by Emery Jacobs
Even though he let me walk out of his life a few weeks ago, I can’t let him leave here tonight. Not like this. Alone and hurt.
“Give me your tray and go.” The sound of Naomi’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Your shift ends in a few minutes anyway. He doesn’t realize it yet, but he needs you.” She forces a smile as she motions toward the door.
“Thanks,” I mumble.
She grabs the tray as I drop it from my hands. Without looking back, I shuffle through the crowd until I reach the door. I push it open charging into the darkness in hopes of finding my heart.
I round the corner that faces the parking lot, but no Jack. So I travel toward the back of the building when a strong hand grips my waist. He pulls me into his body and buries his face into my neck. I know that smell. Clean. How does he always smell like he’s just had a shower? Even after being in a cigarette smoke infested bar, he still smells like himself. So very Jack. I don’t say anything. I let him hold me in silence because this is what he needs. What we both need. I wrap my arms around his neck as he lifts his head looking into my eyes. His glassy brown eyes tug at my soul.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers.
His lips gently touch mine. Soft and slowly, he moves them from my lips nipping down my neck. His breathing is slow as he slides his hands down my sides and rests them on my waist.
“I’m sorry I let you walk out of my studio that night. I’m sorry I never called or texted you. I’m sorry for all the things Ivy said tonight. And on Thanksgiving. God, Jovie, I’m just so fucking sorry. I know you’re not her. You could never be anybody’s replacement.”
“I shouldn’t have walked out. All your rules. And then Ivy. I don’t know what you want from me.”
“I only want you. No rules. No past. Just you,” he whispers.
“I want that, too.” I nod slightly. His lips curl up into my favorite lop-sided grin before he wraps his hand around my wrist and leads us to the parking lot.
Chapter 24
Seven years earlier
Jack
“We’re going to that stupid Kappa Sig party first, and then I’m not sure after that. I really would rather just hang out here with you tonight.You know and watch you do your thing,” Piper says as she leans on the counter.
“My thing?”
“The tattoos. It turns me on watching you put ink on some guy’s body. Something about the way your hands move over his skin. One holding the ink thingy and the other one holding his skin tightly. I mean, honestly, I’m kinda getting hot thinking about it. What time is your next client?”
She slides around the counter until her body is touching mine. I swear her thoughts are completely warped. This is my passion. It’s the love of art. And she just turned it into a joke. The thought of fucking her right now is the last thing on my mind. I have plans and they don’t include her.
“In an hour, but sorry, it’s a chick. So there won’t be any guys here tonight to get your panties wet, so looks like you’re out of luck.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. You’re the only guy who gets my panties wet. Come here.”
She skims her hand over the front of my jeans, stopping on my leg. Her lips find my neck and her hand moves to my dick. Gentle massaging alternating with tugging is messing with my mind. Yes, I’m weak and easy. I want to take her to my station and fuck her against the wall. But not tonight. I’m not veering from the task at hand. She has clouded my vision for far too long with her hands, her mouth, and her pussy. No more until I know the truth.
“Not now, Piper. I’m the only one here. I can’t chance somebody walking in.”
Her breathing is heavier on my neck while her hands search for the entry to my pants. Fuck. She pops the button open as she lowers herself to the floor. She’s on her knees, both hands in my pants.
“Stop. I said not now.” I grab her wrists before her hands make it to my now throbbing dick. I shouldn’t have let it get this far. She jumps up to her feet before tilting her head back so she can look into my eyes.
“What the hell, Jack?”
“I told you not right now.”
“Fine. I gotta go anyway.”
“Look, Piper. Don’t be upset.”
The chime goes off as the front door opens. A chick with long brown hair makes her way to the counter. I quickly button my pants. Piper grabs her phone and keys off the counter. She stands on her toes and kisses me on the cheek.
“I’ll be over a little after midnight. Wait up for me.” She rubs her hand over my dick and gives it a hard squeeze. Then she strolls out the front door leaving me to do my thing.
An hour later, I emerge from my station with a happy client. A simple cross on her right wrist. Even though it may seem like no big deal to me, but to her, it has meaning. Because if not, she wouldn’t have found the courage to have it done. I give her the aftercare packet and collect the money. And she’s out the door.
I grab my sketchbook from the drawer and flip through the pages. I’ve had this book forever. Old and new drawings combined make it more interesting. This particular book has character. It’s only faces, nothing else. People I see on the street, at the bar, at restaurants. But it’s also people I know… Annie, Fish, Piper, the chick who delivers pizza. Which I find odd. How many girls deliver pizza anyway?
“I’m here now if you need to leave,” Annie shouts from down the hall as she stumbles through the side door.
I look at my phone. It’s ten, so Piper and Maddie should be there by now. My chest is tight and my gut is full of dread. But this has to be done. I have to hunt down the truth.
“Are you sure you’re okay to go alone?” Annie asks.
“Yes, I’m not a child. Well, not anymore. Plus I’ve been to many parties at that house. And don’t forget that’s where the asshole lives.”
“I know, but still. I just hope I’m wrong and he’s not even there. And you get your happily ever after—traveling the country with Piper.”
“There’s just one more thing before I go,”
“What?”
“Why in the hell did you sleep with him?”
“I drank too much. Then accidently fell into his bed. No biggie. I honestly don’t even remember the sex. So that doesn’t say much for him. But I’d rather not talk about my mistakes. You need to go. Find the truth. And text me when you get home. I have to know what goes down.”
Annie squeezes my arm gently. Reassurance. That’s exactly what I need.
“Thanks for covering for me,” I holler as I make my way out the side door.
Chapter 25
Jack
My hands are trembling as I slowly lower the handle to open the door to Kappa Sig’s biggest party of the semester. I stumble over the threshold and maneuver my way through the crowd of drunks in search of Piper’s long blonde hair. Unfortunately, I think every girl here may be blonde. And then I see her. Maddie Foster. Piper’s best friend and a complete fucking bitch. I move toward her until I’m close enough to grab her wrist. She spins around—takes one look at my face and her smile immediately fades.
“Where is she, Maddie?”
“Where is who, Jack?” She smirks.
I squeeze my eyes shut and silently count to ten. I do this to keep from knocking that smart-ass look off her face. I know she’s a chick, and I would never hit her, but she’s made it her mission over the last year to piss me off every chance she gets.
“So are you meditating now… in hopes of envisioning her exact location?” She laughs.
I clench my teeth as I pull her in closer. “I’m not in the mood to play games with you tonight. Tell me where Piper is.”
“What makes you think I know? I am not her keeper.” She rolls her eyes and pulls her wrist from my grip.
“I know she’s here. So take your damn phone out and send her a warning. Let her know the bullshit ends tonight!”
“Wow, Jack. I didn’t know you had it in you to be so
possessive. I have to say I’m more than impressed. Maybe even a little turned on.” She winks and then leans over toward the girl standing next to her. They both laugh. She takes a couple of steps toward the crowd, and I watch her hand move toward her back pocket. She pulls out her phone, and then I know. I know Piper is here with him.
She’s quickly lost in the crowd, so I return my focus on finding my girlfriend. Looking over my shoulder, I notice the staircase I’ve been avoiding since walking through the front door—because up those stairs is the last place I want to find her. I drag my hand through my hair and take a deep breath. I put one foot in front of the other as I make myself trudge up each step. When I reach the top, I turn slightly to see Maddie standing at the bottom peering up at me. Her eyes are dark and she’s moving her head from side to side. Ignoring her plea, my eyes return to the empty hallway in front of me. Shuffling slowly, I stop in front of each door. Leaning in, I bring my ear close to listen for voices. One room, two rooms, three rooms and nothing. My heart rate increases with each stop I make. When I reach the last door on the right, I hear a voice. Her voice. Piper.
Even though I knew what I might find tonight, I’m still not prepared to hear her moaning behind the closed door. I take a deep breath before placing my hand on the knob. Turning it slightly to the right, I push open the door. My body freezes as heat rises to my face. The image in front of me will be forever imprinted in my mind. Piper’s naked body is straddling some guy, and she’s rocking her hips back and forth. Her body quivers just before she throws her head back and screams his name.
“Caleb!”
Mother. Fucking. Caleb. And I lose it.
She rolls off him, neither realizing I’m standing here watching my life crumble before my eyes.
“I’ll see you Thursday—” Piper says to Caleb as she turns around to get her clothes. She sees me standing in front of the open door and stops.
“Fuck, you scared me!” she screams.
“Is that all you have to say? I walk in on you fucking that piece of shit and all you can say is I scared you?”
“No, I mean. Shit. How long have you been standing there?”
“Again, Piper. What the fuck is wrong with you? Does it matter how long I’ve been standing here? If it makes you feel any better, I’ll be glad to tell you that I saw you straddling his dick long enough to get off. There. Does that make you feel better?”
“No! No! No! This is not happening. Jack, you are not here. You can’t be. Please!” she screams.
“Please what? Forget I just saw the two of you fucking. My girlfriend and my former friend. It ain’t happening.” I gather her clothes off the floor and throw them at her.
“Thanks for letting me waste a year of my life on you. And I’m not even gonna ask how long it’s been going on. Because it doesn’t fucking matter. I’m done with your whoring ass, and you!” I point toward Caleb, who is now dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Man, you’re a piece of work. You deserve each other. I hope you have a happy life together because I’m done. With both of you.” I have to take a couple of steps backward toward the hall because, if not, I am going to completely lose it.
“Call me what you want, Jack, but you’re the one who couldn’t keep her satisfied. If you would’ve, then she wouldn’t be fucking me. So, obviously, you need to step up your game before you take on another chick.” Caleb laughs.
“Or maybe she’s just a whore who can’t be happy with one dick or maybe not even two. For all I know, she’s fucking you, me, and ten other guys. So, now would be the time for you to shut the fuck up.”
“I agree, she’s a whore, but so is your beloved Annie. Remember I fucked her, too. Your girlfriend and your best friend. Fucking classic.”
In five steps, I’m standing in front of Caleb, who is still sitting on the bed.
“What’s wrong? Can’t handle the truth? That every chick you care anything about has crawled into my bed for the best fuck of their life.” He stands. Smirking, he looks over my shoulder at Piper quickly dressing. She collects all of her things and hurries to the door.
“We still on for Thursday night?” He tilts his head back and lets out a chuckle. When his head returns to center, I’m ready. Fist clenched, I draw my right arm back and then release it forward with everything I’ve got. My fist connects with his jaw, and the impact vibrates back up my arm and stops on my shoulder. He falls back on the bed without hesitation.
“You son-of-a-bitch,” he mutters as he spits a small amount of blood into his hand.
He doesn’t jump up swinging or even mutter another word.
Before I’m completely out of his bedroom, I turn and say, “By the way, that hit you just took was for what you said about Annie.”
I jog down the stairs with my phone in hand. My mind is racing a million miles a minute. Piper just walked out without a fight. Not her usual personality, but it makes it easier on me. This entire night has turned out much differently than I thought it would. I’m not mad or even hurt. And I think it’s mostly because I knew what I would probably find. I’ve suspected it for weeks. It still hurts, but nothing like the initial shock of Annie’s confession. I shoot Annie a text to let her know I’m leaving and will call her when I get to my apartment. Next, I avoid anybody and everybody I know as I search for the front door.
When I make it to my truck, I remember that I forgot to lock my doors. This is only evident because I see Piper sitting in the passenger seat chewing her fingernails. I fucking knew everything had gone entirely too smoothly. I grab the handle of the passenger side door and pull on it. Locked. Fucking bitch.
“Open the door and get the fuck out,” I holler with my face inches from the window.
She shakes her head. Indicating that she has no intentions of getting out.
I pound my fist on the window hard, but not hard enough to shatter glass. She cups her hands and rests her face in them. If she’s crying, I really don’t give a shit. She should have thought about what would happen when I found out before she spread her legs for that asshole. I walk around to my door and open it. I slide in behind the steering wheel.
“Get out of my truck, Piper. I’m going home.”
“Take me with you. Please,” she begs.
“No, I’m done with this night and with you.” She’s not budging. Fuck.
“I only want to talk. Just hear me out. Please, Jack. Don’t throw us away.”
“You took care of that when you decided to fuck Caleb. There’s nothing to talk about. So you can either get out on your own, or I’m gonna pull you out.” She knows better than that. I will never put my hands on her. I guess I’m stuck. Either sit here all night listening to her bullshit, call somebody to come get me, or drive her to her apartment and maybe her roommate can get her out.
“Fine. I’ll take you home, but I’m not coming in. Our relationship is over. No discussion.”
She doesn’t utter another word. At least not until we’re on the road heading back toward her apartment.
“Take me to your place. I don’t want to go home. I need to be with you. I need you to hold me and tell me everything is gonna be okay.”
“Everything isn’t okay. What part of you fucking Caleb ended our relationship do you not understand? Damn.”
It’s late and traffic isn’t too bad. Hopefully, I’ll have her home and out of my life in less than ten minutes. My mind is drifting in and out of thoughts about how fucked up this entire situation really is, so I’m not paying attention when she grabs my wrist and pulls my right hand from the steering wheel. I twist and pull my hand trying like hell to free it, but it’s too hard to fight her and pay attention to the road.
“Piper, let go of me. I’m driving.”
She attempts to crawl into my lap, but I’m able to push her back with the hand she’s holding.
“I’m not giving up, Jack. We can fix us. We have plans. Remember? We are leaving at the end of the semester. You have to help me get us through this.”
I decide that it might be better just to agree with her than to fight her. Because, at this point, she’s just seconds from straddling me while I’m driving down the road.
“Okay. Once we get to your place, we’ll talk. But I’m not making any promises. Is that good enough?” I ask.
“Perfect. I knew you’d come around.” She releases my hand so I’m able to secure the steering wheel again.
I think she may be losing her mind. I don’t think she’s drunk because I don’t smell any alcohol. Maybe she’s in shock. Fuck if I know. I glance over at her, and she’s back in her seat with her seatbelt secured. I let out a sigh of relief as I bring my eyes back into focus on the road.
“Jack, watch out—that car—it’s in our lane—”
Chapter 26
Jack
Drunk Driver. That’s who hit us head on. I woke up two days later in the hospital with a broken nose, broken wrist, and a concussion. Piper. Well, she didn’t wake up. She left me to grieve alone. The fact is, she should have never been in the truck with me that night. If I would’ve called Annie to come get me and left her at the party with Maddie and Caleb. But I didn’t, so her death is on me. And for that, my life is forever changed.
The banging on the front door finally stops. Only for a minute or maybe two. Now it’s at my window.
“Go away.” I roll over and pull my pillow over my head.
“If you don’t open your door, I’m gonna break this motherfucking window,” Fish’s deep voice rumbles.
“Fine. Break the damn window. I don’t give two shits.”
So, he did. With a tire iron. And then his big ass crawls in avoiding being cut to shreds.
“Now, I did what you told me to. I broke your window. So you need to get your ass out of bed, take a shower, and come to work.”
“Umm… no. How many times do I have to tell you, Annie, and Stone my fucking wrist is broken, so I can’t work.”
“Your left wrist is broken and you are right handed. You can do something. Even if you don’t actually perform the task of creating any tattoos, you’ll be there. Out of this apartment. You can sketch, collect money. Shit, there’s plenty you can do. But what you’re not gonna do is stay locked up in this apartment forever. And what about school?”