Leap of Faith

Day Twenty-One

*~*~* Cate *~*~*

“I never had you down as a slut, Cate,” a sinister voice said from behind me as I stuffed my binders in the locker. I didn’t need to turn around to know who was speaking because I knew the voice all too well. “Hanging out with TJ Rushing, messaging Christos Theoris and then having clandestine meeting with Liam Lexton… You really are earning yourself a reputation.”

I ignore Adam Dayton and continue to find something in my locker that is ten times more interesting than the vitriol that’s coming out of his mouth. I start to rearrange the contents of my locker and wish that he would just disappear.

Since he cheated and then broke up with me, I hadn’t wanted to speak to him. I didn’t really want to see him either but seeing as we live in the same town and go to the same school, it was inevitable that I’d bump in to him. That didn’t mean I had to engage in conversation. I’d rather bite my tongue off and swallow it than speak to him.

“Cat got your tongue?” Adam smirks as he leans against the locker next to mine so I can see him in my peripheral vision. “Oh, come on, babe. There’s no need to act like a bitch.”

“What the fuck did you just say to her?” Another equally familiar voice growled. When Adam doesn’t answer, TJ steps closer to tower over him and pins him against the locker. The noise reverberates around the hallway and soon enough the majority of the senior class is watching the commotion. “I asked you a question. What. The fuck. Did you. Say. To her?”

Feeling bold, Adam smiled. “I asked the bitch liked fucking three different guys because she’s a slut.”

Ladies and gentlemen, meet my ex-boyfriend. Yeah, I don’t know why I ever dated him either.

In one quick motion, TJ brought back his arm, curled his hand into a fist and brought it down with a crunch on Adam’s nose. And it didn’t stop at one punch either. TJ kept raining down punches on Adam’s face and upper body until finally someone stepped in and pulled him off Adam. There was a murderous glare in TJ’s eyes that sent a shiver down my spine. I’d never seen someone so angry before in my life and it scared me a little to see TJ act like this.

“Cate?” TJ’s voice yelled at me. I broke out of my trance and looked up to see him offering his hand to me. “Let’s go. Now.”

I step forward, momentarily looking down at Adam, and then hurried down the hallway with TJ bringing up the rear. The students parted as I rushed away from the scene, but their whispers echoed around the small space and I heard each and every one.

A lot were wondering if what Adam had said was true. Others were muttering that I didn’t have enough game to warrant the attention of three guys. One or two muttered their appreciation for me and asked how I had managed to bag TJ.

Once I was out of the main building and finally able to breathe, I start to make my way to the art building only to feel a hand wind its way around my good wrist and pull me in the opposite direction. It wasn’t until I was stood in front of TJ’s car that I realized we were in the parking lot and TJ was beeping his car open. I watched as he climbed inside and frowned when he motioned for me to get in.