Jordan's idea of a distraction from what happened Friday night was to head to the ice rink Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately, absolutely nothing would be able to keep my mind from drifting. I could still feel the cold, brisk air rustling my hair and against my cheeks as I screamed for Chase. Could still feel the rush of fear and adrenaline as the car horn sounded behind me.

I could still feel the heaviness in my chest as I thought back to the lifeless Chase slumped against Chelsea's car and watching helplessly as paramedics tried to shake him awake and loaded him on to a stretcher and into the ambulance.

I was dreading the thought of even returning to school Monday. I knew the incident would definitely cause a stir; another reason for rumors regarding Chase to yet again circle the school.

The only thing I was told since I wasn't family nor was Coach Parker a big fan of me, was that Chase was stable and alive. That should have been enough for me to just leave it alone. The fear of what could have happened Friday night should have been enough for me to listen to Jordan and get as far away from the poor suicidal boy as I could.

But I couldn't bring myself to do so. Even with the knowledge I was doing to everyone what Vanessa had done to us, I couldn't just drop him. There had been a reason I was the one he had called. No matter what he said, he didn't want to die. A small, even if it was microscopic, part of him was crying out to me for help and though I was cold, I wasn't heartless enough to ignore it.

"Earth to V." My little brother's long, calloused fingers were suddenly in front of my face. "Are you back down here yet?"

I blinked myself back into the present a few times, slumping deeper in the booth I was in as Jordan finished lacing his skates.

"Doubt it." Jordan spoke for the first time since we'd walked in. "She's been like this since Friday night."

There was an underlying bitterness in his tone, but his eyes were shining with concern when he stood and let his eyes fall on me.

I couldn't blame him. Not only had I literally ditched him right after kissing him, but I'd stole his car and nearly died not soon after. I had promised him one night where it was supposed to be just about us, about high school, about anything other than Chase.

And I'd gone and done the complete opposite of that.

"Sit up straight and put these on." Vic demanded, dropping my skates on to the table in front of me, "If not for yourself, then for me."

Of course his words struck a cord and I hesitantly slid into them and laced them up. I'd be lying if I said I didn't almost face plant returning to the ice after a little over a year of putting up the skates. I'd love skating since I was a kid, Jordan and Vic had always joked I'd be in the Olympics. After a fall a couple years ago that ended in me needing stitches on the back of my head, I decided to toss them up on a high shelf in the closet. It had been Jordan who ordered that I dug them out and made sure I was dressed for today.

Realizing I may end up becoming good friends with the ice if they didn't help, both boys dragged me along with them, one on either side of me.

"You used to be so good." Jordan commented, taking me into his arms entirely. My brother circled us for a minute before raising an eyebrow, eyes darting between us.

"Are you guys like a thing now?"

I wished so desperately to face plant in that moment if it meant I didn't have to have this conversation with my little brother.

"I dunno." Jordan caressed my cheek. "What exactly are we, mi amor? We didn't exactly get a chance to talk about what happened."

My brother opened his mouth to make another comment, but the entire exchange between the three of us was stopped when I caught sight of who was standing behind the snack bar, sulking around with a bitter look on his face.

Nick Rollins.

"I don't know, man." Vic slapped a hand on Jordan's shoulder, "Seems like V wants to talk to every guy except you."

The comment earned a hard slap in the back of the head from me. "Shut up."

"He's right though." Jordan's words felt like a slap to my own face. "You're so caught up in them, Vera. In Puck, in that freak over there. But when it comes to me, to us, it's like you just don't give a shit."

My little brother, having ruined any chance at normalcy today, took the beginning of the argument between my best friend and me as a cue to skate off on his own.

"It's not like that, Jor." I whispered, avoiding his glare. "I. . . I feel bad for them."

He laughed. "Yeah? At least they get an emotion out of you."

"Stop being an asshole." I snapped, spinning around to face him.

"Me, the asshole? Says the girl who stole my car. Ditched me after kissing me. And literally jumps every time some suicidal psicopata decides to get all caught up in his feelings for the night." He shook his head. "You know, Vera, I don't even know why I keep trying. Clearly I'm not fucked up enough in the head for you."

He laughed again quietly to himself and started toward the exit. I grasped his wrist roughly, thankfully it was enough to startle him.

"I avoid conversations us because I'm scared." I breathed out slowly. "I've lost a lot, Jordan. And yes for some weird fucking reason I can't seem to shake the need to help Chase off."

"I don't want to sit here and talk about him. He almost got you killed, Vera."

I closed the distance between us and wrapped one of the grey draw strings hanging from his sweatshirt around my finger.

"I'm not trying to make this about him. I. . . I just don't know what to say or do, Jordan. I'm not good at this, you know that." I felt his arms began to close around me. "All I can say is that the difference is that I love you, Jordan. With everything in me, I love you. I don't know what the hell is going on with our friendship or relationship, or whatever the hell it is, but loving you is the one thing I'm sure of."

I'm not sure what I expected, but him not responding verbally wasn't it. He only hugged me tightly against him, as if he were afraid the second he let go I'd disappear.

It was probably at the top of my list of bad ideas to approach Nick as we were heading out of the skating rink. It was most likely in everyone's best interest I send a message letting Brice know I'd found his best friend and let him handle everything, but of course my stupid conscious had me slowing to a stop at the counter as I waited for the boys to finish up in the bathroom.

"Can I-" He immediately perked up when he realized the footsteps he'd heard belonged to me. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was skating." I gestured behind me. "But I'm over here because Brice texted me last night asking if I'd seen you."

Nick rolled his dark, bloodshot eyes. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, and by the way they'd sunken into his face, I wouldn't be surprised if he was on something that was preventing it.

"I don't care. Get lost, Harper. You are literally the last person I want to see right now."

I frowned, pressing my palm against the marble counter top. "Why aren't you showing up to school anymore? You came for the dance but otherwise you're nonexistent."

"Why do you care? I've always been nonexistent to you." He snapped. "And if Brice is so fucking worried he knows where I work and can grow a pair and come find me."

"You don't have to do that, you know." I said, stomach churning as the thought of what Chase had said to me the night after I'd found him in the snow started to surface. "Pretend to be an ass to keep your real feelings down."

He slammed his hands down against the counter top in front of me, so close I could see clear dilation in his eyes. "Leave now, Veronica, before you regret ever knowing me."

I didn't get a chance to answer. Jordan grabbed me from behind, pushing me behind him so he was now here I was, inches from Nick's face. I expected Nick to shrink into the same embarrassed shell he had the day we'd argued in the hall, but he only straightened so he almost matched Jordan in height.

"Threaten her again and I will break every bone in your pathetic body." Jordan said threw his teeth.

Nick leaned forward and whispered something I couldn't hear. Whatever it was triggered something in Jordan and he lurched forward, his right fist full of Nick's shirt, left hand ready to punch. To my relief, my brother stepped between them, shoving Jordan back toward me.

"He's not worth it, man." Vic did his best to calm the older boy. "He's just a freak."

Nick snickered and turned his back to us with a shake of his head. Before I could open my mouth and say a word, Jordan draped his arm over my shoulder and led me out of the building.

"What did he say?" I questioned later that night, turning from my side on to my back to stare up at Jordan.

"What?"

"Nick. What did he say that made you get so aggressive?" I could feel his entire body tense beneath me at the questioning, an uneasiness starting to furl in the pit of my stomach.

"Nothing, mi vida. He was just being an ass." He avoided my eyes. "You sure do know how to pick them."

I sat up so I was on his lap, my index finger and thumb finding his chin. I turned it so he was forced to look at me. "What did he say, Jordan?"

"He said I could have all the fun I wanted with you, but he'd get a taste one way or another."

"Taste?" I repeated, confused.

"His words, not mine." Jordan looked disgusted. "If you need clarification, he's saying he's going to get you to sleep with him."

I deflated, feeling sick. "You mean he threatened to rape me?"

"I won't let him anywhere near you, Vera." Jordan rested his forehead against mine. "We're together all the time. He'd have to kill me before he'd be able to touch you."

I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face against him. The sick knot in my stomach that had started the day Nick and Brice had been making comments about Chase had finally opened. All those words and threats, the rumors about Chase going postal, had they been a foreshadow of Nick's own plans?

"What?" It wasn't until Jordan spoke that I realized my words had been spoken aloud. "You don't think he's capable of that, right?"

I swallowed, "I don't know, Jor."

"We'll talk to the dean. Tell him everything we know. They'll keep an eye on him, no? It'll be the safest bet for everyone."

I nodded, but was too nauseated to try and force any words out.

"Vera." He whispered. When I didn't look at him, he took my face in between his hands. "Veronica, look at me."

I could see the slightest hint of fear in his hazel eyes and that more than anything else tonight scared the ever living hell out of me.

"I'm not going to let them hurt you." It took me longer than it should have to realize he was referring to Chase now too. "But in order for me to help you, to protect you, I need you to stop all this. Stop trying to fix things, people, that can't be fixed."

I bowed my head. "You're doing it to, Jor."

"What do you mean, mi vida?" He looked so confused it was almost cute.

"You're trying to fix someone that can't be fixed." 

***AN***

Hope you guys enjoyed!

~ChasingMadness24