Page 87 of The Other Room

Her friends giggled and laughed, as I struggled to get free.

“Kiss her!” they egged us on.

“Not happening,” I argued, still struggling to get her fingers to unlock. “Nikki, I mean it. Let. Me. Go.”

With a defeated sigh, she finally released her grip. “Fine. Whatever, Matt. Go.”

“I plan on it.” I pushed myself up and rubbed the claw marks on my neck. “Goodbye, Nikki. I mean it when I say I hope this is the last time I ever see you.”

She stuck up her middle finger, then rolled onto her side. The gaggle of girls mirrored the gesture, and I saw one snap a photo of the obscene gesture-fest as I left.

“You alive?” Aaron asked, leaning up against the railing outside the room.

“For now. I still have to find Jo, and that encounter I might not survive.” I sucked the air through my teeth, and they mirrored the look. “Thanks for the help guys. Wish me luck with Jo.”

“I’m really sorry I doubted you, and that I may have made things a wee bit worse with Jo.” He motioned with his fingers while he grimaced.

“Not your fault, buddy. It was an honest mistake.”

“Let me know how it turns out, and if you want me to talk to her and explain things, I’m totally game.”

“Thanks, man.” I bumped his fist with mine. “I think I need to deal with this solo, but if shit goes south, you’d better believe I’m making you come and explain your part in it.”

“Deal.”

With one last fist bump, I said goodbye to them and started jogging back down the Sister Bay hill to my truck. Finally, I could get to Jo. Explain how everything she saw, and heard, was one huge, horrifying misunderstanding.

After I reached Stabbur, I pulled out of the parking lot and drove back to our cabin. My heart sank when I got there and her blue Jeep wasn’t in the parking lot. After putting my truck in park, I dialed her number, not surprised when it went straight to voicemail.

This was Jo. And Jo’s flight response had definitely kicked in.

The only positive thing about her phone being off was that hopefully I’d find her before she saw all the texts tattling about how I’d been spotted all over Sister Bay with Nikki in my arms. No one knew we were dating, so they’d have no idea the impact those texts would have, but as Jake’s bestie, she’d certainly be at the top of the text list to gossip about my exploits. Because that would really help my case.

Son of a bitch.

I slapped the steering wheel and slumped back in my seat. Maybe, just maybe, she would still come home tonight. And when she did, I would be waiting. Waiting to beg her forgiveness and make her listen.

With the weight of my disappointment crushing me into the ground, I walked up the stairs to our cabin and went inside. Petunia trotted up, greeting me with a meow.

“Hey, Petunia. I don’t suppose Jo told you where she was going, did she?”

I stopped and gave her a scratch and then peeked inside Jo’s room. The cat bowl overflowed with food. Not a good sign for her returning tonight.

“Where’d she go, Petunia? Jenna’s?” I asked as I walked back into the living room. I saw the note on the counter, and my heart hammered against my ribcage as I hurried over to read it.

Dickhead,

You have 48 hours to get the fuck out. I’m leaving town for a few days, so take care of my cat while you’re still there. And if I ever see your lying, cheating, asshole face again, I swear to God I’ll tear it off. My phone’s off so don’t bother trying to call me, text me, or find me. Goodbye for good.

Jo

Well, that answered that. Leaving town? I thought maybe she’d go to Jenna’s, but apparently that was still too close to me.

The man who she thought broke her heart.

I pulled the note to my chest and stumbled back to her bedroom. With a defeated sigh, I flopped down onto her bed.

The bed we’d just been in this morning.