Chapter 5|I Hate You

Nova

"I hate you!" Kelly pouts at me.

"I'm sorry! Look I'll pay for everything." I promise.

"Why did you bring me into this?" She stomps her foot.

"I didn't want to go alone!" I say to her. She groans, her head falling back.

"I hate you." She glares at me.

"Love you too." I smile innocently at her. She huffs, rolling her eyes.

"What do we need anyway?" She asks coming beside me.

"Just normal things you would bring on holiday. With the addition of workout clothes." I say as she looks through her wardrobe.

"Yeah, I don't own 'workout clothes'. Who does?" She snorts.

"Uh me," I say. She looks at me and pretends to throw up, I roll my eyes at her silliness.

"Yeah well, you work out. Somethings not right there." She looks me up and down before Looking at me with a look.

"Don't look at me like that." I throw a pillow at her. She doesn't dodge it.

"See that's why it would be good for you to come." I nod at the pillow.

"Oh no a pillow attacked me!" She gasps dramatically.

"Funny. Seriously Kelly, hanging around with me, you're putting yourself in danger and if I'm not there to protect you..." I trail off. These people will do anything to have power and sometimes innocent people get hurt.

"Hey, if it helps you I'll go." She sits beside me and brings me into a side hug.

"Thank you. I'm sorry." I sigh.

"For what?" She giggles. I don't join in the laughter, my guilt consuming me.

"Wait. You didn't take my skittles did you?" She asks seriously.

"No." I giggle. She always cheers me up, no matter what situation we're in.

"Good." She nods her head.

"I'm sorry because being your friend has put a target on your back and I know people have tried to hurt you and your family before." I will always feel guilty for the danger I put her and her family through.

"Hey, don't be. You were always there." She smiles at me but I can still see how much that affected her. The things they did still frighten her.

"Yeah, but because of me they wouldn't have been there in the first place." I can feel tears pool in my eyes.

"Hey, I would go through that again and again than never have met you." I look at her through tears and eyes.

"You don't mean that." I shake my head. I know what they did, the pain she went through not just physically but mentally.

"I do. You're making me cry now." She laughs wiping her eyes.

"That's because of me though." I trace my finger down the scar that runs down her jaw to her collar bone.

She shakes her head and takes her hand in mine. "No. It's not your fault. It's there's, you had no idea." She says sternly to me.

I wipe my eyes and nod my head even though I don't believe her. Those men wanted to hurt me and they couldn't get me so they went to hurt someone I cared for. I'll never forget the day I found her beaten and cut. I killed five men that day. I'll do it again.

"Now! Let's watch tv and eat more than we weigh." She claps her hands and gets up to get some food.

I lay back and let out a sigh. What I would do to have Grayson here with me right now.

*****

"Go lions!" I scream from the bleachers. I clap my hands until they hurt and cheer until my voice breaks.

I watch as Kelly gets flipped into the air, her smile not faltering. Her ginger locks fly in the air as the wind flows through her flying body.

She stands there with a million-dollar smile, holding her foot up high. She gets tossed up and she flies back down into the arms of her teammates.

I clap my hands, my cheeks hurting from how much I'm smiling. Her team wave off the stage as the judges score them. Kelly does cheerleading in hopes to go pro. She also goes to college unless something goes wrong. I don't attend college, you know mafia shit and all, there was no need to go.

I race down the stairs once everyone has finished and I run around trying to find Kelly. Once I see her I grin when I see how happy she is.

"Kels!" I yell. She turns towards me holding out the trophy she won. I run up to her and bring her into a tight hug.

"Ah! I'm so happy for you!" I scream as we both jump up and down in excitement.

"Thanks! First place baby." She smiles.

"Kelly!" We both turn around to see who called her name.

I freeze when I see Liam Hale walking toward us his eyes on Kelly. I stand in front of her protectively. Pushing her behind me as I glare at him.

His eyes widen when he sees me and he instantly pales. He continues to walk closer and once he does he smiles at me.

"What are you doing?" Kelly whispers to me.

I turn around to face Kelly, my glare now gone and my eye softening. "Kelly, wait over there, please. Just trust me in this?" I plead.

She looks at me as if understanding she nods and walks off with her other teammates. Once I make sure she is safe I turn back around to him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I ask, getting straight to the point.

"I'm not here to cause trouble." He holds his hands in surrender.

"I don't give a fuck. You shouldn't be here." I whisper shout.

"Look, I just came here for Kelly." He says calmly.

"You have five seconds to explain before I put a bullet through your head." I grip the gun that sits in the back of my jeans.

"Okay! I met her at the mall and we got to talking she invited me here. I'm not here to hurt her." He looks straight into my eyes.

As if he knows I'm gripping my gun he steps closer. "I promise. So let go of the gun." He whispers.

I glare at him. "Please." He adds.

I look at him a little longer. I can't have Kelly in danger again. I won't allow it. His story matches but you never know with these shits.

"What did the text say after you left?" I ask to make sure it was him.

"That she looked really pretty in the red top." He says straight away. He goes to grab something out of his pocket.

Instinctively I grab on to him turning his back to my chest, my arm wrapped around his neck the gun now tightly in my hand, pressing into his back.

"Okay, guess I should give a warning." He chokes out.

I press the gun harder to his back. "Don't play with me," I warn.

"I was just getting my phone. My guns in my boot." He says.

I look down, searching for the gun. I lift his jeans and see the grip peeking out of his boot. I shove him off me, putting my gun back into my jeans.

"Got a grip. Remind me not to mess with you." He jokes. I look at him still on high alert.

"Too soon. Look here's the text conversation." He holds out his phone and I release a breath once I see he isn't lying.

"We cool?" He asks rubbing the back of his neck.

"You mess with her in any way. Your dead." I say before waving over Kelly to come.

"So?" She asks looking at me questionably.

I look at Liam and then at her to see her smiling at him. "Just had to give him the best friend chat." I lie.

Liam gives me a grateful smile and Kelly laughs. "Well, this is Liam. The guy I met at the mall." She smiles at me.

"Liam, this is my best friend Nova." I look at Liam discreetly before plastering on a fake smile.

"Nice to meet you, Liam." He smiles at me as I do too.

"You too." Kelly smiles at both of us before hugging Liam as he congratulates her on her win.

Anything to keep Kelly happy.

*****