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“She’s dead because you filled her head with bullshit.” His voice rose, drawing the attention of those standing nearby. “If you had just minded your own business instead of trying to stir up drama, she’d be alive right now.”
Blood drained from my face as I stared into his. Was he crazy? My stomach rolled as I noticed that more people were staring—fellow students. “I wasn’t stirring up drama and you know that.”
Erik shook his head. “It’s your fault.”
“Hey man,” one of his friends said, stepping forward. “I think we need to get you home.”
“I think she needs to leave,” he sneered. “She of all people shouldn’t—”
Erik was spun away from me in the same manner he’d turned me around. I had no idea where Jase came from, but he was suddenly standing there, his hand clamped down on Erik’s shoulders, his face inches from his.
“I know you got a lot on your mind,” Jase said, voice low and dangerously calm. “But I suggest you walk away from her right now before you say anything you’re going to regret.”
He opened his mouth, but Jase shook his head. “Walk away, brother.”
For a second I didn’t think Erik was going to, but he nodded curtly. Shaking off Jase’s hand, he spun away without looking back at me, pushing through the crowd of his frat brothers. None of them went after him that I could see. If anything, they looked disgusted with his behavior.
Jase cupped my elbow as he lowered his head toward mine. “Where are your crutches?” he demanded.
I shot him a pissy look, which he ignored. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I tossed them in the garbage.”
He stared at me. “You threw them in the garbage?”
“Yeah, I did.” A little slow on the uptake, anger from what Erik had said to me flooded my system. Unfortunately for Jase, he was the one there. “And I don’t need you getting involved there. I had it under control.”
“Totally looked that way.” He started walking, and with his hand firmly around my arm, it left me little choice but to walk with him. “I’m taking you home.”
“Calla is going to take me home.”
“Text her and tell her you have a ride.” When I didn’t respond, he shot me a look. His eyes were a deep, thunderous shade of gray. “Please don’t argue with me, Tess. I just want to get you home. Okay? I just want to make sure you’re not standing around alone waiting for Calla to come get you.”
Part of me wanted to dig my heels in, but I was being stupid. The last thing I wanted to do was stand out in the cold waiting for her while Erik was slinking around, ready to point a finger at me for something I had absolutely nothing to do with.
“Okay,” I said finally, pulling out my cell. “You don’t need to hold my arm, though.”
His eyes flared in color. “What if I want to?”
I stopped, forcing him to come to a standstill. Our gazes locked. “You don’t have the right to touch me, Jase.”
He dropped his hand immediately. “Sorry.”
As we started to his Jeep, I sent Calla a quick text letting her know I had a ride. When we got inside his car, he asked again about the crutches.
“What?” I yanked the seat belt with all my power and clicked myself in. “I don’t need them forever.”
“The doctor said—”
“I needed them for a few days or a week, depending on if I was relying on them.” I hated remembering that he’d been there that day—had been there for me only to crush my heart a few days later, no matter how tragic the why behind his reasoning was. “I don’t need them.”
“You limped the whole way to the gravesite and to the car.”
“You were watching me?”
“Yeah, I was.” His gaze flicked over my face and then settled straight ahead. “I kept an eye on you almost the whole time. You didn’t seem to notice.”
I didn’t know what to think about that. “I didn’t see you.”
“I was standing in the back, by the door. I bowed out before people started walking out,” he explained. “Anyway, did Erik hurt you? He turned you around pretty quickly.”
