The Player Broke My Leg

Chapter 24

As we drove around, Jasper kept sneaking glances of me in the rear view mirror. At this point, I didn't even care that he was staring at me. I just wanted to get as far away as I could, and I didn't care how it happened.

Evan was silent as he sat besides me. He just sat there holding me, and he made me feel safe. After everything that had happened between us, it felt as if they had washed away. However, I couldn't get one thought out of my head.

Why were Evan and Jasper together?

They clearly aren't friends, and after what happened the other day, it is weird to see them in the same space. What happened between them? They came out of Jasper's car and I know for a fact that Evan worked today. Did Jasper pick him up? But why?

As Jasper drove, I sat there planning on what I would do next. I wasn't going back to that house, and I sure as hell wasn't going to show up on my fathers doorstep. There was only one option, and I knew it would work.

After driving around for twenty minutes or so, Jasper pulled off into an empty parking lot behind the high school. Jasper was silent as he pulled into a spot near the back. After a few seconds, he turned the car off and tossed the keys into the cup holder. Jasper gripped the steering wheel tightly, and I saw his knuckles turn white.

"What happened back there?" Jasper asked me softly as he kept his eyes forward.

I felt my throat instantly go dry, and it felt as if someone had a tight grip on it. Memories of what happened flooded back, and my cheek started to sting once again. I didn't expect Jasper to ask me that question. He never really cared about me.

Right?

"Hattie?" Evan asked, suddenly bringing me back to reality. I glanced up to see him looking at me with warm eyes. "It's okay, you can tell us. Your're safe."

I nodded slightly as I tried to form the words together. "I don't even know what happened."

"Well, who was that man my mom told be about?" Jasper asked as he turned around to look at me.

"Apparently," I started to say as I looked down at my hands. "My new father."

Both Evan and Jasper looked up at each other with weird looks before they both turned to me. "What?" they both asked at the same time.

I pushed myself off of Evan and sat up straight in my seat. "I didn't bother to stick around and chat."

"Shit," Jasper grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Where were you going?" Evan asked as he motioned to the bag that I had tossed in the front seat when I was trying to leave.

"Away from here," I say as I look up at both of them. "I should get going. I have a long drive. Jasper, switch seats with me and I'll drop you guys off somewhere."

Confusion swept over Jasper face as he looked at me. "Um, no."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Why not?"

"Multiple reasons," he says as he stared at me, clearly not amused. "Where are you going?"

"Waukon, not that it's any of your business," I say.

"But that's like five hours away," Evan questioned me in disbelief.

"Yeah?" At this point, I was starting to get a little annoyed at the both of them.

"What's in Waukon?" Jasper asked me softly. I look up at him, and I notice that he is different somehow. The hatred I usually saw on his face when he saw me was on longer there. His eyes were even a little more softer than I had ever seen before.