The Leader's Girl

5. Set Her Free

A warm gust of air danced across my exposed arms and legs as I pushed open the front door. Summer was in full swing, and I couldn't help but let out a contented sigh. My eyes immediately landed on Jacob, with his tousled black hair and focused gaze as he tinkered under the hood of his beloved black Porsche in the driveway. I sauntered over to him, leaning against the sleek car beside him.

"Hey," I breathed, savoring the feeling of the sun on my skin.

He looked up at me with a furrow between his brows and a soft smile playing on his lips. "I didn't think you wanted to talk to me," he said, his voice laced with surprise and hope.

Casually, I shifted my shoulders and turned to look at the vast rolling fields in the distance. "Don't worry about it," I said, my voice trying to sound nonchalant. "It's not your fault, and honestly, if I still had feelings for Zach, my opinion would probably be different. But that ship has sailed."

His blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he looked down at me. "I'm glad to hear that, munchkin," he said with an even wider smile.

I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling heat rising to my cheeks. "Don't ever call me that again," I said through slightly gritted teeth.

He smirked and ducked his head back under the open hood of his car, pretending to be busy with something.

From the garage adjacent to the house, Niall emerged, wiping his greasy hands on a rag. "It does suit you though. Short and feisty," he chuckled.

I shot him a glare and crossed my arms over my chest. "No, it doesn't," I insisted firmly.

Jacob joined in, leaning against a nearby tool cabinet. "Isn't that from that kids' movie about the tiny people?" he asked, directing his question towards Jacob but his eyes were on me, waiting for my reaction.

My irritation was becoming harder to hide as they continued to tease me. "I'm warning you," I growled, hoping they would drop it before I lost my temper.

With a playful smirk, he sauntered over to my side of the car and reached out to pinch my cheeks. But before he could make contact, I quickly grabbed his wrists and twisted them away from me with a move I learned from Mason. He winced in pain and pulled his hands back, shooting me a menacing glare. "This one's got some fight in her," Ricky chimed in, emerging from the garage with a proud smile on his face. He knew his pep talk had paid off. "But next time, follow up with a kick to the groin."

"Don't give her any ideas" Niall muttered as he leaned down to search through the box of tools beside the car.

Jacob tilted his head back and let out a string of loud, wheezing laughs from under the car he was working on. "Aw, did she bruise your fragile ego, little man?" Niall emerged from the garage bathroom, wiping grease off his hands with a rag. He shot back with a snarky grin, "Shut it." It was amusing because Niall was the shortest guy in the group.

I turned to face Mason, who had just walked into the garage looking slightly disheveled. His hair was tousled and there were dark circles under his eyes. I couldn't help but think that our heartless mother must have said something else to upset him after I left the conversation in the kitchen.

I cleared my throat, desperately trying to break through the thick tension still hanging between us. "so," I said with a forced smile, "what's our plan for later?" My voice cracked a little, betraying my attempt at nonchalance.

Mason's response came as he leaned against the doorway. "Our? Since when were you part of this?"

I shifted my weight from foot to foot, feeling the tension between Mason and I like a thick fog. We both knew there was something unsaid hanging in the air. I glanced at Ricky, who seemed to be avoiding looking directly at Mason. Finally, Mason spoke up. "I didn't realize you were coming," he stated with a subtle edge to his voice.