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I sweep a rogue tear off my cheek with the back of my finger.
Me:Deal.
Troy:So we’re okay then?
Staring down at the message, I pace a tight circle on the matted area rug before typing a reply.Arewe okay? My brain says yes, but my heart stops me from pulling the trigger. I’m not in love with Troy, but maybe I just haven’t allowed that love to grow. Caught up in my own drama, I built a wall to keep myself from getting hurt. Then, like a fool, I let the wrong person cross the border.
Me:Friends?
My eyelids flutter closed as I drop my thumb to the arrow. Troy isn’t perfect, but when all was said and done, he’s the one groveling at my feet. He accepts his faults and admits when he’s wrong. Unlike some arrogant assholes I know …
Troy:Friends, huh?
Me:With potential.
Troy:Friends with potential. I suppose I can live with that.
Relief waves through me. Maybe someday we can become more, but friendship is all I’m able to give right now. It’s not fair to hold Troy back if I can’t return his feelings. Best to keep it simple and see what happens.
Troy:My parents are having some lame dinner party this weekend. I want you to come.
Goose bumps dapple my arms. This feels like the opposite of simple, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in the interest of our newfound friendship.
Me:Sure
We swap a few more messages to solidify our plans before saying goodbye. Already feeling better, I journey into the kitchen to find a vase. Cindy’s at the stove cooking something that smells delicious.
She chucks a glance over her shoulder. “That’s some bouquet. Musta cost ole Troy a bundle.”
“He could afford it.”
Jace’s voice slithers up my spine like nails on the chalkboard. I didn’t even see him standing in the hall. He’s dressed in black from head to toe, his hair a dampened mess on his head as if he toweled it dry and left it that way. His face is the only thing visible, save for the little gold hoop looped in his nostril.
The way he makes my body react should be criminal. All the liquid in my body suddenly veers south. I casually get a drink of water to quench my dry throat. “Jealous much?” I lean against the counter, crossing my thighs to stifle the burn I feel down below. I hate him with the fire of a thousand dying suns … Evidently, my lady bits have a different emotion in mind.
“Like I’d be jealous of that rat fuck.”
“Language!” Cindy waves her spatula in his direction. “You’re not too old to go over my knee.” Jace just rolls his eyes and tugs the handle on the refrigerator door. “Get outta that fridge. I got dinner cookin’.”
Jace steals a cola and lets the door close on its own. “I ain’t stayin’.”
A pinprick of pain makes a tiny hole in my heart. After so many beautiful nights of bearing his soul, he can’t even sit at the same table as me and share a meal. How have we fallen so far?
Cindy looks at me next. “Don’t tell me you’re leavin’, too.”
“Mm-mm,” I warble around my raised glass in the negative.
She points at my hand. “I see you found your ring.”
Water dribbles down my chin. I wipe it away with the palm of my hand as I swallow the massive sip in my mouth. “Troy got it back for me,” I say, holding it up to watch how the diamonds glitter.
“Un-fuckin’-believable,” Jace snarls through gritted teeth but doesn’t stick around long enough to earn Cindy’s weaponized spatula. He shoves through the screen and slams it closed. Outside, the truck revs with an evil growl as he peels out of the yard.
Cindy flips the meat, unfazed. “That Troy is a good boy. You hold on to him.”
I smile, but it isn’t genuine. My gaze wanders to the sign in Cindy’s kitchen:don’t shit where you eat. I found it funny at first, but now I realize it’s good advice. Sleeping with Jace was a big ole shit sandwich, and I swallowed down every bite, then licked my fingers when I was done. I can’t even be mad at him. It would be like being mad at a snake for having been bitten. I knew who he was. I have no one but myself to blame for the rotten taste in my mouth.
Chapter fifteen
