When Our Worlds Collide (Our Worlds #1)(79)

“What did I do?” Graham’s voice sings in my ear.

Violet watches him as he stands behind me with his chin resting on the top of my head. I can tell she’s retelling herself the story in her head by the way her eyes go hard. She’s ready to kill someone and Craig’s on her radar. That’s why she’s my best friend. She has a big heart, and a big mouth to back her up to whoever displeases her.

“Thank you,” she whispers rubbing the corner of her eyes as she looks to Graham.

“What’s she thanking me for?” Graham’s eyes bounce between Violet and I skeptically.

“For beating the shit out of that fucking ass hat,” Violet smiles at the two of us standing together.

“You told her what happened?” Graham whispers into my neck.

“Of course she told me. I’m her best friend and she’s lucky that I love her enough to respect her wishes of not saying anything. There’s nothing I’d rather do more than stomp his face into the floor of the cafeteria right now.”

“I’d love to see that,” Graham grins down at me. He plants a kiss on my cheek just as Violet makes a gagging noise in mock of us.

“Okay lovebirds, come on. Amanda’s going to have a field day with this and I want front row seats to her losing her shit.” Violet saunters in front of us until we hit to the lunchroom. She halts in her tracks at the entrance. Graham and I are too busy teasing each other that we nearly collide into her as she stands peering blankly into the crowd that’s keeping their eyes on Graham and me.

Graham ducks around both of our bodies walking into the large room as if everyone doesn’t have their eyes trained on me and him. They aren’t being sneaky. They are the on purpose type of stares. The kind that makes you feel like everything is going in slow motion. Violet luckily is just a casualty of our presence. She continues to stand by my side anyways. The girl has never cared that I didn’t fit the mold of her “clique”. She constantly makes fun of me for how unsocial I am, how I spend way too much time reading, and how oblivious I am to my own “sex appeal”, but she always has my back no matter what.

I ignore the urge to run into his arms as he turns around to face me. He has a look in his eyes that says he’s capable of conquering the world. That’s what makes him so damn charming.

I don’t think anyone has seen Graham like I have. Most girls spend every waking hour in attempt to be a notch on his bed post where I will spend the rest of my life admiring the guy that he is. He’s strong, stronger than anyone knows. He lets me in when he won’t let anyone else.

“You coming or what?” Graham’s grin is hypnotizing.

I stand with my feet cemented to the same spot day dreaming. I barely hear the whispers around me. Violet jabs me in my ribcage.

“Go give them hell, best friend,” she nods towards Graham who has his hand extended out to me.

Every person in the room takes a deep breath holding it in waiting to see what I’m going to do. To see what my response would be to Graham’s public declaration of our relationship. I can’t move just yet. I feel the sides of my mouth turn up in a small grin. He winks in encouragement. That’s all it takes to make the gap between the two of us nonexistent. I reach Graham’s side and he tangles our hands together. In reassurance he gives my hand a light squeeze before releasing the hold and pressing his hand to the small of my back. There’s a release of breath from every one of our classmates as we come together. Graham doesn’t seem to notice or perhaps he’s keeping on a game face for me. Either way it doesn’t matter.

Graham grabs different things from the lunch line refusing to release his hand from my back making it seem nearly impossible to carry water, two chicken sandwiches, and an order of fries but somehow he manages. I offer to help carry something, but he ignores me only to flash his go-to grin. He has to know how that affects me by how often he flashes it in my direction. No wonder girls are throwing themselves at him all the time. I now see how they get caught in his trap. He’s mesmerizing. It’s sort of annoying how he can jumble up your head to the point where you can barely see straight.

Graham scans the lunch room that’s now filled. Everyone’s still focused on us as he escorts me to his usual table that’s filled with most of the baseball team, a few girls, and luckily Violet who’s giving me a sympathetic smile. Craig looks up at us with a sneer on his lips. I notice that there’s only one seat open beside Dan. It feels like they are trying to prove a point to Graham. I don’t belong here no matter whose hand I’m holding. They all tolerated my presence when I was accompanied by Craig. They weren’t going to be as forgiving with Graham.

“Graham…” I whisper up at him just loud enough for him to hear but for everyone to be oblivious. “You should sit with your friends. I can go sit at another table.” Graham looks down at me as if I just told him I’m planning on drowning a litter of kittens. “What? Don’t act surprised that this is happening.”

I can feel her before I see her coming up behind me. It’s in the way she walks with a purpose and I assume her purpose today is to make a fool out of me. All eyes are trained behind me as I stand there helpless.

“Looks like there’s nowhere for you to sit, Kennedy. Serves you right for thinking you fit in with people like Graham,” Amanda says as if she believes every word. Her voice is full of venom. She glided by me sitting down on Craig’s lap. She gives me the dirtiest of looks. I’m not use to having that type of animosity thrown at me. I avoid looking back at her.