by Jolie, Meg
Jemma cocked an eyebrow at her. “Do I even want to know what that means? The four stages?”
“First, I was shocked. Then crushed. Next comes pissed. The. Hell. Off. That’s where I am right now,” she conspiratorially admitted as she leaned in. She gave a little shrug. “Next? I’m over it.”
Jemma nodded slowly as if not sure she agreed. “So you’ve already pretty much worked your way through this break-up? Even though it only happened yesterday?”
Carly gave her a solemn nod before taking a sip of her beer. “I have. And do you know why? Because he was such a douche about it. It makes it a whole lot easier to get over him.” Her eyes glittered with anger.
“I doubt you’re almost over it. You were engaged to the man,” Jemma pointed out. She was positive Carly was nowhere near ‘over it’. But if it helped her friend to pretend that she was, she wasn’t going to argue. Then Jemma smiled. “However, you do have the good and pissed down to a science.”
This brought a smirk to Carly’s face but it quickly fell away. “I know I should probably be glad he wasn’t cheating on me.” Carly noted the surprise that flitted across Jemma’s face. “But I think in some ways, that would be easier.”
“Why in the hell would you say that?” Jemma demanded. She had her head cocked to the side, her drink poised in mid-air.
Carly tried to organize her thoughts from the other morning into something that would make sense. “I don’t know. Maybe because at least I’d feel like there was a reason? Right now, I feel like there isn’t a reason. I mean, other than the fact he simply doesn’t want me. And I don’t know why. I don’t know what I did wrong. At least if there was someone else, I’d know why.”
Jemma was quiet for a moment and Carly was sure she was processing that. And probably trying to come up with a way to refute it. “You might think that now,” Jemma finally said, “but I’m sure if there had been someone else, you’d be feeling a whole lot differently.”
Carly shrugged, looking completely unconvinced. She took a sip of her beer instead of arguing her point. Jemma was probably right. When it came right down to it, break-ups sucked no matter what. And broken engagements? They sucked doubly bad.
“So last night…?” Jemma asked in a leading tone. She was obviously trying to lead Carly’s thoughts away from Nolan. “You and Jesse? I heard you went home with him.” She kept her tone completely flat but Carly could tell she was dying to hear what happened.
She shrugged. “You’d probably be disappointed to hear that nothing happened.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Jemma said with a smile. “You and Jesse? You just have this chemistry.”
“And a really crappy history,” Carly reminded her.
“It’s not all crappy,” Jemma said firmly. “In fact, the way he was looking at you last night?”
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Carly said before Jemma could elaborate. “I mean, I went home with him and nothing happened. Nothing at all.”
Jemma shook her head and pointed at Carly’s ring. “Because of that. He couldn’t stop checking out your ring last night.”
Carly glanced down at her hand.
“Did you want something to happen with him?”
“What? No! I mean, I didn’t really think about it,” Carly said.
“Maybe you should think about it,” Jemma told her. “I think a few hours alone with Jesse would be the perfect cure for your broken heart. You should’ve told him you weren’t engaged. I think he’d really like to know that.”
Carly let out a bitter laugh. If anything, Jesse had the power to shatter her already broken heart completely.
“You know, I was thinking,” Jemma said as she leaned forward on her elbows. She pointed to Carly’s left hand again. “That rock you still have on? Maybe you could hock it. That has to be worth at least a few months’ rent.”
Carly glanced down at her hand. The stone sparkled back at her.
“You don’t think I should give it back to him?” she wondered.
Jemma made a face at her, letting her know that no, she did not think Carly should give it back. “That ring is yours. It would be one thing if you’d been the one to call things off. But you weren’t. So no, as far as I’m concerned…Hell, probably as far as any court would be concerned, that baby is yours to do with as you wish. And if you wish to sell it, I say more power to you!”
In seconds, she was twisting it off of her finger. She knew she should’ve taken it off yesterday but until just recently, she’d still kept up the façade with her family. Now, she didn’t need to do that.
“I don’t know why even I still have it on,” she said. She opened her purse and unzipped an inside pocket. She dropped the ring into it and zipped it back up again. “But,” she said as she brought her attention back to Jemma, “that’s actually a really good idea. You’re right. It’s not like the bastard deserves to get it back. And I sure as hell don’t want to keep it.”
For the first time all evening, a look of relief settled onto her face.
Jemma cocked her head to the side. “Are you sure there’s no chance of fixing things? I mean, I know you’re good and pissed right now, and you have every right to be, but what if he was just having a jackass moment? What if he shows up, begging for you to take him back? Maybe you should hang on to the ring for a while. Just in case.”
Carly made a face to let her friend know she didn’t think that was going to happen. She could clearly see the cold, detached way he had looked at her. She could clearly hear his cruel words, ricocheting through her mind. “I do not think that’s going to happen. And even if it did,” she said with a shrug, “I could never take him back after that. I think getting rid of it in exchange for some rent money is a great idea.”
“That thing is enormous,” Jemma said with a great deal of appreciation. “You should definitely get enough for it that you can buy yourself a little more time.”
“You,” Carly said, “just made my night. I wasn’t with when he bought it. In fact, he surprised me with it. I mean, I have no idea what he paid for it. But right now, anything will help.”
“Well,” Jemma said with a grin, “considering Bart and I have been looking at rings lately, I’d guess that one of yours is worth a small fortune. I’m sure you could get a few thousand for it.”
“Really?” Carly asked, not daring to get her hopes up. If that were the case, added to the meager amount she had in her savings, she could get by for several months. In the meantime, she could try to find work, something part-time. Maybe, just maybe she could get through the rest of the semester without having to admit everything to her parents.
“Really,” Jemma assured her.
A smile spread across Carly’s face and she leaned back in the booth. “Then I am done worrying for tonight. I’m ready for some fun! But first, you need to tell me a little more about you and Bart. I didn’t realize you were looking at rings!”
Jemma nodded hesitantly. “We are. But you know, we’re still taking things slow. We’ve looked but marriage is still a long way off.”
Carly tilted her beer Jemma’s way. “Or maybe not.”
“Or maybe not,” she agreed. “But I’m not hitched yet. And tonight, I’m going to make sure you have a good time.”
“I plan to,” Carly assured her as her eyes scanned the bar crowd. Her gaze settled on a man—someone she didn’t recognize—playing pool. From this distance, he looked like a good prospect. She wondered if he’d look just as good close up. “I plan on having the kind of good time that will make me forget all about Nolan.”
Jemma laughed. “Yeah? Well, pace yourself Carly. This night is just getting started.”
~*~*~
Carly knew exactly what Jemma was up to. Or so she thought. Jemma had seen her eyeing up the hottie by the pool table. Instead of encouraging her, she’d distracted her. She’d distracted her for such a long time that before she knew it, the guy was gone.
In a town as small as Lanford, the selection of
good-looking eligible bachelors was pretty limited. There were guys at the bar, sure. But they all seemed to be with women, wearing wedding rings, or simply just not Carly’s taste. Thanks to Jemma, she’d missed out on the one prospect that had interested her.
Since it seemed she wouldn’t be distracting herself with the company of a male, she decided to distract herself with alcohol instead.
“You’ll thank me in the morning,” Jemma said with a smirk.
Carly swung her gaze back to her friend. There was no question about it, whoever the guy was, he was gone. Carly was sure of it. She’d done a thorough visual scan of the place. She stuck her lip out in a playful pout. “You just couldn’t let me have my fun, could you?”
Jemma’s smirk turned into a grin and she shook her head. “With that guy? No.”
“What was wrong with that guy?” Carly asked, feeling somewhat defensive of the stranger for no real reason at all. “You don’t even know him.”
“And neither do you,” Jemma pointed out. Her phone chirped at her and she picked it up to glance at it. “I know you get a little crazy sometimes. But if I’d let you leave with that guy, you would’ve regretted it in the morning.” She returned her attention to her phone.
Carly tried not to scowl. Jemma had been texting intermittently. Carly could only assume she was texting Bart. Any other night, she would’ve thought it was…sweet. Tonight? Not so much.
“Here I thought you were the fun one,” Carly grumbled.
“I am,” she said as she slid the phone back into her purse.
“Well, I’m going to get another beer. Do you want anything?” Carly asked Jemma as she slid out of the booth.
She glanced up at Carly and smiled. “I’m good.”
Carly gave her a little nod before turning to weave her way up to the bar. She really probably didn’t need another drink. This one, she told herself, would be her last. She had no desire to get stupid-drunk like she had the night before. After this one, she’d let Jemma know she was ready to go anytime her friend was.
She had just taken her place when a hard body slid up behind her. Then an arm like steel slid around her, as the other one braced against the bar, caging her in. Fingers skimmed up her shirt just far enough to not violate a modicum of decency. In that first split instant she was about to retaliate by blasting her elbow into the man’s kidneys. Then a receptor in her brain stopped her before she even knew why. The familiar body pulled her close.
Without looking back, her body began to realize what her mind knew instantly. It was Jesse. She would know him anywhere. Her body would respond to his anywhere.
Throw me into a crowded, dark alley blindfolded and my body would pick his out in a heartbeat, she unhappily admitted to herself.
“Carly,” he whispered in her ear.
Possibly she should’ve been offended by his hardness so presumptuously pressed into her backside. She wasn’t offended. The traitorous heat between her legs let her know she was already responding to it, though it was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Jesse,” she returned. She didn’t look back. She stood, elbows on the counter, waiting for the bartender as if her body were not already beginning to smolder.
His lips skimmed her earlobe. “A little birdie told me someone might be in need of a little revenge sex. Is that what you were looking for last night? Is that why you came home with me? Because you have to know, all you had to do was ask.”
Her body stiffened in his grip and then she twisted around in his arms to face him. The little birdie with a big mouth was named Jemma, no doubt.
Last night, he’d kept his distance. Both physically and emotionally. Seeing him up close, like this, took her breath away. She couldn’t even conjure something snarky to say.
No, she told herself, it’s not being this close to Jesse that has me feeling this way. It’s the alcohol. It has to be the alcohol.
She tossed her head to the side and let out a sharp laugh. “I am not going to ask you for anything.” Her voice was cold. Her voice was cold, but her body was already blazing. That was before she even turned around to look Jesse in the eye. His blue eyes were already devouring her. It had been so long. She didn’t want to think about that. But since Nolan, of course, she hadn’t been with Jesse at all. She didn’t want to be with him at all. That’s what she tried telling herself. It was a lie and every single cell in her body knew it.
Even if she didn’t want to admit it.
Revenge sex for her? Translated to an easy lay for him. She crossed her arms and glared at him.
He ignored the hostility. Instead, he smirked as he plucked her left hand up to inspect it. She immediately yanked her hand out of his grip but she knew he’d seen what he wanted to see. His eyebrows twitched upward and emotions she couldn’t identify washed over his face. His lips finally twitched up a bit in a smile while hers twitched in the opposite direction. She blinked hard because tears of humiliation were edging a little too close.
She tried to back away, forgetting the bar was right behind her.
“Hey,” he said, returning his grip to her waist as his eyes scoured her face. “So it’s true?”
There was no trace of a smile now. She searched his face for signs of gloating. Or amusement. Instead, Carly realized, he actually looked…What was that look? Concerned?
Despite herself, she felt some of her fury dissipating.
She glanced through the crowd and was able to find Jemma. Carly shot her a venomous look. Jemma arched an eyebrow, as if to say, What are you going to do about it?
Jesse’s hand slid lower, cupping Carly’s backside and pulling her in tight. It felt comforting and familiar and possessive and—
“I’ve missed you,” he said softly.
Without warning, the heat faded and her body felt as though it had turned to ice. “You mean you’ve missed an easy lay?” Her tone was angry and bitter. After what Nolan had put her through, she couldn’t stand to be reminded that she meant nothing to this man either.
He blinked at her, looking genuinely surprised. “Cricket, nothing about you is easy. Nothing about you has ever been easy.”
Just like that, the heat was back.
8
Jesse was torn between his body’s desire to go search out some caffeine and his desire to pull Carly in a little closer. It was easier when she was sleeping. There was no telling what she would do once she woke up. She was fiery and unpredictable. His desire to hold Carly a little longer won out because he wasn’t sure if he would get another chance.
He couldn’t see her face because she was on her side, curled away from him. That didn’t keep him from looping his arm around her waist, pulling her in a little closer. She let out a sigh but didn’t awaken.
He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the slant of overly-bright sunlight that was slicing its way through the crack in his curtains. His thoughts wandered to the unexpected events of the past two days.
Bart hadn’t warned him that Carly was at Shady’s. That had been like an emotional kick in the gut. Seeing her without warning when he hadn’t really seen her or spent any time with her since…Hell, it seemed that he couldn’t even remember when.
He realized that wasn’t true. He remembered when. Exactly. It was two and a half years ago. It was the night before the McGrath’s annual Fourth of July barbeque. Jake McGrath, Luke’s brother and Quinn’s husband at the time, had been his best friend.
He’d asked Carly to go to the cookout with him. She’d refused, giving him some lame excuse about too many friends and family being there. For some reason, that had pissed him off in a way it never had before. So what if their friends and family were there? So what?! He was so far beyond ready to move onto more than just fooling around with her.
That’s what they’d been doing for years. He’d gone along with it because Carly was younger than him. She had a wild side wider than the Grand Canyon. He’d wanted to give her some time to live her life. But that summer, she’d turned twenty-one. He’
d decided he’d waited long enough.
When he’d asked her to be his date, where—yes—friends and family would be, and she’d turned him down? Something in him had snapped. He was tired of the games the two of them had been playing and he thought she should be tired of them too. So when she’d declined his offer, he’d asked Betsy to go.
Another huge mistake because things with Betsy had escalated faster than he’d thought they would. But that, he was sure, was his own doing. The heat of their relationship had been fanned by the flames of his frustration with Carly. He screwed around with Betsy too long. Long enough to screw everything up.
Asking Betsy to that barbecue had been one of the worst decisions of his life. He never could’ve foreseen how that one simple act would spiral into what it had. In no time, it seemed, Carly had met someone else.
Never had he thought she’d end up engaged to the bastard.
And never had he thought she’d end up back at his house. Not under any circumstances.
When she’d asked to come home with him the other night, he’d cursed himself the whole drive, telling himself he should’ve told her no. Sent her on her way with Jemma, brought her back to her parents, brought her over to Luke’s…Just something that didn’t involve bringing her to his house.
Then she’d wandered down his hall, stripping as she went. Not looking back.
It had been torture. Absolute torture. And more torturous still to just let her go to his room while he crashed on the couch. But he knew he would’ve felt even worse if he’d followed her. Or at least, he thought he would’ve. Because he’d thought, at the time, that she was engaged. And as he’d told her, there were some lines he just wouldn’t cross.
No matter how badly he wanted to.
But when he’d received that first text from Jemma last night?
Engagement is off and Carly’s looking for trouble. Thought you might want that trouble to be YOU.
That had changed everything.
He’d known that something had been up with Carly. He’d known something was wrong. He never thought it was that. It seemed to be too much to hope for. Especially since the ring had been clearly on her finger, sparkling at him in ridicule every time he’d glanced her way.