When Our Worlds Collide (Our Worlds #1)(80)
I stand there silently scanning my eyes over the small crowd that overheard Amanda’s open ended threat. Violet looks as if she’s going to scratch Amanda’s eyes out. Her protectiveness is appreciated. Dan yanks on Violet’s arm to force her to sit back down. Others snicker under their breath. This is something that I will have to deal with on my own. I just don’t know how. Graham kisses me directly on my lips quick turning his attention on his friends. His hands slam down onto the table. The sound echoes throughout the cafeteria startling everyone.
“You see that girl over there,” Graham points back towards me. “She’s not going anywhere, so I suggest that you all get used to seeing her around.”
Glancing over towards Graham I see him standing defensively declaring our truth. These are the people who look at him with admiration and awe. He’s telling the people who’ve been in his life for much longer than I have that he’s putting it all on the line for me. Watching him leaves me with a sense of fear. I could love Graham until the day I die. I’m sure in my heart there will always be a place taken up by him. In the back of my mind there’s this fear that he might not love me for as long.
That’s what everyone fears, right?
…Not being loved enough to be held onto…
Chapter ThirtyEight
-Graham-
My blood is boiling.
Oh, I’m fucking irate.
These people are supposed to be my fucking friends. Some of them since elementary school, so why is it that I feel like an outsider now that Kennedy is on my side? I kiss Kennedy quickly. As soon as our lips touch I feel the familiar heat that runs down every limb leaving me wanting more. There’s something I need to do and it needs to be done quick. Like ripping off a band aide or setting a bone.
I drop the food on the table slamming my hands down startling the ones closest to me. I look up and down the table trying to decide what I need to say. They all wait with eagerness in their eyes.
“You see that girl over there,” I turn to face Kennedy who’s standing a few steps away looking as if she could build up the courage she would run away. I smile at her to try to encourage her strength. I know she has it deep down in that tiny body of hers somewhere hiding just dying to break out. “That girl isn’t going anywhere, so I suggest that you all get used to seeing her around.”
“Graham!” Amanda tries to protest. “What exactly are you saying?” She sends a glare straight to Kennedy then turns on me. Her voice is full of venom just waiting to bite down into Kennedy.
“What I’m saying is that Kennedy is going to be around as long as she is willing to put up with my bullshit, so I suggest everyone treats her with respect and nothing else. If you can’t do that then we’re going to have a problem,” I threaten everyone who I have ever considered a friend taking extra time to glare down at Craig and Amanda.
I turned to see Kennedy’s stunned expression. She shrugs her shoulder in acceptance to my admission. I reach out grabbing her hand and turn to face the group again. “You all probably know who she is, but if you don’t this is Kennedy Conrad, my girlfriend.”
Amanda’s jaw drops to the floor along with a several others. The expression on Kennedy’s best friend, Violet’s face is the most comforting. A smile covers her porcelain face and for a split second I think she’s going to break out into a slow clap. Luckily, she doesn’t. Instead she stands to sit on Dan’s lap. Everyone moves down to make room for the two of us together.
“I don’t know if she’ll put up with your shit for too long, but there’s always a seat open for her,” Violet laughs at her own joke winking at the two of us. I put my arm around Kennedy’s waist dragging her ass to where her best friend is sitting. Kennedy settles in next to me and I continue to hold her hand under the table running circles around her thumb.
Everyone stays quiet. There are a few whispers here and there, but they’re all wrapped up in their own conversations to pay much attention to us anymore, at least most of them. I look down the table to see Amanda’s seductive eyes cast over me almost threatening. Craig’s anger is piercingly eerie as he glares down to our end of the table. I throw up my middle finger at him pleased to see the punch that I landed this morning is going to serve as a reminder to him until it heals.
“That was quite the show, dude,” Dan raises an eyebrow at me then looks over at Kennedy who’s concentrating way too hard on the table in front of her. She’s out of place with no help from Amanda. I refuse to let her continue to feel like that for too long. I meant what I said by wherever I’m at she will be.
“It was incredibly romantic,” Violet kicks Kennedy under the table to grab her attention. “Snap out of it. This boy just declared that you are his girlfriend to anyone who was listening and he doesn’t do girlfriends.” Violet points at me smirking.
“Thanks for that Violet,” I stifle my own laughter.
“She has a point, Bro. You’re more of the in and out, snag em’ and bag em’ type of guy. Something tells me that either she has a rocking ass body under those clothes or she managed to get under your skin and doesn’t care about how big of an ass you are,” Dan says wiggling his eyebrows at the two of us. Violet slaps him across the back of the head. If she wasn’t going to do it then I sure as hell was.