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Chapter Twenty-Six
“What the actual fuck?!” Jax repeats, incandescent with a forced biting calmness that belies his rage. Its a terrifyingly wondrous thing to behold. I’ve never seen him like this. And while it’s not the time, it does make my thighs clench together and tingle.
“Watch your language, Jaxon,” Headmistress Archer barks at him. If I thought she was cold with me with I first arrived, that’s nothing compared to how she’s speaking to Jax right now. Aren’t families supposed to be all hugs and kisses and rainbows and shit? There’s definitely beef here. It would be fascinating to watch if it weren’t for the fact that I’m reeling by the return of the princesses.
“No, I will not watch my language, mother,” he spits the last word with such sarcastic vehemence that a little spit actually flies from the corner of his mouth. Cool, calm, unflappable Jax, just spat in fury. What the fuck? “I want to know what the fuck she’s doing still in this school when she almost killed another student!”
“There wasn’t enough evidence to expel her, son.” While still cold, her voice is wary now. She says ‘son’ with a sadness to her voice that I didn’t expect.
“BULLSHIT!” Jax explodes, making me jump. “She fucking confessed to drugging her! Her room was full of coke!”
“Tilly confessed?” My voice is tiny, lost in the tempest of this family feud.
“She denies the coke is hers.”
“For fucks’ sake!” Jax slams his hand down on the table, and even though I’m watching him, expecting it, I still flinch. I don’t know how his stepmother doesn’t. She must be made of steel.
“That’s quite enough of that Jaxon.” Her voice is sharp, commanding. The stepmother has left the room, and the headmistress has stepped into her place. “Tilly realises that she is in a lot of trouble for the drink spiking incident. She says it was supposed to be a silly prank between friends but that it had inadvertently gone wrong. She was very upset when she heard how serious things were. I’m sure the only reason she didn’t visit Miss Deighton in hospital was that she is feeling so guilty. As such, the school board and I, after a long telephone consultation with Tilly’s parents, decided that Tilly should not be expelled for a silly mindless prank which ended badly.”
I’m flabbergasted. Completely disbelieving. There was so much wrong with that well-rehearsed speech that I can’t even comprehend where to begin. Angry tears prick at my eyes, and I dash them away furiously with the back of my hand.
“You fucking bitch,” Jax’s voice is so low I could easily mistake it for Rebel’s growl. I give a shocked gasp, scared that he’s crossed a line.
“Jaxon!” Headmistress Archer says his name as a pained gasp.
“NO!” Jax tells. “You do not get to be upset. You do not get to be the victim.” He spins and points at me. “She is the fucking victim! She has been another victim of bullying by Tilly’s hand. She is the victim of an assault. That’s an actual crime mother. If we hadn’t been there, she would’ve been the victim to one of the worst crimes known to man. And you’re telling me Tilly is fucking sorry? That it was some sort of fucking prank? That you’re letting it slide? With what, a slap on the wrist? FUCK YOU! I cannot believe you are letting history repeat itself. When will you learn? I am fucking done with your bullshit. I am done with you!”
During his rant, Jax had gotten up from his seat and was stalking towards his stepmother. He was inches from her, yelling in her face by the time he finished and not once, until the very end and those five final words, did she react or flinch.
“Fuck it, Raven, we’re out of here. There’s nothing she can say to you that will make this alright.”
“Jaxon, I-“ her tone is weak, pleading
“No.” His is emphatic. He won’t hear her out.
“How much?” he asks like it’s just occurred to him. I have no idea what he’s going on about though.
“Wh-What?” She’s as shaky on her feet as her voice is.
“You heard me, mother,” he spits. “I want to know how much Tilly’s parents paid for her to stay here.”
“Jaxon, please understand...”
“How. Much,” he grinds out between clenched teeth.
“A lot,” she whispers looking shamefaced. “Too much. More than I can go against.” It makes sense now. Of course rich people would find a way to pay to keep their kid here. I bet if she ever did anything bad enough to land her in prison, they’d pay their way out of that too. Life really is fucking swell when you have money, status and privilege. It makes me sick.
“And a nice healthy chunk of that will line your pocket too. You make me sick. I fucking despise you. I don’t care if we’re the last goddamn family each other has on earth. For this, you’re dead to me.”
She gives a strangled sort of sob, like she might cry, and sinks to her chair.
“Jaxon, please...” she begs.
“The police are coming tomorrow to interview Raven. I expect your statement that Tilly confessed, and for you to hand over the coke and date rape drugs we found when we searched her room on Sunday. We will be pressing charges, regardless of the school’s stance on this matter.” Jax’s voice is steel. It makes my legs weak, and his fury isn’t even directed at me. Yet somehow his stepmother looks like she wants to protest. He sees this and levels her with such a hard, despising stare that it takes my breath away.
“Do this one thing right, and you might be on the path to redeeming yourself,” he tells her. She looks absolutely miserable, but she nods her head dejectedly. Whose side is she on? What’s going on here? Why does Jax sound like he’s bossing his stepmother around? Honestly right now he’s more like the adult and she the child than how it’s meant to be. Why? Not to mention that the firm, strong, matter-of-fact way he handles his stepmother reminds me of the way he... ew. I don’t even want to voice that thought.
Jax grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet, heading towards the door.
