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I shook my head in warning, making sure she couldn’t miss that I did not want an approach. She walked my way anyway, long black hair swaying in a way that used to get my blood pumping harder. Despite the throbbing music, it was like the sounds of her heels clicking on the floor had the same cadence as when Sara Ford’s heels came toward me. With purpose that I wanted absolutely no fucking part of.
“Fuck sakes,” Ma growled.
“Who is that?” Gigi asked.
“Chelsea,” I said, looking her in the eyes.
Gigi’s eyes widened.
“Jesse?” Chelsea asked. “Sorry to disturb your evening, but can we talk?”
“No,” I denied, not looking at her, keeping my eyes on my girl. Gigi’s eyes bounced between me and Chelsea.
I pointed to my eyes, focused on Gigi and watched a swallow work down her throat as I gave her a strong nonverbal message.
“Please? I have some stuff I need to say. I owe you an explanation,” The bitch beside me pleaded.
I put my beer to my lips and still watched my girl, but after swallowing I answered with, “I owe you nothing. I owe you less than nothing. Fuck off.”
In my periphery, I saw her jerk like my words had inflicted pain. “Please? Just five minutes.”
“You heard him. Fuck off,” Ma stated.
“You want me to remove her?” Arch offered.
“I’ll remove her if you like, baby,” Gigi offered brightly.
A slow smile spread across my face at seeing my girl’s eyes move to my ex. She had her head held high, zero fear or self-doubt on her face. Her voice hadn’t trembled either.
Still not giving Chelsea my eyes, she didn’t get to have them, I reached across and clasped G’s hand, then leaned forward and put my mouth to it.
My girl smiled brightly at me, then her eyes moved to my ex. I felt Gianna’s hand trembling, but she didn’t let it show. I tightened my grip enough to help her steady it.
“He doesn’t wanna talk to you. Goodbye.” She flicked the fingers of her free hand toward the table Chelsea’s friends were at.
Summer was no longer on stage, Eliza was now wrapping a hand around the pole, dressed in a sexy nurse’s uniform.
Summer came over and linked arms with Chelsea. “C’mon. Let’s go.”
Chelsea gave her cousin a look of murder, wanting to protest.
“Summer? Not okay,” Ma scolded, knowing Summer made the phone call. “Get gone,” Ma added, eyes on Chelsea.
The bouncer approached.
Without looking at Chelsea, I scorched Summer with a similar expression to my mother’s. “Sorry, Jesse,” Summer squeaked as she pulled a stricken-looking Chelsea away.
“Here,” Ma passed me her keyring. “You two can go ahead and hang out at our place until we close.”
“I’m fine here if you’re fine, baby,” Gigi said and sipped her drink.
I was very fucking proud of my girl.
I wanted to drag her off and show her how proud. But she looked like she was enjoying watching Eliza on stage.
***
I got into bed in the room in Arch and Ma’s where I first realized I wanted to see behind that shroud of pain she wore.
Seeing the look in her eyes tonight made me feel like I’d accomplished that goal.
Light in her eyes. A smile on her face. A little tipsy. And looking very ready to connect with her man.
She welcomed me by wrapping her limbs around me as my body came down on top of her.
“Hello,” she greeted.
“Mm,” I kissed her. “Very fuckin’ proud of you right now, hostage.”
“Yeah?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I confirmed. She could’ve gotten self-conscious, could’ve shrunk inside herself tonight. Chelsea is a five-foot eleven raven-haired beauty who makes most women intimidated as fuck. Gianna is gorgeous, but Chelsea’s resting bitch face makes most people wither. I caught that bitchface from my periphery when Gigi offered to get rid of her, but Gigi didn’t flinch. Because she looked at me and saw everything she needed to see in my eyes. She was finally showing she trusted me. And further, she didn’t know how Chelsea burned me but knew she did, and it was plain to see that it made her angry.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” she asked.
I didn’t. But I didn’t want her wondering. I didn’t want her feeling shut out. I told her I wanted her to open up to me, so I needed to open up to her, too. I rolled off her but took her with me so that she was cradled to my side, head on my chest. She tipped it up to look at my face.
“Summer introduced us, brought her to a dinner at Ma’s place. An Easter dinner.”
Gigi snickered. “That’s kinda bizarre.”
“No kidding. Anyway, we fucked around for a bit and then it got serious. She had a pretty shitty home life. Father ran off when she was a kid. She and her mother lived with her uncle. He paid most of the bills. Weird relationship with her ma. Her ma is twin sister to Summer’s ma. Anyway, Chels told me he used to get handsy when he got liquored up and they’d stay away from him. Couldn’t figure out why she wouldn’t move out.”
