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Jacob’s gaze lifted to Lennox, a challenge crackling between them. Ire darkened Jacob’s eyes. Two seconds and he could cut the wind from Lennox’s lungs with a quick throat punch.

Looking back to Carla, Jacob shook his head. “Have a good life, Ms. Jones.”

With that, he pivoted, and she watched him stroll further away until he disappeared through the exit.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Carla spun around. “You son of a bitch.”

“Watch your mouth and lower your voice.”

“I would smack you in your face if I didn’t care about embarrassing the mayor.”

Lennox snarled as they spoke in hushed tones. “Carla, don’t aggravate me. Put your got damn smile back on and get over here.”

“Go to hell, Lennox, and I mean that.”

She turned to leave, and Lennox called out Principal Sharp’s office number.

Pausing, Carla straightened her shoulders, then tossed back, “Do what you have to do. I’m done playing these games with you.”

Holding her head high and walking as steadily as she could fathom, Carla left the venue.

On her way home, tears fell from her eyes. Seeing Jacob’s heartbreak right in front of her was worse than having her own heart broken.

What did she expect? So far, her life had been one disappointment after the next, and she seemed to be the thing that her suffering stemmed from.

Dangerous thoughts of ending it all rocked her core, but just as quickly, she shook them. She wouldn’t, couldn’t give up like that—if for no other reason than to face her trials head-on and prove to herself that she could conquer them.

She would ride to Jacob’s house if she thought he would let her inside, and even knowing there was a big chance he wouldn’t, Carla executed a U-turn and headed across town.

* * *

Jacob was incensed.When he breached the threshold of his home, he snatched the loose tie from around his neck, tossed it, then grabbed the floor vase and slung it into the nearby wall.

It shattered into thick pieces of glass, and along with it, Jacob flipped the foyer table—lifting it and slinging it into the wall, over and over, until the legs on it bent, then collapsed.

“Got damn it!”

He was feeling like a madman, in need of a way to let off some steam. Awakened from the commotion, Jack jogged through the house, tail wagging and pausing right before the broken glass.

Jacob left the room with Jack by his side, crossing through the den, and headed down to his basement, where he kept a fully operational gym. Stepping into the dark, he moved with knowledge of his layout, flipping the switch on the wall that illuminated lights overhead.

Stretching out of his suit jacket and his button-down shirt, Jacob grabbed a set of boxing gloves, shoved them on his hands, and stood in front of a hanging punching bag as Jack watched him.

One punch, two, a collection of power-driven boxing jabs landed on the heavy bag, revving his insanity to get it all out.

How could she do this to him? Didn’t she know how insufferable it would be to betray him? Was she confused about his love for her?

“I know that it’s cliché but, if you trust me—”

“If I trust you?”

“If…” She searched for the words. “If you trusted me before, trust me now, please; it’s not what you think.”

“Sweetheart, is anything the matter?”

Jacob hit the bag with insanely driven punches. Once again, he’d put his heart on the line, and yet again, he’d fallen for someone who couldn’t care enough to handle his love and show him the same in return.