Free Me From the Wolves

[27] Jurisdiction

Like any other time Ryder was dealing with something or I assumed he was mad at me, I didn't expect his "I'll see you later" to amount to a visit from him that night. Even more so, he didn't even make an appearance to drop of the key or will so I guess something was really serious and I wasn't dumb enough to believe that any of it was my fault.

Monday morning was a representation of just how poorly I felt. Since I couldn't sleep all night, my luck graced me with the ability to finally rest so late in the morning that I slept through my alarm and hurried to get ready in order to be on time to school. And better yet, not only did Andrew's car block mine in the driveway, but he wasn't even home to move it and neither were his keys. So I had to run halfway to school—making me thankful for not only my track skills, but also my werewolf genes—and when I got there, I was immediately informed on the state Ryder was in.

After I crossed the parking lot, there was a slightly obvious group of various spectators watching the Ryder versus Stella showcase in the middle of the courtyard before the school building. Ryder was walking behind Stella while she stomped away angrily as if they had already hashed out the majority of a fight and she was over it.

"Stella, hear me out—" Ryder pleaded before Stella abruptly stopped and she spun in her boots to face him.

"I have heard you out, Ryder," she hissed as I walked up and stood clearly in the sidewalk unlike many people who looked from their seats on the hoods of parked cars or benches or as they stood in their small cliques. A few people glanced over at me, but I focused on Ryder and Stella who were maybe twenty yards away. "Since we were little I have always given you the benefit of the doubt even though I knew you made mistakes. But I did that because we were friends and I trusted you. And—"

"You can still trust me."

"No, I can't!" she yelled at him and then I saw a flicker of pure anger searing from her golden hair. She held up a tensed hand as if she'd smack him, but it transformed into a fist before returning it to her side without any form of physical assault. "Nothing you say right now will justify anything. You're selfish and manipulative and I'm not going to continue to let you just get away with whatever you want to save your own sorry ass."

"Stella, come on," Ryder scoffed and reached out to her. She flinched away from him and in the same instant that I clued in that all Stella must have phased on Saturday and remembered everything Stormy suppressed, Trevor was appearing between the two best friends.

"Don't touch her," Trevor said softly but sternly to Ryder. Ryder only glared back at him because Trevor was yet another problem to deal with. But even though Stella knew about werewolves, she didn't know about vampires. And Trevor was going to milk it for all it was worth to come out the better man for that simple fact. He looked over his shoulder at Stella and asked if she was okay before he put a hand lightly on her back and ushered away from Ryder, who only rolled his eyes at the new couple. But it didn't make sense to me because if Stella phased, Trevor shouldn't even be in the picture.

I watched Trevor and Stella walk away together towards the side of the main entrance while knowing subconsciously that Ryder was stalking over in my direction. Even though anyone could see Stella's anger, I was able to see her true sadness. And more shocking, as Trevor faced her and held onto the tops of her arms, I was seeing that he was at least comforting her and she was comfortable with him. Trevor's intentions to date Stella seemed petty at first, but maybe he was serious...Either way, his feelings wouldn't matter if Stella phased.

When I sensed Ryder close enough for conversation, I tore my eyes away from Trevor and Stella in order to greet him, but for another disappointment to my Monday, I was unable to say a thing. It was like the slow-motion moment in a movie when characters pass each other making full eye contact and you could feel the temperature drop—despite it being late summer in Texas. Ryder looked down upon me with the coldest expression I'd ever seen him have and it broke me because I didn't recognize him at all.