Bittersweet (Redemption Book 3)

by Jessica Prince

  I hung with Brantley a little while longer before deciding I’d pushed my luck enough for one day and guided him back inside.

  The house was filled with the delicious smells of whatever she was preparing for dinner, and my mouth instantly started to water. That was another thing about her that I missed in a list of millions. She was talented when it came to cooking. She wasn’t into all that fancy shit, she liked good, old-fashioned stick-to-your-ribs comfort food, and it always tasted incredible.

  Her head lifted and turned in our direction, her gaze going straight to our boy, and as soon as it did, her lips split in a smile I felt in my chest and dick. Most gorgeous smile I’d ever seen. “Hey kid. You have fun?”

  “Yeah, it was the best!”

  “I’m glad, baby. Now go get washed up. Dinner’ll be ready soon. I’m making burgers.”

  “Yes,” he whisper-yelled, shoving his fist into the air. “Can Daddy stay for dinner? Please, Mommy? Pleeeeeease?”

  I could see the panic starting to fill her eyes, rising up like high tide over the sandy shoreline. I’d have given my right hand to sit at that table and have dinner with her and our boy, but it was clear as day that wasn’t what she wanted, so I gave her an out.

  Squatting down so I was eye-level with my son, I reached up to rough his hair. “I’d really like that, bud, but I’ve got some work at the office I need to do. But we’ll see each other soon.”

  His face fell, all the joy bleeding right out of it. “Oh. Okay.” The dejection in his voice broke my fucking heart.

  “Actually,” Shane started, “if your dad’s not busy this weekend, I was thinking he could pick you up one day and maybe teach you to ride your bike without those training wheels.”

  I stood to my full height slowly, bewildered eyes locked to her as that small niggling of hope that had formed after Caroline’s little talk began to expand.

  “Really?” Brantley’s squeal barely penetrated the fog forming around my brain.

  “Yeah, kiddo,” she replied, hitting him with that smile once more before hesitantly turning a questioning gaze to me. “If that’s okay with you?”

  “Yeah, absolutely,” I answered quickly, not wanting to give her a chance to change her mind. “How’s Sunday work for you?”

  “Sunday’s good.”

  “Awesome!” My boy did a little dance that included shaking his butt before lunging in to give my thighs a tight squeeze. “Love you, Dad! See you Sunday!”

  “Love you too,” I called out as he took off down the hall to wash up for dinner, leaving Shane and me alone.

  When I turned back to her, her attention was fixed on the hallway, and I could see the rapid thrum of the pulse in her neck.

  “Thank you,” I said, my voice coming out gruffer than I intended.

  “I’m not ready to give him up for overnights,” she blurted, returning those amber eyes to me so I could see the worry in them. “Not yet, at least. But I’m willing to let you see him more.” One corner of her mouth crooked up in the tiniest grin. “Unsupervised.” At the droll lilt in her voice and the teasing glint in her honey gaze, my chest grew tight, making breathing difficult.

  “I’ll take whatever you’re willin’ to give,” I told her honestly.

  “Okay. Then . . . see you Sunday, I guess.”

  “You definitely will.” That was a fucking promise.

  Knowing I’d already gotten everything I was going to get from this exchange, I tipped my chin and headed out the door.

  I might not have accomplished what I set out to do with this visit, but I still left feeling a million times lighter.

  Chapter Nine

  Jensen

  Eighteen years old

  For the first time in my life, I actually found myself looking forward to going to school. I didn’t give a shit about my classes or anything like that. It was all about her. After that near kiss, I’d backed off, deciding to give her a bit of space, but I’d only been able to do that because I knew at least I’d get to see her every day.

  Those few glances, the long, lingering looks I’d give her in the hallway or cafeteria, watching as her cheeks burned with red before she quickly looked away, had been enough to tide me over. It helped that I’d distracted myself with the other assholes I went to school with. Rumors of my fight that first day and my family’s money had spread fast, giving me an instant popularity I hadn’t earned or given a single shit about. I was constantly surrounded by people I didn’t really know—or like, if I was being honest.

  It had been a week since I saw her in that ice cream shop, and when I woke up that morning I decided enough time had passed for her to come to grips with what was happening. She’d had a reprieve, but it was ending that day, and with that decision made, I’d gotten ready and headed to school with the strangest feeling. Anticipation mingled with excitement squeezed at my chest. It was a sensation I’d never felt before.

  When I parked in the student lot—making sure not to take one of the handicap spots, even though I fucking hated having to walk all that way—I’d actually had a smile on my face. Not that bullshit smirk I always wore as a mask to hide the truth of my messed up life from everyone around me, but a real, genuine smile. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually smiled. It felt a bit stiff and weird, but also kind of nice.

  I climbed out of my car and started for the building; halfway there someone jumped in front of me, blocking my path.

  “Hey, Jensen.”

  I gave the chick in front of me a cursory once-over. I recognized her from all the times she’d tried to get my attention since I started there. Rina Martin. She had a reputation at school for being the kind of girl who was down for pretty much anything. She was also Shane’s friend.

  I tilted my chin up, muttering, “What’s up,” distractedly. I had a certain girl on my mind I wanted to get to, and the one standing in front of me was not her.

  “You look really good today,” Rina said, her voice coming out like a purr as she reached out and dragged her finger down my chest. “Like, really good.” She bit down on her shiny lip and looked up at me through the mascara she’d caked onto her lashes, going for sexy even though it wasn’t working for her.

  She wore way too much makeup, and she didn’t wear it well. It looked streaky and I could see the lines where her foundation didn’t quite meet her neck. The black eyeliner around her eyes had obviously been reapplied after sleeping on it, leaving dark smudges beneath that made her look strung out. I could see her black bra clearly through the thin white material of her skin-tight T-shirt, and it was obvious she’d taken a pair of scissors to her denim skirt to make it even shorter, leaving the hem jagged, uneven, and short enough that if she bent over, everyone would know exactly what was under there.

  Nothing about her did it for me, but in the past that wouldn’t have mattered. I wouldn’t have blinked at taking this girl up on what she was offering, fucking her just to temporarily escape the misery that was my life.

  But not now.

  Even if she hadn’t been friends with Shane, I wouldn’t have gone there, because no one but Shane was doing it for me. I went from nailing a different chick whenever possible to jacking off to the mental images of the honey-eyed girl I was quickly becoming obsessed with.

  “Thanks. Gotta go,” I mumbled, side-stepping Rina and starting for the school.

  Not taking the hint, she whipped around and raced to catch up, having to speed walk to keep pace with my long strides. “I don’t know if you heard, but my folks are out of town so I’m throwing a party at my place this weekend. You should totally come. It’s gonna be awesome.”

  “I don’t know,” I answered distractedly. Honestly, I had no interest in going to her party. The only way I’d go was if Shane was going to be there. “Maybe. We’ll see.”

  “You really should. Like, everyone’s gonna be there.”

  The words fell out of my mouth before I could think. “Will Shane be there?”

  Rina snorted, and rol
led her eyes. “Probably not. Shane’s not into being social and stuff. But who cares if she comes? She’s a total dud.” My fists clenched tight at the blatant insult of her friend. I didn’t care much for Rina Martin to begin with, but now I was starting to not like her at all. Not sensing the change in me, she skipped a few steps ahead so she could walk backward while giving me another one of those stupid, seductive looks. “If you come, I’ll totally make it worth your while.”

  I highly doubted that.

  I let my attention drift with an annoyed sigh only to catch sight of Shane standing a few feet from the school’s entrance, her gaze pinned on me and her so-called friend, and I could have sworn I saw hurt in her eyes. She quickly jerked around and hurried inside the building.

  Before I could think my actions through, I placed my hands on Rina’s shoulders to move her out of my way and picked up my pace. “Shane, wait!” I called out, practically at a full run by the time I reached the doors. I didn’t give a damn that I’d left Rina behind, ending the conversation right in the middle of it. I didn’t give a shit about her. I only really cared what one person thought, and the idea that she might think I was interested in her friend in any way left a sour, acrid taste in my mouth.

  I spotted her down by her locker, quickly shuffling through her books, her motions hurried and frantic. Ever the diligent student, she wanted to escape me, but she wasn’t going to risk not having the right materials for her class.

  “Shane,” I called again, slowing to a jog then stopping altogether once I reached her side. “That wasn’t what it looked like, I swear.”

  She kept her attention on the contents of her locker, refusing to look at me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  She was so full of shit. She knew exactly what I was talking about, and it bothered the hell out of her. “Me talking to Rina. It wasn’t what you think it was. She just came up to me in the parking lot and started talking.”

  She finally looked at me, but the light and animation were gone from her eyes, leaving them flat and lifeless. I fucking hated that.

  “I honestly don’t care who you talk to, Jensen. It’s none of my business. Besides, I already told you Rina has a thing for you, so I’m glad you guys were talking.”

  “Bullshit,” I snapped, calling her out. For the life of me, I didn’t understand what it was about her that caused such an intense reaction, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to question it, not when she was the first person to ever make me feel alive. “You saw her making a pass at me and you didn’t like it. You can lie to yourself, but I’m not stupid.”

  “Okay, I didn’t like it,” she admitted, slamming the locker door closed. That smile started to pull at my lips again and hope ignited in my blood. I was finally getting in there, digging my way under that wall she had up around her. Or so I thought. But then she switched tactics. “But it doesn’t matter. She’s my friend and she’s into you. I’d be a shitty person if I got between that.”

  My top lip curled up in indignation at her defense of Rina. “Hate to break it to you, but you aren’t the one who’s a shitty friend. You’re being loyal to someone who doesn’t deserve it.”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “Doesn’t matter. That’s just how I am.”

  She tried to step around me, but I got in her space, backing her up until she was pressed against her locker. “It’s never gonna happen between me and Rina. I’m not interested in her.”

  She rolled her eyes like she didn’t believe me. “All guys are interested in her.”

  “Well I’m not,” I demanded. “And there isn’t a damn thing she can do to change that.” Bracing my hands on the wall of lockers on either side of her head, I leaned in and lowered my voice. “In case you missed it, the only one I’m interested in is you. Rina could blow every dude on the football team, and I wouldn’t give a shit. Hell, I doubt I’d even notice.”

  Pink bloomed in her cheeks and she got that same spaced look she had when I had her against the wall back at the ice cream shop, and I felt my dick start to harden behind my fly.

  Her mouth opened and closed like she planned on responding but didn’t know how. The moment was broken a second later when the first bell rang, signaling that classes were about to start.

  “I-I have to go,” she said in a dazed whisper.

  She was the polar opposite of her “friend” in every way. Hardly any makeup, long hair pulled back in a haphazard ponytail, her jeans and tee worn for comfort instead of attention. And still, she was the hottest girl I’d ever seen. Rina had nothing on Shane. I didn’t want to move away. I wanted to press closer. I wanted to fucking finally lean in and see what her lips tasted like. Instead of giving in to the desire licking at my skin, I took a step back, keeping her locked in place with my gaze.

  “See you at lunch, sunshine. Be sure to save me a seat, yeah?”

  Before she had a chance to reply, I turned and started down the hall. From the corner of my eye I noticed Rina standing a few yards away, arms crossed over her chest, an enraged frown creasing the makeup spackled on her face.

  And I didn’t care at all.

  Shane

  Sixteen years old

  I’d been a jumble of nerves all morning long. I felt antsy and on edge through every class, my knees shaking beneath my desk, my hands trembling as I tried to take notes, making my handwriting illegible. I had barely heard a word my teachers said during their lessons, too busy replaying Jensen’s words over and over.

  When I’d spotted Rina down the hall after Jensen walked away, I saw how pissed she was, but I couldn’t find it in me to be upset that she was mad. And I’d tried really freaking hard to call up that emotion.

  I’d meant what I told him. I was hardcore loyal when it came to the very few people I let it. Rina had once been one of those people, but with each passing day, I felt more and more distance forming between us. That connection I was clinging to was starting to feel more like an albatross than a friendship, and that had nothing to do with Jensen. I’d been feeling that way long before he came into the picture.

  Still, I was the type of person who felt the need to apologize to anyone I’d caused pain, indirectly or not. That was why I’d decided to seek her out in the cafeteria come lunchtime. However, before I could find her, she found me, coming up and blocking my path as I stepped out of the lunch line with my tray in hand.

  “What the hell was that?” she snapped, looking just as angry as she had in the hallway earlier that morning. “You’re making a move on Jensen Rose after I told you I liked him?”

  Any contrition I’d been feeling before that moment died a quick and painless death, annoyance springing to life in its place. “I wasn’t making a move on anybody. And you didn’t say anything about liking him. All you said was that you wanted to sleep with him.”

  Her raccoon eyes narrowed into angry slits. “Same damn thing.”

  “No it’s not. Not even close,” I told her. “But you’re starting an argument over nothing. I’m not interested in Jensen.”

  The anger in her expression deepened, twisting in to a venomous rage. “Could’ve fooled me. From the looks of it, I asked you to talk me up to a guy, and you used it as an opportunity to hit on him yourself. You need to back off. I called him first.”

  I’d officially had enough. I was over the drama Rina liked dragging around with her everywhere she went, and I didn’t like that she’d insinuate she had dibs on a guy like he was a toy or the bigger slice of cake.

  “You called him first?” I asked on an incredulous laugh. “Seriously?”

  “I’m being dead serious,” she said, using a tone she’d never used with me before. It was as if all the years of friendship we had under our belts were forgotten. I was no longer her ally. She was looking at me like I was the enemy.

  “You’re being ridiculous. Get over yourself, Rina.” I took a step to the side, ready to pass her, only to freeze solid when the tray I was holding was knocked out of my hands, sending my lunch scatterin
g all over the floor at my feet.

  My head swiveled slowly toward Rina, my lips parted and eyes wide with shock as she took a step closer. At the crash of my lunch tray, the cafeteria had gone completely silent, everyone turning to stare at our showdown.

  “I said back off,” she repeated, her words coming out in a low, menacing warning.

  I’d never been in a fight in my life, and Rina was banking on that. But in that moment, any loyalty I’d felt toward her shriveled up and turned to dust. She’d just sparked to life a part of me that neither of us knew existed. I wasn’t afraid of or intimidated by her, and as my fingers curled in and clenched tight, I suddenly felt the overwhelming desire to drive my fist into her face.

  I took a step closer, closing more of the distance between us. “Or what?” I asked, my tone making her eyes go wide. She’d expected me to back down. Well, she had another think coming. I was no one’s doormat or punching bag.

  “Walk away.”

  At the new voice, Rina’s head turned and her expression instantly changed. Gone was the mean girl looking for a fight. A flirty smile stretched her slimy lips while she batted her overly made up eyes. “Oh, hey Jensen. I was just—”

  He cut her off, coming to a stop right beside me, so close his arm brushed mine, causing goosebumps to spring to life. “I said walk away.”

  Surprise infused her features. “But—”

  “Now,” he said with a snarl so furious it made me jump, pulling my focus from Rina for the first time. When I looked over at him a shiver worked its way down my spine. In that moment, he looked like he would gladly rip someone’s head off with his bare hands, and I imagined that was the same look he had right before he got into a fight.