Twisted Fate (Twisted Fate Series Book 1)

by Emery Jacobs

  I shuffle away from the couch toward the door, hoping to be free before she replies to my last comment.

  But as luck would have it, I barely make it to the back of the couch before I hear her flat voice say, “I’m making a note of that. Anything I feel important will be discussed next week. Done. So, you better be ready to do some serious discussing then.”

  She stands and follows me to the door. I push it open and walk out into the empty lobby. She places her hand on my shoulder and squeezes gently.

  “I’m on your side, Jovie. I want you to get everything out of life that you want and deserve. But sometimes, it takes a lot of work to get there. I promise I’m willing to put forth the effort to see this through. I just hope you feel the same way.”

  I want to tell her that I do, but I’m done for today. No more discussing my issues and the tragedies that led me to this particular point in my life.

  “Bye, Dr. Birch. See you next week.”

  I walk across the lobby and through the exit door. The sun greets me as the cool breeze blows my hair across my face. This is my life and I refuse to let any harboring emotions control it. I head for my car leaving all thoughts of my meeting with Dr. Birch behind me.

  Chapter 22

  Seven years and one month earlier

  Jack

  “So, what do you think?” I look over at Annie as she flips through my sketchbook.

  “Is this sketch new? I may want you to put this design on my shoulder,” she says.

  I lean over and look at the sketch. It’s so simple but perfect for the shoulder. Especially for someone as small as Annie. It’s a half heart with an infinity symbol through the bottom. I call it forever love. Kinda corny, but chicks fall all over that shit.

  “No, it’s not new. You know I’ll do whatever design you want, but you just completely ignored my question.”

  She shrugs and closes the sketchbook. Then she taps her fingers over and over again on the counter. Something’s going on. I know her too well. She’s shitty at hiding her feelings.

  “I don’t remember the question. I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “You were paying attention but decided to ignore the question. Come on, Annie. I know you better than that. At least, give me some credit.”

  “Okay, then no. No, I don’t think you should take a year off school to run all over the country with Piper. It’s a bad idea.”

  “See, now that wasn’t so hard, was it? But my mind is made up. I’m doing it. I love her, and if she wants to travel, then I’m going with her. We can finish school anytime.”

  “Do you plan on finishing this semester or are you just gonna up and leave now. It’s only September. What’s three more months?”

  “Probably finish this semester. It’s paid for. And Thomas Alexander is gonna be fucking livid as it is. So I’m sure not gonna piss away a semester he’s already paid for.”

  Annie scoots over closer to me. She nudges me slightly with her shoulder. I glance at her. Her head hangs down and her dark hair is covering her face.

  “You need to stop with the hints. Fucking tell me what’s up.”

  “I’m not hinting at anything.”

  “I call bullshit. You’re acting all strange and shit. Not paying attention to anything I say. Avoiding my questions. Now tell me.”

  She lifts her head as she turns to face me. She forces a smile before she lets the words flow.

  “Just remember that you asked for this. And when I’m done, I want you to know that I was gonna tell you. It just wasn’t going to be today. Because believe it or not—I love you. You are my best friend. My family. I’ve known you my entire life. And I never want to hurt you, but I couldn’t live with myself if I just stood by and let this happen.” She takes in a deep breath and closes her eyes.

  “Just fucking say it, Annie. I’m a big boy. Are you pregnant? Because, if you are, I’m gonna beat Bennett’s ass.”

  Her eyes grow wide before she throws her head back and laughs.

  “No, I’m not pregnant. What gave you that dumbass idea?”

  “You. I’ve never seen you act like this. So I figured it must be hormones or some female shit. Now finish.”

  “Okay. Look, the other night at my meeting, I forgot my bag in the car. Sally had already started so I went out the side door, which meant I had to walk half the building to get around to the front. As I rounded the side corner, I saw her with him, so my nosey ass hung back to see what was going on. Maybe it’s nothing. A couple of friends running into each other. You know, innocent. But Jack, it wasn’t—”

  “What in the fuck are you talking about? Her and him. Innocent. You have lost your mind, right?”

  “See, I’m terrible at this shit. I can’t hurt you, Jack. I just can’t.”

  I know she’s talking about Piper. Because she has meetings the same night. I know her, but now she has to tell me. She fucking has to.

  “I’ll make this a little easier for you. The ‘her’ you’re talking about is Piper. Am I right?” I ask.

  Tears fill her eyes and she looks away.

  “Annie, you have to tell me. Please.” I’m not begging, but at this point, it is an option.

  “Fuck it. I saw Piper outside the church last week with… Caleb. I’m sorry, Jack. I had to tell you. I couldn’t let you throw your life away over some slut.”

  “Slut? Did you see them fucking? If not, you have no right to talk about her like that. Just because she was standing outside the church with Caleb doesn’t mean anything. I’m sure they have a good reason.”

  Tears roll down her cheeks. Her breathing picks up as she takes in a deep breath.

  “A good reason. What the hell is wrong with you, Jack? She fucking kissed him outside the passenger side door for at least five minutes before she crawled inside the car. And then they left. She kissed him and left with him. Did she stay at your place last Thursday night? Answer that question.” She’s screaming—at me. Anger spews out with every word. She wants me to believe what she thinks she saw. But last Thursday night Piper showed up at my place drunk. Took a shower and went straight to sleep.

  “Yes, she did stay at my place last Thursday. Are you sure it was Piper? Maybe you’re mistaken.”

  “What the fuck ever, Jack. Believe she’s not fucking Caleb. I don’t care. The truth will come out and when it does, I’ll even be kind enough not to say I told you so. I don’t trust him at all. He’s a male whore. And your girlfriend. Well, she’s the female equivalent.”

  “That’s enough, Annie. We don’t know that anything happened. Just let me talk to Piper about it.”

  “No, you can’t. Trust me. Wait and watch. You’ll see it for yourself,” she pleads.

  “So I’m supposed to just ignore what you told me. Sit around and wait for her to do something wrong. Like, fuck my friend.”

  “Yes. That’s exactly what you’ve gotta do. If you ask her, she won’t admit it. I mean if you were fucking around, would you?”

  “I wouldn’t be fucking around. That’s not me. And she’s never given me any indication—”

  “Come on, Jack. Watch her—pay attention. I mean I hope it’s not true, but if it is, you need to let her go. I can’t stand the thought of her fucking that asshole. And then he hangs out with you like nothing’s going on.”

  She wraps her arms around my neck. Her tears are warm on my cheek as she squeezes me tightly.

  “I believe you, Annie. It’s just hard. I really do love her. Next month, it’ll be a year that we’ve been together. I guess I’m naïve or dumb because I thought I could trust her.”

  “I know. And I hope it’s not true. But if it is, remember I’m here for you.”

  The door to the shop opens, Annie jumps back, and I turn toward the lobby to greet the customer. Only it’s not a client.

  “Hey, guys. Did I interrupt something?” Caleb laughs as he looks between Annie and me before continuing. “I can leave—come back later if you want to be alone. I think my first client isn’t
for another hour.”

  I clench my fist while moving away from Annie. I will myself to keep my mouth shut, but Annie can’t do it. She turns so she is facing him dead center. She pauses a beat before rolling her eyes.

  “Fuck you, Caleb.” She turns, throws up her middle finger, and walks toward the back.

  “Didn’t we try that once before? Yeah, I think we did. And it didn’t work out, did it?”

  She completely ignores him. After walking into her station, she slams her door so hard the damn wall shakes.

  I look over at Caleb and he’s staring back—grinning like the asshole he is.

  “What? She didn’t tell you we fucked?” He laughs and laughs, and fucking continues to laugh—I suddenly want to punch him in the mouth. Maybe then he would stop the fucking laughter.

  I want to run inside Annie’s station and shake the shit out of her. She fucked him. Now he’s probably fucking my girlfriend. My best friend and my girlfriend. I walk away before I wrap my hands around his neck and choke him within inches of his sad life. As I make my way down the hall, the sound of his words plays over and over in my mind.

  Chapter 23

  Present Day

  Jovie

  “Are you excited about band night?” Layla asks as we walk in the employee entrance of Overtime.

  “Yeah, I guess. We’ll be busier, which means better tips. Oh, and more roaming hands.” I snicker.

  Not something I’m looking forward to—the worst part of this job is the drunken guys with hands they can’t seem to control. But, honestly, I don’t think it bothers Layla or Naomi. Because I seem to be the only one who ever complains about it.

  “That’s not really what I meant, but you’re right. Tips will be better tonight because I bet the place is gonna be packed,” she squeals.

  “What did you really mean, Layla? Please stop trying to protect me. I’m fine. Really. Therapy is going great. No more anxiety attacks. And it’s been weeks since I last talked to Jack. Christmas is around the corner, so I’m really good. I promise.”

  Layla stops mid-step and faces me. She leans over, wraps one arm around my shoulder pulling me in for a quick hug.

  “I love you, girlie. Have since we were twelve. It’s not Jack I’m worried about. It’s Ivy. I know you haven’t seen her since Thanksgiving. Just want you to be prepared in case she’s being her usual self.”

  “You mean queen of the mean girls? Yeah, I’m ready for her.” I giggle as we continue our journey inside.

  Why did Nocturnal Revolution have to be the first band to play on band night? It’s great that management has decided to branch out. Having local bands playing once a week is a great idea, but Ivy here—tonight. I guess I’ll just deal with it. Plus she’ll probably be fine with me now that she has Jack all to herself. And since Ryker and I aren’t actually hanging out. So she has no reason to spew her venom my way.

  “Don’t look now, but Jack just walked through the door,” Naomi says.

  “Who’s he with?”

  Shit. Why did I ask that? Now it looks like I care. I mean I do care, but that’s my business. Not for anyone else to know.

  “Stone, Annie, and Fish. Everybody from Southern Stain. Did you know he was coming?”

  “How would I know? Haven’t seen or spoken to Jack in weeks. I should be asking you the same question. I mean, aren’t you and Stone kind of seeing each other?”

  “Absolutely not. We hang out sometimes, but mostly, we just have sex. He’s a whore. Sleeps with a different girl every night. I would never date somebody like that.” She laughs.

  I’m not even going to respond to that statement. I thought I had relationship issues. But it’s clear I’m not alone.

  “Oh, good. They put them in your section. Thank God,” I say to Naomi.

  She heads toward their table, and I move toward the bar to pick up my drink order. I avoid looking at the stage because I know my eyes won’t be able to avoid her. It’s human nature to want to look at the things you shouldn’t. And I shouldn’t want to look at her. Who cares if she’s watching Jack and he’s watching her. I don’t.

  The band has been on about an hour. So far, everything is good. The place is packed. Layla’s off tonight, so she’s hanging out near the stage drooling. My shift ends in about thirty minutes. So, if all goes well, I can get out of here without crossing paths with anybody who is gonna cause me grief.

  “Hey, can you do me a favor?” Naomi asks as I move around her heading toward the kitchen.

  “Sure, whatcha need?”

  “Drop these drinks off at table number six. I’ve got to pee. Like really bad.”

  I look over my shoulder. Table number six. Nope, not Jack’s table—three over, so yep, I’ll do it.

  Grabbing her tray, I head for the other side of the restaurant.

  Three guys in their late twenties greet me as I serve their drinks.

  “So, did you take over for Naomi?” the blond asks.

  “Nope, just bringing out this round of drinks for her. You guys need anything else.”

  “Yeah, you in the bathroom, on your knees, with my dick in your mouth,” says the dark-haired guy closest to me.

  His friends choke out a laugh, but all eyes remain on me. Waiting for my reaction. Well, they’re not getting one. I know better than to encourage the drunk. I turn to walk away when a hand grabs my bare leg and pulls me back. I lose my balance and fall into the lap of the disgusting asshole who offered me his dick.

  “Okay, guys. Not funny. Let me up,” I shriek.

  This guy is pissing me off. Not only did he pull me into his lap, but now he’s wrapped his arm around my waist pressing my ass into his erection. Do guys really think this type of behavior will make a girl want to have sex?

  “You feel that? Meet me in the bathroom, and I’ll let you ride it.” He points toward the back hall where the bathroom is located.

  Okay. Now he’s gone too far. I’m tempted to hit him over the head with my serving tray, but I’m scared I might kill him. And I certainly don’t want to go to jail tonight.

  “Let me up. I mean it,” I yell.

  “Let go of her, now.”

  Ryker is standing in front of me. His fair skin is flushed and his blue eyes dark. He’s pissed. I glance at the stage. No band. I didn’t even realize they were done. That’s how long I’ve been at this table. Fucking assholes.

  “Does she belong to you?” the dark haired guy asks.

  “No, but she belongs to me. Let. Her. Go.”

  Jack. Where the hell did he come from? Wait a minute—I don’t belong to him. I look at Jack then at Ryker and over my shoulder at the jerk who just won’t give up. He blows his ragged breath onto my neck before he lets out a deep grumble.

  “Do you belong to this asshole, sweetheart?”

  “That seems to be the million dollar question. Doesn’t it?” Ivy wails.

  Where the fuck did she come from? Now my problem has turned into a freaking three-ringed circus with Ivy as the ringmaster.

  Jack grabs my arm and pulls me off the guy.

  “Are you okay?” he asks.

  “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks.”

  “Keep your fucking hands off her. Understand?” Ryker points his finger just inches from the guys face.

  “Okay, rocker boy. Now get your fucking finger out of my face. Hey, sweetheart. The offer is always open. Bring red along with you. I’m always open for a challenge.” The dark haired guy winks, nods toward Ivy, and then pushes his chair back and stands. His friends do the same. They walk away from the table leaving me standing there with the three people I’ve been avoiding all night.

  “Jack, you’re such a fucking liar. I thought you said you weren’t fucking her anymore. You just can’t keep it in your pants, can you?” Ivy bellows.

  I’m not listening to this shit anymore. And obviously, neither is Ryker. He looks at me with emotionless eyes before he spins around and makes his way back to his table. I grip the serving tray a little tighter as I move a
round the two of them, trying desperately to escape this conversation. Because I don’t like where it’s heading.

  “You know you’re nothing to him. Nothing. A replacement. Did he tell you about her? The only reason he’s fucking you is because you remind him of her.”

  “What the hell is wrong with you? I’ve always known you to be a bitch, but this is taking it too far,” Annie says as she approaches.

  I stop and look over my shoulder. Annie is standing in Ivy’s face. I look to her right and see him. Jack. Wide stance, arms crossed, and eyes down. Defeated. I want to hug him. Tell him it’s okay, but I can’t. Because I don’t know if it’s okay. I have no idea what or who this crazy bitch is talking about.

  “I’m not the one you need to be concerned about. It’s him. He’s the one still living in the past.” Ivy points toward Jack.

  “Jealousy looks like shit on you, Ivy. You need to rein it in before somebody else does it for you,” Jack says as he looks at Ivy. His eyes are dark, sad, and glassy. Then he takes a step closer toward her.

  The paleness of her green eyes brightens. Almost like a light flashes on in her mind. She’s enjoying every second of this.

  “Jealousy.” She laughs. “We’ve already had this conversation, Jack. And you know… I don’t do jealousy.” She laughs louder.

  “Why don’t you tell Jovie about the last blue-eyed girl you thought you couldn’t live without. Where is she now? Oh, I forgot she’s not here because…?”

  She stops mid-sentence looks over at me, and then back at Jack. She raises her right eyebrow, smirks, and then spins around and walks toward the bar.

  That’s it? She left without the punch line. As much dislike as I have for Ivy, which is more than I’ve ever felt for anyone else…ever. Still—I want to know. Who do I remind him of? More importantly—where is this mystery girl now?

  “I’m fine. I just need to get out of here,” Jack murmurs to Annie. She steps aside so he can walk around her. Within seconds, he’s moving toward the door.