop of dirty, blonde hair peered out through the door frame. The short strides made no effort to get to me. Sami and Monica stood in front of me, not moving an inch. The poise that his steps had as they carried him toward me. I almost threw up. The memories resurfaced and shattered whatever piece of my heart I had left. The tears that fell earlier dried up and got replaced by the blue fire that finally ignited.

"C-can we talk?" it was timid, purely nervous but smoldering, and rich. The sound that played between his lips as the words rolled off his tongue. He took a step closer, making Sami and Monica inch closer.

"You're not talking to anyone in here, boy," Jaxson stepped between the girls closing the gap. "Why don't you head back out and go to LA, where you belong, hmm?"

"And who are you to tell me what to do? My mom? Buzz off. This is a conversation that involves Meghan and me only." Kayden pushed Jaxson aside and sat on the chair next to me. "Meghan, please."

"Get out." I don't care how I may have sounded. He deserved every bit of it.

"Meghan..."

"She said leave, dumbo." The next voice that smoldered the room with a thick, white husky fog, asserting its presence.

"No. Not until you and I sort things out." Kayden completely ignored him. It was no stranger to me. Kayden was stubborn. He was always when it came to the things he wanted and just had to leave. And I've come to realize that I was one of those things. A phase in his life that he quickly grew out of.

"Leave!" I shouted louder. The tears were coming back. I could feel them.

"Meghan, please. I'm sorry I shouldn't have-"

Not a minute later, Jaxson's hand gripped Kayden's shirt almost tearing it apart. He pulled him toward the doorway, tossing him out of the room. "When my cousin says to leave, you leave. Now. The next time I ever catch you near her. I'll make sure you never see another sunrise ever again. Is that understood, Colman?"

His eyes met pleading, asking for me to support him, defend him. That also meant he wasn't going to stop. Like I said, he was stubborn. Painfully, stubborn.

***

I was out of the hospital by the next week. Everything has been a complete whirlwind. I was still the most talked about person in the media. This was different. Since winning the last trial, and after what happened, the conversation has been confusing. From me to the questions being raised about the Runnels family. My guess is that the article that went out from the San Diego Times mentioned how the school's been laundering ground the Runnels family. With this out there now, the public seemed to start waking up. With this trial, I hope we kill two birds with one stone and reveal more of the webs that the Runnels have created.

School was the same. Lucas kept his distance which I was happy about. That was one part of my life I didn't want to get into. I swore to my heart I would protect it. I swore that it'll never break again. I'm choosing myself for once. For the first time in my life, I will choose myself. And here we were back at the San Diego courthouse. The place was swamped with paparazzi pushing to get an answer from me about everything. Honestly, I felt like a celebrity since Jaxson was with me. He and Mr. Smith had security all around us as we went inside.

Lucas, Monica, and Sami were in the audience. Kayden too. Along with a multitude of strangers that have been following up with the story since the beginning. I won't even call it mine anymore. At this rate, everyone seems to be entitled to everything that goes on in my life these days. Hell, some in my Instagram comments asking me to make a YouTube channel and Tik-Tok to make videos all about it. I mean this is my life. I'm not going to make profit out of it.