Page 33

33

JACK

INSECURE

“ J ack.” Kit steps into the doorway and slams her palm down on my chest.

I’ve had enough of this, enough waiting, enough of her ignoring my calls.

I have no fucking idea what the problem is, and the fact she asked Bobby to stop me, the fact he did stop me, has my heart splintering in my chest in a way I experienced far too often last year.

I don’t know why she’s running. I have no fucking clue what’s wrong.

I know she’s home and safe – thanks to fuckface Alex taking my call – but that’s just not enough.

I love her!

I was without her for over a week. I thought we were good. She waited in my bed last night, she waited here for me, but this morning she runs.

What the actual fuck?

“Jack.” Kit tries to push me back. I don’t move a damn step. “You need to take a breath.”

“No. You need to get out of my way.”

Her eyes well up and break my heart. “I don’t know what’s going to happen between you two, but I feel like maybe we put all our eggs in one basket. In Britt’s basket. If she decides…” She shakes her head. “I don’t want you to go backwards. I can’t let you go backwards.”

“I won’t.” I take her hand and work to remove it from my chest. “I’m not that guy anymore, so you can relax. ”

“You say that now, but I see the way you look at her! Please, just stay with us. We just got back last night; the kids missed you. Let’s stay home, watch movies. We can hang out as a family today, then tomorrow, we’ll…” She doesn’t finish, because she has no fucking clue how to fix it.

“I’ve gotta go, Kit. But I promise I’ll be okay. No matter what happens.” Big fat fucking lie. “I gotta go.”

“Please, Jack.”

“Let me go, Kit.”

I step around her and ignore the way her hand drops heavily against her side.

Today might be a good day to move out. My family doesn’t need to see what’s coming after Britt breaks my fucking heart.

I jump into the Mustang and whip it out of the driveway in an instant. The engine roars, but I don’t speed. I don’t drive erratically. I simply move from point A to point B as smooth and safe, and fast, as I can.

It’s only a five-minute drive from my house to hers, though I haven’t been back since the failed dinner; I’ve seen the guys around, but we mostly maintain a friendship of head nods and silent acknowledgment of each other’s existence.

It’s better than being shot at, I guess.

Pulling up in the street out front of the frat house, my blood runs cold. She’s in another man’s arms. Snuggled up with her ex, swinging leisurely like we’re in the south and they’re drinking sweet tea and planning their future.

I can’t decide if I’m pissed, or if it’s time to simply roll up into a ball and cry.

Pulling up the handbrake, I climb out of the car and watch the couple spring apart white faced and red handed.

Too late, I already saw. I can’t unsee that shit.

As soon as my feet hit the front lawn, Britt stands from the porch swing and steps forward, but it’s not until Luc leans in close and whispers in her ear that my cold blood turns to a fucking inferno.

She nods, he pats her back – so fucking cozy – then steps inside the house like the pussy that he is.

She’s not his to whisper to.

She’s not his to touch!

Britt’s soft eyes meet mine.

I’m here! I’m ready to fight for us. I’m not throwing this away. What we have, what we feel when we’re together is real. It’s fucking real!

“Bambie– ”

She steps toward me; she doesn’t run, but she’s not slow, either. Skipping down the porch steps, she meets me halfway across the lawn and doesn’t stop until her arms wind around my hips and her face presses to my chest.

“Hey, Jack.”

“Um…” I was here to fight, but my enemy just blew up in smoke.

“Sorry I had to run out today. I had lots of work to do.”

I’m so fucking confused.

Frowning, I tuck her long hair behind her ears and pull back until her eyes meet mine. “Are you okay?”

“Yep.” Her words are easy, light.

I didn’t imagine today, did I? I’ve slept no more than three hours in the last forty, but I’ve survived on less before.

“Are we okay?”

“Mmhmm.” Laying her lips over my heart, she lets out a hot breath and bathes my skin. “We’re fine. I missed you this week.”

“Bambie–”

Stepping back, she shocks my body with her abrupt departure.

In. Out. Luc’s. Mine.

“Wanna go dance at the lookout? That’d be fun, right? It’s all I’ve been thinking about all week.” Walking up her porch stairs, she ducks her head in the front door, grabs her handbag, and closes the heavy door behind her. Walking back to me, she takes my hand in hers. “Where’s Annie?”

Letting her drag me to the Mustang, I frown. “Bambie, what’s going on?”

She shrugs oh-so-fucking casually. “Nothing’s going on.”

“What’s going on with you and Luc?”

Her eyes snap to mine in genuine surprise, like I didn’t just catch them snuggling in public. “Me and Luc? Nothing. He’s my friend.”

“Are you interested in him?”

“Romantically? No.” Sliding into the passenger seat without a worry in the world, I wait until she snaps her seatbelt into place before closing her door. As soon as I’m in my side, she continues like she isn’t rocking my world. “He’s just my friend, has been since I was a baby. He’s more like my brother.”

My hand freezes on its way to the ignition. “But you slept with him, Bambie. You often sleep with your brothers?”

I’m such an idiot.

She rolls her eyes, casual as fuck, like my world isn’t falling down around me. “Don’t do this, Jack. Luc and I were one time, a long ass time ago. It’s none of your business.”

Heart. Stutter. “None of my business?”

“Yeah, none of your business. We both had a life before each other. I had other men. You had Steph.”

“How many other men?” Stoppppp!

“Again, none of your business.” She pastes on a fake smile and rests her hand on my thigh. “Let’s go before Alex comes out. I’ve missed you, and I’m done working for today.”

“Bambie, I’m gonna need straight answers here. Yes. No. One, two, three.”

Sighing, she angles toward me. “What?”

“You and Luc?”

“Me and Luc are nothing. Just friends.”

“You and me?”

“Are people that met in a dark club a long time ago. We had hot sex. Now we’re dating.”

“Is that all we are to you?”

“Sure.” Her answers are so fucking casual. Each careless word slashes my heart. “You like me, I like you, we’re having fun. Can we go? I have to come home in a few hours.”

“Why?”

“Why, what?”

“Why do you have to come home so soon? I thought you said you were done working.”

“I said I’m finished working for now. I still have stuff left to do, papers to grade, staff meeting to attend…”

“Staff meeting to attend? On a weekend?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Brad gonna be there?” Fucking, stop it, jackass!

“Probably, he’s staff.”

“You hang around him much, Bambie?”

“No,” she snaps. “I don’t. But maybe I should. I bet he’d dance with me if I asked!”

My eyes narrow to dangerous slits. “Is that a threat, Brittany? You gonna start seeing other guys if I ask too many questions?”

“No, dummy. I already told you, I missed you . I wanna hang out with you . If I wanted to hang out with Brad, then I would’ve continued to date him, wouldn’t I? Can we go already?”

I start the car, because despite her breaking my heart with her casual dismissals, I still want to be near her. “Yeah, alright.” I’m pathetic. “Let’s go back home, though. I miss the kids.”

“Alright.” She shrugs.

So. Fucking. Casual.

Five minutes after I pull away from Alex’s house, we roll through the estate gates and pull up in one of the spare driveways.

I think I’ll take this house. It’s closer to the gates than my old house, but that’s about the only difference between this and all the others.

They’re all identical except trim colors, flowers, fittings. Other than that, the original estate owner must’ve found a buy one, get six more for free deal.

Climbing out of the Mustang, we head toward Kit’s house and work to avoid the curious glances coming from my family. As soon as we step through the front door, Kit’s scared eyes come up and stop on me.

Heartbreak turns to confusion, then confusion turns to suspicion.

I knew I wasn’t making this shit up. I knew it, and yet, Bambie’s casual walk, her airy attitude as she greets my family; when she hugs Bobby, then Kit, and welcomes them back after a week away… I know damn well she saw them this morning. I know Kit saw her, I know Bobby spoke to her.

“Umm…” With narrowed eyes, Kit watches Bambie wander toward the kitchen counter to watch over Brookey’s shoulder. “Everything good?”

“Mmhmm.” Pointing at the drawing on the marble countertop, Britt grins and pretends the room isn’t thick with tension. “You’re doing really good, Brookey. I like the colors. You got them all right.”

My niece smiles proudly. “Thanks Miss T. I tried real hard to stay in the lines.”

Eyes bulging, lips pursed, Kit looks to me, then to Britt.

I just shrug my shoulders. I have no fucking clue.

Aiden walks into the kitchen, then Jimmy follows close behind; because he’s nosy. They stop beside Bobby and pretend they’re not here to get the gossip – or stop my breakdown.

I scowl at the expectation in their eyes. “Are you guys busy today?”

Jim shrugs. “Not really. What’s up?”

“I’m moving out.”

Bobby spins. “What?”

Kit’s eyes turn sad, sending a hot wash of shame through my gut. She needs to stop freaking out. This day was coming; she knew it, I knew it. I can’t live at home forever, and surely, they don’t want me here. They must want their own space .

“We’ll help you move after the fight,” Aiden bargains. “Two weeks, then we’ll move your stuff.”

“I wanna move today.”

“Jack,” Kit whines. “Don’t do this.”

“I don’t have much to move, anyway. I could probably do it on my own.”

“You hurt yourself carting a box upstairs, you lose everything you worked for,” Bobby argues. “No more chances at the title. No more sponsorship deals. No more money.”

“It’s just clothes and stuff, B. Relax.”

“Can’t buy Bambie all the pretty baubles if you’re broke,” Jim adds.

Instantly, Britt’s head snaps up and a fiery inferno blazes in her light eyes. “I don’t need him to buy me stuff, Jim! I have a job. I’m not a gold digger!”

“No!” He brings his hands up instantly. “That’s not what I… I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just trying to talk some sense into your boy.”

“My boy? Mine? Ugh! Jack and I are just…”

My eyes narrow. “We’re what?”

“Casual!” She throws her hands in the air and steps away from Brooke. “We’re having fun.” She stops and pins me with a glare. “The kind of seeing each other where I don’t expect you to buy me things! And the kind that, when we do decide to get real with life, we can walk away without hurt feelings.”

“Walk away?”

And just like that, Bambie publicly tears my heart out… and because my pain is my sister’s pain, tears well in Kit’s eyes.

“Walk away, Bambie?” I stalk forward. “You’re done with me?”

“No! I’m just saying–” She stops and lets out a breath. “I told you ages ago. I’m not looking for a boyfriend. We’re just hanging out.”

“You’re preparing me for your walk, then? Not today, but soon?”

“No! I’m just saying what we already know.”

“What do we know?”

She cries out in frustration. “Nothing. We know nothing! You guys have fun moving house. I’ve gotta go.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have to go home.”

“You just got here.”

“Yeah.” She steps past me and picks up her discarded handbag. “I have too much work to do. I was hoping I could take a few hours, but I can’t.”

“Bambie– ”

“I’ll call you tonight, okay?” She steps up to me, shakily pulling down my shirt, and presses a gentle kiss to my cheek. “We’re good, I just have too much to do.”

“Is Luc gonna be there when you get back?”

Her glittering eyes meet mine. “Yeah, probably. He’s there almost always.”

“He ever sleep over?”

“Sometimes.”

I shake my head. “Don’t go, Bambie. Don’t leave.”

“You’ve got a really busy couple weeks coming up.” She turns to Bobby, “Right? Two weeks to go?” She turns back to me. “You need to concentrate, train, do the promotional stuff.”

“You’re walking?” My fucking voice breaks. I’m so pathetic.

“No.” She squeezes my bicep. Such gentle hands. Such painful dismissal. “I’m just going home to get some work done. I’ll call you tonight. We’re all really tired today. None of us slept much last night, and we’re not communicating very well because of it. I just need to go home and work and probably have a nap. I’ll call you later.”

“Bambie–”

“Two weeks until the circus leaves town. We’ll be okay.”

I snatch her hand before she escapes. “I’m asking you to stay. It’ll take an hour to move my shit to the new house. We’ll order in a pizza, then we can just hang out. Just the two of us. Things are always better when it’s just the two of us.” I’m practically begging her, and if she asked, I’d get down on my knees.

But she doesn’t ask. She simply shakes her head.

“This isn’t a big deal, Jack. You’re making it into something it’s not.”

“I’m not!”

“Stop being so damn demanding!” she snaps back. Stopping, shaking her head, she draws a deep breath. “I’ll call you.”