Page 117 of Beautifully Ruined

“Sure.”

When Jack gets in, he takes in the suit. “Promotion?”

“Out earlier.” I take a breath. Pushing a hand through my hair, I motion to the kitchen. “Do you want a drink?”

He nods, and I can’t help but think Jack looks good. He doesn’t look stoned for one thing, and he’s in nice jeans and a light summer sweater and actual shoes are on his feet.

Not that I expected him to come over with bare feet, but he’d recently found an affinity for Crocs and his ratty old kicks.

“Um, just coffee.”

I raise a brow. “I was going to have a whiskey.”

He nods uncertainly. “A small one.”

I collect glasses and the bottle and head to the living room with Jack following me like a baby duck. When I glance back, he’s steadfastly trying not to look around, and that twists something deep in my chest.

He doesn’t have the expression of a man who is trying to hide feelings for someone. But he definitely is trying not to look around for Vi.

And I know, roles reversed, I wouldn’t be taking it well. Even though I’ve been with her a hell of a lot less time than Jack.

I pour his drink, and he sits, on the armchair, a move that’s not lost on me, either.

Holding my drink, I try to think of what to say because I can feel the ghost of me taking Vi between us, even though she’d finished with him.

But Jack speaks first.

“I’m sorry. For the other night. How I reacted, I mean. I should have called first, I just…I didn’t think that you and Vi…” He breathes out heavily and takes a sip. “I had a reason for dropping by, and it’s the same one now. I’m sorry. That’s all. I just wanted to apologize, Cade.”

“You didn’t do anything to me.”

“Yeah, I did. I took advantage of your place, which…” This time, he does look around. “In my defense is pretty fucking sweet. But the whole thing with Vi dumping me made me realize I needed to get my shit together. The shit in Vegas with that stripper chick’s boyfriend or whoever they were reinforced it.”

He looks down into his drink. “I never cheated on her. Not until then. And it’s lame because I just got carried away. I didn’t have sex with the girl, that honor went to a couple of friends, but touching is cheating too, you know? And I low-key hate myself for it.”

Fuck, he’s going to confess he still loves her, isn’t he? He’s going?—

“It made me see how much I’d been taking Vi for granted, and how over it was, and I didn’t see.”

“Look, Jack?—”

“I’m not finished. I’d love to say those things made me get a job. But living with my friends? That did it.” He shudders. “I moved into Drew’s place, I couldn’t with…”

Jack shakes his head. “But Drew is as bad. He’s trust fund all the way. I was going to ask you to help me out, but I think…I think I have to save up enough to rent my own place, you know?”

“Good for you.” I almost tell him he’s got a place waiting for him, but I hold back. Jack needs to make it to a month, maybe two, holding down that job, seeing what it’s like with stunted friends as roommates. It’s a hard lesson, but one I want soaked into his bones and soul.

Jack has got potential, and I love him, but going soft and handing him the keys means he could slide back. Or maybe it’sjust taking away the control of his own future from him. So, I sit on it.

He takes a sip, smiling sheepishly. “I’ve been doing pretty well, but clearly not as well as you.”

I grimace as it hits. “If it means anything, I didn’t want you finding out about Vi and me that way.”

“Really?” Jack says, a sprinkle of sarcasm over his words. “Sex in a park probably wasn’t the best way.”

“It wasn’t sex,” I mutter. Not exactly. But I get the point.

“Whatever it was, it wasn’t exactly discreet.” He takes another swallow, then frowns at me. “You two seem good together. But you need to treat her well. She deserves it after putting up with all my shit.”