Page 96
He doesn’t resist as I pull him off the stool. Doesn’t say a word as I lead him through the crowd, out into the cooler night air. But the moment we reach the street, he starts to veer toward his car.
“Nope,” I say, tugging him back. “You’re in no shape to drive.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not.” I open my car door and push him gently inside. “Don’t argue.”
He drops into the passenger seat, defeated, and stares out the windshield, silent.
I turn to the security guy standing nearby and tip him heavily. “Someone will come back for this car in the morning.”
The man nods with a polite smile. I slide into the driver’s seat and start the engine.
Jack doesn’t say a word as I pull into traffic, heading for the penthouse. His head rests against the window, his jaw tight, his body radiating exhaustion and something heavier—grief, maybe. Or anger so old it’s rotted into sorrow.
He looks like a boy tonight. Lost and tired.
And somehow, despite everything, despite my own feelings, all I want to do is protect him.
JACK
When we get back to the penthouse, I don’t say a word.
I head straight for the bar.
The lights are low, the city flickering faintly through the windows, and all I want is something strong enough to shut my mind off for the night. I reach for the whiskey decanter, fingers already curled around the glass?—
But Mia steps in front of me.
Blocking me.
I blink at her, tired and not in the mood. “Move.”
“No,” she says quietly. “Alcohol isn’t the answer. It’ll drown you tonight, but you’ll still wake up in the morning with the same pain. Probably worse.”
I clench my jaw. “And what? You want me to sit in a circle with you and share my feelings?”
“Maybe,” she replies, soft but firm. “I want you to talk to me. I can be your sounding board, Jack. I want to be.”
I let out a laugh. Cold. Bitter. “You? You’ve judged me since the day we met.”
Her face flickers. “That’s not fair?—”
“It’s true,” I snap, the words coming out sharp. “You’ve always looked at me like I’m some spoiled, arrogant jerk who’s too used to getting what he wants. Don’t pretend you know me now.”
“I’m not pretending. I see you. I see you tonight,” she says, voice cracking. “And you’re hurting. I can’t walk away from that, Jack.”
I see the tears brimming in her eyes. And just like that, I break. Just another woman with a great hold over me. Great.
“All I ever did,” I whisper, “was try to get her attention.”
Mia says nothing, but she doesn’t move either. Just stands there, heart open, waiting.
“I thought if I became someone… if I was loud enough, famous enough, good enough, she’d look at me. She’d see me. I did everything, everything, with her somewhere in the back of my mind.”
I sink onto the edge of the couch, burying my face in my hands.
“All the interviews. The movies. The reckless stunts. I thought if I made enough noise, she’d come back. Like I could shout my existence loud enough to matter to her.” I look up. My voice shakes. “But she already knew. She knew who I was. And she stayed away anyway.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96 (Reading here)
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118