“It won’t!” he promised and lied at the same time.

“It already has.” I paused. “I won’t help. And if I see you anywhere near my school, I will have you locked up again.”

He laughed uncomfortably. “Just like that, huh?”

I said nothing.

“You’ll have me locked up again for trying to find out who murdered our mother?” He paused and kicked around invisible rocks. “Okay. I don’t need your help. But if you get in my way, I will put you down.”

“You’re the one trying to sell drugs to students, Jace. Not me.”

“You’re right. You’re absolutely right,” he said, “But you’re the one f**king your students, not me. What was it? Ashlyn?” My fists tightened and I could feel my heart rate increase. He must have noticed too. “Ohh, is that a touchy subject? You’re all red in the face and shit.”

“Jace,” I said coldly, but I couldn’t say any more.

“You were right about one thing, Danny.” He pulled a cigarette and lighter out of his pocket. The cigarette rested between his lips and he lit it. His fingers moved to the side of his head and he tapped it. “I am f**king crazy. So don’t cross me. Or I’ll destroy you and your little student. I wonder what kind of things the other kids would say about her. As we both know, high school can be a real bitch.”

“Jace, if this is about Sarah—” I started to warn him, but he cut me off.

“Don’t!” His words grew darker. “Don’t bring her into this. I’m not kidding. I will f**king ruin your girlfriend’s life.”

He started to leave, and I sighed heavily. “What would Mom and Dad think? Of what you’re doing?”

“Well”—he didn’t look back—“I think they would be proud of me for actually following through with something. For bringing Mom’s death to justice.”

And like an infectious disease, Jace was spreading his way back into my life—again. I’d got away from his trouble. I’d focused on my music. I’d focused on teaching.

Yet somehow, someway, here we were again.

I marched back into the house and heard guitar strings being played. In the living room, Randy was sitting up on the couch, working on some new song lyrics. He looked up at me. “When did Jace get out?” he asked, playing his new tune.

“Don’t know, but he’s here.” I plopped down on the sofa. My hands ran across my face.

“He looked good though. Clean.”

I had to agree with that. I could always tell when Jace was using—he became jittery, nervous. But when I’d seen him at the cemetery and the school, he’d seemed strong. He’d looked like he had before he’d started using.

His hair was buzzed and he stood in business attire—probably something that Red guy had set up. But I knew Jace. I knew deep down how emotional he was, how broken he was. So if the temptation of the drugs was there, it wouldn’t be long before he welcomed them back into his life.

“What are ya working on?” I asked, changing the subject.

Randy picked up a book and tossed it to me. “Othello. I was trying to come up with some new material. I thought we could maybe open up with it on Friday for our show at The Upper Level. I know it’s a bit last minute but…”

“Let me see the lyrics.”

He handed me the paper and my eyes darted back and forth. Randy was a brilliant musician and storyteller, so I had no doubt the lyrics would be good. Yet these were better than good. These were mind-blowing.

Silent whispers of darkened souls.

My human side is now uncontrolled.

I see colors that make no sense,

But in your eyes, I know the truth exists.

Kidnapped, deranged, untamed.

Come back to me. Take my hand.

Dance. Dance to forbidden lands.

“I wanted something a bit darker. A bit grittier. Shakespeare had all kinds of sides, ya know?”

“Pass me the guitar,” I said. My fingers started strumming the guitar, feeling the strings move between my fingertips. I closed my eyes as I played, and like always, there Ashlyn was. The music only brought her closer to me, the sounds bringing my imagination to life.

I couldn’t let Jace ruin her life. And I couldn’t let her think that I didn’t care either. But what could I do?

Chapter 23

Air is thick.

My mind is fogged.

Tell me we’re not about to lose it all.

~ Romeo’s Quest

The next few days of school were tough. I was stuck in a clouded, jaded mood. I’d hardly had any sleep because when I wasn’t thinking about Ashlyn, I was worrying about Jace. He could hurt someone. He could hurt himself. He could hurt my students. He could hurt Ashlyn.

After class with Ashlyn never looking up from her desk, I knew I should talk to her. Try to explain the situation. Right before lunch, I saw her walking with that Jake kid. He had been by her side each and every day, trying to ease his way into her heart. Trying to steal my placement. He didn’t have to try too hard though. I was merely handing it to him. I wasn’t even fighting for her…

She looked my way for a split second before she turned back to him and laughed loudly. Her hand landed on his chest, and he smirked wide. The way she flipped her hair over her shoulder and giggled for him made me sick. The way he moved in close and amused her made me pissed.

He was flirting with her, and she was flirting back.

But I knew her.

She was only flirting to make me jealous.

It was working.

Even though it was only to piss me off, I knew she liked the idea of it. Touching in public. Something I couldn’t give her. What kind of man couldn’t give his woman the love she longed for, she needed?

My fists balled up and I stepped forward, rage filling my body. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I had to do something. I couldn’t just give her up, let him have her. She might not have been mine. She might have rejected the idea of us ever being us after I’d f**ked up and ignored her in some weird attempt to protect her, but…

I was hers.

Every part of me.

Every inch of my being belonged to Ashlyn Jennings.

And every time she laughed at something Jake said, every time she touched his arm and not mine, a part of me faded away. A part of me vanished.

“Ashlyn!” I called after her. She looked at me as if I were crazy, narrowing her eyes. “Can I speak to you about your paper?”