by J. L. Beck
“I’m glad your back in town Jake but you can’t just seek me out like this. We don’t know each other anymore. It’s been four years…” I ran my fingers through my hair once more, watching as his dark eyes filled with hunger. He was watching me much like a lion watched its prey before pouncing.
I was more than thankful for the counter top separating us as he took a step in my direction. My heart came to life, slamming against my rib cage like it was going to beat right out of my chest.
“We know each other. I’m Jake, your Mia. That’s all there is to us sweetheart…” I could feel my insides turning to mush. Jake had always been able to make me weak in the knees and now was no different than any of those other times. I just needed to remind myself that he couldn’t come crashing into my life like this again. Not when there was much more at stake than us.
“Actually you know nothing. I’m different now. I’m not the same woman you left behind four years ago and you can’t just walk into my cupcake shop and think that you own me… because you don’t.” The last three words were harder to say than I ever expected them to be.
I had practiced this day out in my mind a million times, thinking of all the things I would say to him if I ever saw him again.
Jake didn’t seem surprised by my anger or bold headedness, he never did. Instead one side of his mouth turned up in a smile, his dimple reflecting back at me.
“Whatever you say darling. I’m not going anywhere though. I’m back, and I’m staying, right here where I belong.” I couldn’t take my eyes off of him even if I wanted too. I begged my body to shut up, to stop reacting to his presence to stop wanting him.
I clenched my fists at my sides. The man I once loved, was now standing right in front of me in his Army fatigues. He looked so handsome, and put together that it almost brought tears to my eyes. He had everything going for himself. He didn’t need me, or the things I had hidden from him over the last four years to bring him down.
“Great. I hope you find Sweetwater Falls to be as great as it was when you left here four years ago.” I turned on my heels ready to make a beeline for the back door when I felt Jake’s hand on my shoulder. His touch burned a hole through my shoulder, and I pulled away as if he had really burnt me.
“Your brother asked me to be a part of his wedding…” I stayed put with my back to him, refusing to let him see the tears that were burning in my eyes. He didn’t deserve my pain, not after leaving me they way he did. My body begged me to give into his touch like I had once before, but I stood my ground refusing to let myself live through that pain again.
“Great! I’m glad you’ve reconnected with Donovan. Now I have a shit ton of work to do so if you could please leave that would be great.” I shrugged of his touch, and headed towards the kitchen to finish up whatever it was that I was doing before he came barreling through my door.
I wanted to scream out in frustration. There was no way I wouldn’t be late for the rehearsal dinner now that Jake was here.
“I won’t just leave like I did before. I’m not lying when I tell you I’m here to stay.” Jake’s voice filtered into my ears and I twisted around, coming face to face with his broad, muscled chest. My eyes drifted upwards until they were on his face.
Had he really just followed me?
“You need to leave me alone. We have nothing to talk about Jake. The past is the past. It’s done and over with, lets just move on and maybe one day we can be friends again?” I lied, feeling the sting from the lie on my lips. My eyes refused to move from his full lips that begged to be kissed.
“We have loads to talk about… For example how I never stopped loving you. Or the fact that you have a daughter now?” He raised an eyebrow at me in questioning. Fuck! He knows about Lola.
“My daughter is none of your concern Jake.” My voice was filled with venom. You could say whatever you wanted about me but if you talked about my daughter then you would see a whole another side of me.
He narrowed his blue green eyes at me. They twinkled with curiousity, and I wondered for a second if he knew that she was his? If he had seen her then he may know? After all she looked identical to him.
“She will be when you become mine again, because you will become mine again… You know that already though, don’t you?” He spoke with so much conviction that for a second I was caught up in his plan to win me back.
Sweat formed against my palms. I didn’t like him being this close. Close enough for me to smell his cologne, or feel the heat of his body against my chest. Yeah, he was way to fucking close.
“Go away…” My voice was weak, just like me, weak for a man that I still loved.
“Is that really what you want?” His voice dripped with need, as the rough pads of his fingertips slipped under my chin forcing my eyes back up to his. I was in a trance, consumed by the need in his eyes.
He wants me. He loves me.
I nodded my head up and down, reveling in the feeling of his fingertips against my skin. Tingles of pleasure shot through my body. I needed to get a handle on the emotions I was feeling but before I could he was swopping in, his lips gently grazing mine. Fire filed my belly, setting my body ablaze.
“Your body still reacts to my touch…” his voice was a mere whisper against my lips and I wanted him to kiss me, really kiss me. “I know you want me Mia, you still want this…” Something in what he said snapped me back to reality, and before I realized it I was pushing a hand against his solid chest attempting to get him to go away. I couldn’t go through this all over again. Not with my daughter to think about. She deserved more than this.
“I hate you. Nothing has changed. Now leave, before I call the police and tell them you broke in…” I sneered trying to hide the desires I was feeling. Jake knew exactly how to keep me coming back for more and if I wanted to save my heart, then I would have to become immune to his charm.
“Hate?” A gruff laugh erupted from his throat. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down and within seconds I became mesmerized by it all over again. “You couldn’t hate me if you tried. There’s to much good between us….” The air in my lungs refused to move, making it hard to breathe.
“I can still hate you Jake. It’s not really that hard of an emotion to feel when you left me the way you did.” I sneered finding my voice again. All I needed to do was find a way to get him to leave, and the easiest way to do that was to tell him off.
“Say it again…” His voice purred in my ears.
“Say what?” I looked at him bewilderedly.
“My name. Say it again…” He reached out a finger tracing my bottom lip. My body begged me to give into him like I once had but my heart, and mind told me it was nothing but a trap. I had loved him once and it burnt me. I couldn’t hurt myself like that again.
“Leave, now and don’t come back.” I batted his hand away from my face and moved as far away from him as I could. He looked down at me with indecision.
“Is that what you want?” He questioned me with anger burning in his eyes. I could hear the surprise in his voice. He was finally catching on, he was finally getting that this wasn’t a game to me that he couldn’t just leave for four years and come barreling back into my life like he never left. I wouldn’t greet him with the same welcoming the rest of the town did, not when he all but ripped my heart out.
“Yes it’s what I want. Now leave.” I lied knowing that even if it wasn’t what I wanted it was what I needed. He stared at me with anger in his eyes, his nostrils flaring with every breath he took. I was glad he was enraged. Maybe he would discover how it felt to be denied.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you…” He started but I didn’t want to hear it. Not now, not here, and probably not ever.
“GO!” I hollered my voice cracking just like my heart did the day that he told me we were over. It was his choice, his words that ended us. I watched as he took a step back, the sound of his boot colliding with the tiled floor.
“I’m not giving up Mia. I’ll be back and when I d
o show up here again you better be ready to talk because next time I won’t be leaving…” Fire flickered in his eyes. He was determined I could tell but so was I.
He turned on his heels a second later and walked out of the shop, as if he was never here to begin with. As soon as I heard the bell ding signaling he was gone I broke down, the tears that I had been holding in streamed down my face, reminding me of just how not over him I was.
“Fuck!” I slammed my fist down onto the marble island. I had worked so hard for the last four years bettering mine and Lola’s life and now he was back and ready to take over everything I had done.
I squeezed my lids closed, and sucked in a deep breath. The oxygen filled my lungs with fresh air, allowing me to think clearer. I was strong. I was smart. I could do this. I could stand up to him and tell him no.
I would have to, because my heart couldn’t stand to be broken by Jake again.