Path of Destruction (Broken Heartland, #2)(10)

“That wasn’t what it looked like,” slipped from his mouth before he even had time to realize how ridiculous it sounded.

Ella Jane arched a brow as if she couldn’t care less. Her eyes dropped to his cast, but he saw the ripple of pain that danced across her face before she had time to hide it.

“I’m not with her. I mean, I wasn’t with her. We’re not together.” He took a step towards her, but Cooper lifted a hand.

“Back up, Pretty Boy.”

“Ella Jane, I—”

“I said back the hell up. Now.” Cooper squared his shoulders and practically bared his teeth so Hayden halted.

Was she with Cooper now? Was that why she hadn’t returned his calls? Even if she was, he didn’t think she’d ever be the type of girl to let her boyfriend speak for her or act like a dominant guard dog that decided who she was allowed to speak to.

Drew Pennington, a buddy of his from the lacrosse team, came to stand beside Hayden, but he didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention so he backed up as Cooper had requested. Or demanded, really.

“Everything cool, Prescott?”

Hayden nodded at his teammate. “Yeah, man. Thanks.”

He watched as Cooper said something too low for him to hear into Ella Jane’s ear and she nodded and walked away from them.

What in the hell is going on here?

He wondered if somehow Joe Dirt had brainwashed her, turning the independent girl he’d met that summer into a mindless zombie.

“Since when do you decide who she can and cannot speak to?”

“Listen to me, Pretty Boy. I’m going to talk real slow so that you can keep up.” Cooper stepped toward him, causing Drew to square his shoulders beside him. “First of all, keeping the PDA to a minimum with the girlfriend would be much appreciated. Ellie’s been through enough without being reminded of the huge-ass mistake she made this summer. And secondly, I respected your granddad enough not to put my fist through your face right now, but consider this a one-time-only pass.”

Hayden smirked. “Gee, thanks. Must be my lucky day.”

Cooper’s face remained serious. “Must be. Because the next time you decide to go at it with your girl in front of Kyle Mason’s memorial display while Ella Jane is anywhere near the vicinity, I will make you spit teeth. And honestly, I never liked you anyway. So as much as I hate that you seem to be hell-bent on hurting her, and I would do anything to keep her from being hurt, I am sincerely looking forward to finally putting you on your ass.”

The only words that really registered in Hayden’s mind were Kyle Mason and memorial. Turning slowly, he confirmed what Cooper had just told him.

Kyle Mason was dead.

His intestines suddenly knotted a dozen different ways. Cooper might as well have punched him for how hard he was working not to double over.

The way Mrs. Mason had been swarmed at Pop’s visitation, the murmurs he’d overheard at his granddad’s funeral—it all made so much more sense now.

Such a shame.

Was headed to OSU on a football scholarship.

His poor mama. Losing her husband and now this.

He’d been too busy looking after his grandmother to pay much attention to discussions about others who’d lost their lives in the storm, but he’d caught a few odd comments here and there.

As Cooper glared at him, Hayden felt sick. They’d all been talking about Kyle Mason and he hadn’t been mentally present enough to figure it out. Her brother, Cooper’s best friend, and the dude who’d punched him while defending his sister’s honor—the reason his jaw still clicked—was gone.

She’d lost her brother and she hadn’t wanted him, hadn’t called to talk or come to him for comfort. When Hayden had woken up in the hospital and learned that his injuries were minor but his grandfather was dead, she was the only person he’d wanted to see or talk to. Apparently, the feeling wasn’t mutual.

He eyed Cooper carefully, realizing that he’d lost. Maybe he’d never even had a chance. Maybe he’d just been the rebound guy and now that Cooper was stepping up, she was his as she’d been all along.

“I didn’t know,” was the only thought he could voice at that particular moment.

Cooper looked unfazed by his admission. “She hasn’t said a word since they told her. Not one word. Not even at his funeral. And just now, seeing you swapping gum with Prom Queen, she flinched. So guess what? You managed to hurt a girl who’s been stone solid for weeks. Congratulations, *. But that’s not the best part. The best part is, I asked her if she wanted me to handle it or if she wanted me to back off so she could talk to you. Pretty sure she just made her answer crystal clear. So if you go near her again, I promise I’ll make you wish you hadn’t. Whatever little thing you had going this summer is over. Got it?”

Hayden spoke through clenched teeth. “How about we let her decide that, Joe?”

“Did you blink?” Cooper’s upper lip curled slightly. “She just did.”





Ella Jane took a seat in the back of first period pre-calculus. Drained from seeing the living, breathing reminder of how very responsible she was for her brother’s death, she placed her head on her folded arms atop her desk while the other students gossiped about summer vacation and hook-ups.

“Forget Hayden. Do you hear me, EJ? Forget him. Get home right now.”