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Iknow how much it pissesJacksonoff whenIdon’t let him open my door, and right now,Idon’t care one bit.Iwill hold his hand and gaze up at him lovingly like the perfect fake girlfriend, all the while wishing he would shove that hand between my thighs soIcan finally release some of this tension ping-ponging around my body.ButIabsolutely will not do so without a beer in my hand, without going on every single ride at this carnival, and without eating every single piece of vegan carnival foodIcan get my hands on.
“Waitup,”Jacksongrowls as he catches up with me and shoves his hand into mine.
“Sogrumpy,”Iwhisper back. “Justlike we had arealfight.”
TheWesternSpringsCarnivalis as adorable and picturesque as everything else in this town.Allsorts of rides cover a big grass field.Thereare booths with games and food.Everythingis lit up with bright, colorful lights under the dark sky.Thenormally quiet night air is full of laughter and the whirring sounds of rides and games.
TuggingJackson’shand to walk faster,Iannounce. “Ineed a beer.Orseveral.”
“Selena…”
“We’rehere to have fun.It’sa carnival.Lightenup,Jackson!Ooh, there they are.Everyone’salready here.”
TuggingJacksonbehind me,I’mdetermined to have fun tonight if it kills me.OrifIkillJackson.Whichevercomes first.Atleast ifIended up murderingJackson,I’dget my hands on more of him, wrapping them around his thick throat as his muscles bulge against my fingers whileIstrangle him.
chapterforty-one
selena
JacksonandGunnarwent to get drinks, leavingLilyand me alone for a few minutes.Ifeel likeIcan finally breathe now thatJacksonisn’t standing right next to me, looming over me and making me feel thingsI’mnot supposed to be feeling.
LilyandIare dancing at the edge of the temporary dance floor set up at the edge of the carnival while a bluegrass band plays, when a couple of cowboys come up to us.Atleast,Ithink this is bluegrass.Ifthere’s a banjo, that means it’s bluegrass, right?Andif they’re wearing cowboy hats, that means they’re cowboys?Thefirst one takesLilyby the hand and twirls her on the spot before wrapping his arms around her.They’redoing what my online research has confirmed for me is in fact the two-step.I’vewatched a ton of tutorials, but have zero confidenceIcan mimic them.
“Wannadance?” the taller cowboy asks me.
“Sure.”Inod.Zerofucks available to be given.JacksonWatersdoesn’t own me.Andhe certainly hasn’t asked me to dance with him tonight.Allhe’s done is hold my hand and talk to everyone but me.Dancingwith a tall, handsome cowboy at a carnival does not violate any of the terms of our contract, not a single one.
Thecowboy puts one hand on my shoulder and the other hand on my hip.Well, the back of my hip.Ass-adjacent, really.Butmaybe that’s how you two-step?WhoamIto say?Thevideo tutorialsIwatched didn’t cover hand placement in any significant amount of detail.Theywere more focused on the footwork.
Heleads me one step back, and thenI’mstaring at a blank space where my tall cowboy used to be.
WhenIspin around,I’mstaring at the back of familiar broad shoulders in a familiar black t-shirt.
“Hey, buddy, you can fuck right off,” my tall cowboy says.
“Yeah, just try it,”Jacksonsays quietly as his brothers andGunnarappear out of freaking thin air and step in line next to him.
Ohshit, this is a scene out ofFootloose.Ifthat music and dance-less town was full of broad shoulders cockblocking me from getting to finally two-step at a country carnival in front of a real-live bluegrass band.
Howdo they do this so perfectly in sync?Werethey in some sort of choreographed dance-fighting gang when they were younger?Iwould pay all of my money to see that.
Andwhy the hell does it make me wet?
“Whatever, man.I’mout of here,” my tall cowboy mutters.Peekingthrough the gap betweenJacksonandJarett’sshoulders,Iwatch as my tall, handsome cowboy abandons me.Leavingme in the clutches of my taller, handsomer movie star.
Jacksonturns to face me, while the rest of theWatersmen continue to stare down my tall, handsome cowboy until he fades into the crowds of the carnival.
“Selena?”
“Yes,Jackson?”Isay, anger surging up in me.
“Ireally don’t need you getting me into a fight tonight, baby.”Hisvoice is so low and gruffIcan barely hear him.
“You’rea grown-up,Jackson.Theonly one gettingyouinto a fight isyou,”Iwhisper back, sweetly. “Youweren’t rescuing me.Iwanted to dance with him!”
“You’remygirlfriend,Selena.”
“I’myour f-”Ialmost blurt out the truth of it, butIstop myself before saying it.I’myour fake girlfriend. “I’myour girlfriend, not your property.Ido whatIwant.”
