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My brows drew together. Something was off. There was no aggressive demand in his tone. It was as if a normal person was asking a friend when they got off. Except Jayden wasn't normal, and I wasn't his friend. I was ready to tell him to fuck off when his gaze snapped up over my shoulder. When it didn't come back immediately, I twisted to see what he was looking at.
Drew.
Fuck.
"Jayden," I warned. "Don't." I placed my hand on his chest, saying a silent prayer that he wasn't here to kill Drew. His eye blinked down to my hand, distracting him from Drew, and I hoped Drew was smart enough to disappear.
"What time do you get off?" he asked again in the same dull tone. His expression wasn't cold and hard like it normally was. He actually looked exhausted. "Please, Sadie." Please was a new word from him.
"I'm off now." I sighed, giving in to him.
"Have you eaten?" I shook my head.
"Let me feed you and then take you home?" he said more as a question than a demand which was confusing because Jayden didn't ask; he told. Was this some kind of trap?
"I don't need you to take care of me, Jayden." I scowled, crossing my arms over my chest.
Stepping into me, he leaned down, his lips inches from mine. "I don't take care of you because you need me to," he whispered, his tone so earnest I sucked in a deep breath. "I do it because you are mine." His lips gently brushed against mine before he took a step back. His tone, facial expressions, and body language weren't threatening or possessive. For the first time ever, I felt like I was getting a glimpse of the real Jayden.
I nodded. "Let me grab my things, and I'll meet you at your truck."
* * *
The truck ride to the diner was silent, and it wasn't until our food was in front of us that he finally said something to me.
"If I hadn't come to the bar tonight," his deep blue eyes locked on mine, "would you have come to me?"
"Are you asking if I would have chased after you?" My brows furrowed. He nodded. "No." I dropped my gaze to my plate. "I did that once and found another girl in your bed."
"It was my sister," he whisper-hissed. My gaze flashed up, meeting his.
"How would I know that, Jayden?" I shrugged. "You won't let me in." His eyes closed as he tilted his head towards the ceiling. "I don't know anything about you other than you have a sister and your parents are dead."
His head dropped into his hands as he cleared his throat. "They're not dead," he mumbled.
"I'm sorry, what?" I wasn't sure I heard him correctly because his hands muffled his words.
"I lied," he said, his gaze snapping up to meet mine. "My parents aren't dead." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "My family is complicated." If anyone understood the need to lie about a complicated family history, it was me.
"Okay." I picked up a fry. "Why don't you tell me about it?"
Blowing out a heavy sigh, he nodded. "If you think I'm untouchable here, in this small town, you should see the power my family has back home." His tongue swept out, wetting his lips. I had questions. Lots of questions, but I decided to let him do the talking. "My family is wealthy, and I won't go into exact details right now, but most of the money is dirty." I nodded, understanding exactly what he was trying to say. "And if I don't get drafted this year, that's the life I will return to. The one they already have planned out for me."
"Do they have your sister's life planned out, too?" I questioned.
"No." He shook his head. "Or not anymore. My sister's drug use drew too much attention to my family. So they cut her out."
"Forever?" He nodded. "What happens to her then?"
"I will make sure she's taken care of," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Hopefully, she stays clean this time."
"So, at the end of this year," I said, swirling my straw in my drink. "If you're not drafted, you go back home to your family." He nodded. "Without me?" Swallowing hard, he nodded. His words were coming through loud and clear. He couldn't promise a future with me, but I was his for the rest of this year. The unclear part was whether he was telling me not to let my feelings get involved or that I had a choice not to be his. "And if you are drafted?"
"Then I will probably be cut off, too." He sighed. "Unwanted attention drawn to the family." He cleared his throat. "My parents agreed to let me go to college because of football under the terms that after college, I would come home and work in the family business."
"What is the family business?" He shook his head as his eyes darted around the room. There were too many people with listening ears. I nodded. "Do they know being drafted is an option for you?"
"No, and I prefer to keep it that way." He pulled his straw to his lips before taking a quick drink. "Now it's your turn to let me in."
