Path of Destruction (Broken Heartland, #2)(61)
“Tell her. About you and Cameron.”
Cooper’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know what you’re—”
“You just decked me, Joe. At school. Risking suspension. Or worse. Over Cameron. Obviously you’re more than just social committee buddies. I’m guessing you’re the guy from last summer. Tell Ella Jane before she finds out from someone else. The two of them aren’t exactly friends.”
“No shit. But I don’t know what you’re talking about. Last summer? We didn’t even start speaking until school started.”
Hayden stopped and tilted his head. Was Cooper not the guy then? Who the hell was? “Never mind. But still. If I were you, I’d tell her. Believe me, if she feels like you kept this from her on purpose, she’ll never speak to you again. Pretty sure you’re about the only person she does actually speak to.”
In the midst of a sea of bodies in the crowded hall, Ella Jane passed by with Jarrod Kent. She didn’t look at either of them. Hayden noted that her eyes were glazed over and she didn’t really seem to be looking at anyone.
“Not the only person apparently,” Cooper muttered. “Though I see you’re still getting the cold shoulder.”
“Story of my life.”
“It pains me to say this, but give her time. She’s been through a lot.”
Hayden thought about his grandparents, about Cami lying in that hospital bed unresponsive, about his dad constantly hassling him about how to run his bookie business next year, how hard he’d tried to get through to EJ only to lose her to a douche bag like Kent even after he’d tried to defend her honor at prom.
“Haven’t we all.”
The two of them walked a few feet before Hayden stopped and risked another blow to the face.
“For the record, what happened after prom didn’t…” He paused to think so he didn’t say something offensive about Cami. “You ever wish you could go back in time? Do things differently just to see if you’d end up in the same place?”
Cooper’s forehead wrinkled. “I try not to think like that. I can’t so it’s pointless.”
“Right. I know. I just meant—”
“I get it,” Cooper said evenly, his gaze drifting to where Ella Jane was now passing Cameron at the opposite end of the hallway. “I just don’t think anything good will come from wishing.”
“Did you run into a truck face-first?” Cami pressed her fingertips to his cheekbone. He winced, and she grimaced in response. “Sorry. Looks like it hurts.”
Hayden leaned against his locker and out of her reach. “I can handle it.”
“You sure have taken a beating this year. Who’d you fight over Ella Jane Mason this time? I saw her with Jarrod in the hallway. What’s that about?”
“Not Kent. Brantley Cooper. I think you know him.”
Cami full on scowled. “God. He acts like they’re just friends, but he can’t seem to let his jealously over her go.”
Hayden gave her a sardonic smile. “Funny thing, it wasn’t over her this time. It was over you.”
Cami’s eyes rounded and her mouth fell open just slightly.
“And,” Hayden continued, “since I know I didn’t tell anyone about our after prom escapades, I have to assume that—”
Cami cut him off with a groan. “Sorry. I’m so sorry. I did tell him, but not because I thought he’d punch you in the face.”
Hayden tucked his books into his locker and slammed it. No sense in pretending he was going to be able to do homework with the way his grandma needed his constant attention.
“Yeah, well, turns out Joe has a thing for you, Cami-girl. Is the feeling mutual?”
The darkening of her cheeks was answer enough.
“It started out as just…casual…but now it’s…”
“More than that,” Hayden finished for her, touching the swollen side of his face. “I see that. The question is, can you?”
After making hot dogs for the human garbage disposals otherwise known as his brothers, Cooper made them help clean up the house a bit and put their laundry away so that his mom wouldn’t have to. She had enough to deal with.
He’d overheard bits and pieces from his parents arguing to know how dire the situation was becoming. It was bad. The farm would be auctioned off if his parents’ money-gathering tour of the countryside wasn’t successful sooner rather than later. Thankfully he’d been hired on at the docks. It was ten bucks an hour and every little bit helped. He’d start Friday night and work through Tuesday night. Monday and Tuesday would suck, going to school on no sleep and all. But there were only a few weeks left until graduation anyway. He could deal until then.
Once the rambunctious duo and his mom had turned in for the night, Cooper grabbed a quick shower and headed out to the barn. His stitches were beginning to itch like hell, but he knew from experience that just meant it was healing.
Healing. Now there was an interesting concept.
It had been nine months since his best friend died, yet some days, Cooper didn’t feel like he was healing at all. Ella Jane sure as hell wasn’t. Her pain and anger lived right on the surface, boiling just beneath her skin. Most of the time, he felt as if every little thing he did would make her angry. She was his best friend now, he supposed, and he couldn’t talk to her about the one thing that was making him the most insane at the moment.