AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s Teddy.”
I shook my head as that goddamned image of my fiancé on his back with a dick lodged up his ass flashed through my memory.“Seriously?”
“That’s the rumor, according to Xavier’s cousin.”
It was through Jacob’s co-worker that I’d met my ex when he’d been up in Nodhead Falls visiting five years earlier.
“Well, good luck to both of them,” I muttered, that slight sting a little harsher than it had started out.At least it wasn’t a goddamned knife to the chest like I’d experienced when I’d found them fucking.
“When are you coming home, Kellen?”Concern filled my big brother’s tone, causing my throat to tighten.“There’s nothing down there for you—you have to realize that.”
“I’m taking a vacation soon,” I stated quietly, hating that my voice shook from missing my family, who loved me without question.“Need to help at the clinic Monday through Wednesday next week, then I’ll head up.”
“Sweet.I’ll let Mom know, and we’ll get the whole family together, yeah?”
“Sounds good.”
Fighting off sudden tears, I hung up a few seconds later, hating the storm brewing inside my chest.
I didn’t care for Xavier anymore.He had no sway over my life, my heart, or my mind, so why did the news twist my insides tighter with every passing minute?Why did I suddenly give a shit what he did let alone with whom?
Clutching my steering wheel, I spewed a few curses and pulled into my assigned parking spot a little too fast.My SUV’s door slammed shut behind me, and I stalked toward my apartment building with heavy steps, my shoulders hunched against the coolness in the air.
Emotions crashed into me with every step, battering against me like a nor’easter bent on leaving destruction in its wake.
My hand trembled as I typed in the front entrance code.
Too shaken up to take the stairs like I usually would, I used the elevator to get to my floor.
“I don’t care,” I insisted to myself while letting myself into the loneliest place on earth.So why did I feel like I did?“Goddamnit!”I tossed my keys onto the counter, sat on a stool, and fumbled to unlace my boots.They dropped to the floor one by one, and I left them lying there, too caught up in my goddamn head.
I needed to do something to get my mind off Xavier and his happily-ever-after.A hard and rough fuck you in the form of an Elite client sounded perfect in that moment, but that wasn’t an option as I was taking a break at Micah’s insistence.
JJ.
My feet halted in the path I’d begun wearing from my kitchen to my living room window overlooking the parking lot and back again.I pulled my cell from my pocket without further thought beyond wanting to forget for a while…to feel something other than the shit Jacob’s call had slowly stirred up inside me.
And who better than the one man whose mere presence tempted me to try for more?
I shot him a text rather than calling since I didn’t trust my voice to not break.JJ was an intuitive fucker, and the last thing I needed was him being empathetic or wanting to get to the bottom of my emotional state.He was so damn nosey.Pushy.If he asked what was wrong, I would probably spill—and I needed an escape into someone who would shut down my mind, not a therapy session where he attempted to examine my thoughts.
Me:Busy?
Two laps later, he responded.
JJ:Helping my neighbor put his garden beds to sleep for the winter.What’s up?
My fingers hovered over my screen as I tried to give an answer that wouldn’t take five minutes to type.Even though it was exactly what I wanted, bluntly asking for a good, hard fuck didn’t sit right since I didn’t want him to think I was using him.
But that was the truth, wasn’t it?
Me:Any plans for after?
Three dots appeared.Stopped.Appeared again.
“Come on,” I muttered, stretching my neck side to side.
JJ:What do you need, Kell?
