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She stared at him, then hesitantly nodded.
He backed further away from the doorway, but I did not miss the pointed look he gave her.
“Apologies, Jesse. Brother. Condolences, Gia. Sorry for your loss. Be smart, okay, babe?” He gave her another pointed look.
“What’s the ancient history?” I pushed.
What was he telling her to be smart about?
“It’s done now. Forget it. Have a good night,” he said.
“I plan to,” I told him, my meaning clear.
I closed the door and looked to her in the bed. She still had that same TV show on. She had the markers and journal beside her, and I could see she’d been using them.
“Quite the marathon binge you’re on. That kid’s all grown up.” I gestured to the TV.
Her eyes bounced to the TV and then back to me.
“What’s the story?” I asked her. “What’s the unfinished business with him?”
“I have no idea,” she whispered, looking pale.
“Don’t lie to me,” I warned.
She bit her lip. “Sorry.”
“Then tell me all of it,” I said, “all the history with him. He’s clearly thinkin’ he’s entitled to have access to you despite what I’ve said to him, so I need it all. Let me have it.”
She frowned. “Why? Why do you need to know?”
“I’m not pissed at you, baby. I’m pissed at him. I need you to level with me here, so I know what I’ve gotta deal with and have all the information I need in order to help me do that.”
Her forehead wrinkled with confusion.
“It’s a guy thing. A biker thing. Talk, woman.”
“Um… he lied to me when I first started comin’ around, makin’ me think he was interested in a relationship. He’s a liar. Cheater. And he thinks he can sweet talk me or bully me or whatever.”
“Bully you? Into fucking him?” I straightened.
She stared at me with alarm.
“Bullies you into fucking him?”
She bit her lip.
“Gigi,” I demanded.
“Not exactly. He’s tried.”
“He succeed?”
“Not… um... let’s change the subject.”
“Let’s not. How about you tell me what the fuck he’s done?”
“Jesse, it’s been a rotten day. A rotten couple days. Can we just drop it? Please?”
I stared at her expectantly. “Start talkin’, baby. Or I go haul him back here and make him start talking.”
“You’ve been super-nice to me but seriously, I don’t wanna cause problems with the club. That’s the only good thing about meeting Skip. He gave this club to me in a way. I mean… it’s not mine, but everyone, mostly, is cool with me. Delia is being amazing to me. And you… you’ve been… incredible. Incredible, Jesse.” She put her palm to her heart to drive that message home. “But I don’t wanna cause problems for the Doms and I’m not gonna say anything else that might cause a problem so please don’t ask. Okay?”
“Baby, listen… if that fuckin’ guy-”
“Can you just stop?” she exclaimed, slamming the remote control on the bed. “You’re fuckin’ with my head and it’s already severely fucked. I’m begging you to please stop it, okay?”
“How am I fuckin’ with your head?” I demanded.
Despite her grieving, despite that she was having a rotten day, it was time to get some things straight. Because despite the grief, despite the bad news weighing on her, she needed to get where I was coming from. Maybe it’d help. Or it wouldn’t. But between the things I’d picked up on from her the last couple days and the things Delia said to me, it was time for this conversation, leaving nothing unsaid. After that, we’d see where it went.
She took a swig of her drink.
“How am I fuckin’ with your head?” I repeated.
“Callin’ me baby or your girl for one thing. Holding me in front of other people all protective-like is another.”
I laughed.
She looked wounded as she went on, “Kissing me coming and going like I’m your… your…” She shook her head. “You were kind to act like there was something with us when we left Aberdeen to make sure Skip’s old lady didn’t go off on me for no reason, because there was no reason that day. I won’t go there with Skip again if I can help it. I get that we’ve been havin’ fun because you’re stuck with me and I’m helpin’ pass the time, but…”
“What?” I jerked back for more than one reason.
“Don’t refer to me as your girl. I get why you did it, but I can’t have that.”
“You get it?”
“I do.”
“I don’t think you do. And you can’t have it?”
“No. I can’t. You don’t have to sugarcoat it, either. You’ve gotta watch me, which pissed you off at first but then you decided to make the best of it, so…” she shrugged. “So you did. And it’s been fun. You’re fun and sexy and you can sweep a girl clean off her feet when you wanna, and the sex is amazing. Amazing enough sometimes I almost forget. But I’m under no illusions. I know what this is and what it isn’t. But right now … right now I’m extra vulnerable, so I gotta ask you to take things down a notch or seven.”
