12. I can’t believe her…

I snap out of the daze I find myself in as Aiden berates Coraline for a crime she did not commit, and rush to her side. Aiden’s rant gets cut midway when I shoot him a glare, but the thunderous expression on his face does not change. For a moment, I wonder if he is drunk, but no, he looks stone-cold sober. This means that pushing Coraline and demeaning her like this was done intentionally.

I turn back to Coraline, anger humming in my chest. I did not like her, but that was another issue. It wasn’t right to be treated like this by her own boyfriend.

“Here, let me help you get up,” I ask her gently, and she nods, clearly shaken by Aiden’s actions. She lets me help her to her feet.

Aiden continues to glare at us, a storm brewing in his eyes. I know I’m not helping my case right now, but damned if I leave a girl alone in a situation like this, no matter how badly she treated me.

“You don’t have to go with him if you don’t feel safe,” I whisper to Coraline. Distantly, I saw the Maybach my father had assigned to me approaching the parking lot, “Gerald has come to pick me up I can give you a ride home if you don’t want to go in and join the party.”

Coraline opens her mouth to talk, but Aiden’s hard voice cuts her off.

“You bitch! You’re not even trying to hide it!” he roars, taking a step. I immediately put my body in between them, afraid he was going to hit her, “you’re fucking him, I see that now. You’ve been fucking him behind my back all this time.”

“No, Aiden, I have never cheated on you,” Coraline defends herself, her voice wavering as she’d about to cry, “Jace, please leave us. You’re making things worse.”

“I won’t leave you here alone with someone whose willing to beat you up,” I reply, matching Aiden’s glare, “And for the record, no, I am not in any sort of a relationship with Coraline”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you,” Aiden sneers, “don’t you have a girlfriend, too, cockroach? Saw you two chatting and giggling in the campus cafeteria the other day, giving each other the heart eyes. Where’s she now?”

“What do you mean?” I question, unnerved by this sudden change of topics. The feeling in my gut worsens.

“You even tried to go down on her, didn’t you, Jace?” somehow, when he says my name it’s more insulting than calling me ‘cockroach’, “Didn’t have much like with that huh?”

Suddenly, cold realization dawns on me as I recognize Aiden’s face, “You were there,” I utter, my eyes widened, “you were there with Stone. You were one of his gang.”

Aiden grins, and there is nothing humorous in it.

“Of course, I didn’t join him in his more daring and physical ventures, there were enough grunts for that,” Aiden replies, “but that night, I had to be there to see your humiliation.”

“I knew I’d seen you somewhere,” new waves of anger rush past me, “your father is the founder of New Haven Industries, isn’t he? I remember you bragging about it.”

“Come now, cockroach, you act as if it’s a secret,” the grin does not leave, and I feel something dark rise within me, from the pits of my guts, similar to the feeling I had with Stone only yesterday.

“I heard that your dad’s company was having a rough day,” I note. “A tumultuous time, in fact. So why are you here, Aiden? Shouldn’t you be with your father, trying to help him in every way possible? Instead of coming here and harassing innocent girls. What would your father say, Aiden, if he knew that his son was gallivanting around town having fun when he’s working his ass off to save his company? After all, it’s only because of him you’re able to have all the luxuries you enjoy.”

The grin on Aiden’s face vanishes, and I feel savage satisfaction.

“Coraline, my friend,” I emphasize the word friend, before turning to Coraline, “What do you say? You want me to give you a ride home?”

The Maybach is behind us now, and Gerald gets down from the passenger seat in the front. He narrows his eyes at Aiden but waits by the door until I can give him an order.

Coraline gulps, looking indecisive for a moment. But then she rubs at her arm which is now starting to bruise from the fall she took, and the expression on her face changes.

“Yes, Jace, if you are still offering, I’d love to take you up on it,” she replies, “I’m done with you, Aiden. I’ve had enough. We’re over. Don’t try to contact me again.”

With that, she turns abruptly and walks to the rear of the car.

I can’t help but smirk at Aiden, who is now gaping at Coraline, completely taken aback.

“Well see you around,” giving him a cocky salute, I turn back to my car, and give Gerald a nod.

Aiden is still standing when we move out of the parking lot, looking flabbergasted.

Coraline sits next to me, looking at me with a shocked expression.

‘What?” I ask her.

“Nothing,” in a small voice, she replied, “thank you for standing up to me.”

“Would’ve done it for anyone,” I reply.

“Young master, I hope you and the young lady are alright,” Gerald pipes in from the front seat.

“We’re alright, Gerald,” I assure him.

“Master?” Coraline hisses, “Did he just call you ‘master’?”

I blush, “I’ve been trying to get him to call me by my name, but it’s his habit.” Trying to change the topic, I ask her, “so, can I have your address? So we can drop you at home.”

“Oh, right,” she opens her mouth, but instead of words, a shuddering sigh wrecks out. “Oh, god, he’s going to kill me, isn’t he?”

“Who, Aiden?”

“He’s going to be so mad because I left him like that. We share an apartment, but I’m afraid to return to that place. He…he…” her eyes look teary, “that’s not the first time he pushed me like that. And he’s done much worse.”

“Then why the hell have you been staying with him?!”

“He’s powerful, his dad’s powerful, I was afraid that he’d take away any future employment opportunities in good companies if I...If I dare to defy him.”

“I’m sorry,” I find myself saying, because what else can I say?

Tears start to flow from her eyes, and she gasps, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to cry. I’ve been so bad to you, I even slapped you, but here you are helping me when no one else is there…”

I feel kind of uncomfortable with what she is saying, so I inquire, “Where would you want to work, Coraline?”

“Huh?”

“What kind of a company would you choose? You got one picked up?”

She sniffs, tears still flowing, “I don’t know, maybe Greyson Consolidated? It’s the best there is, and working there would be a dream.”

I can’t help the smile that curls on my lips, “Well, in that case, Coraline, I think I may be able to help you. Just apply, and you will get in.”

She shoots me an incredulous look, “How would you know…”

And then her eyes widen impossibly, “Wait…Greyson…the name on the emerald card…”

I watch her as the pieces of the puzzle finally slot into place.