by Emily Minton
I smile down at her, knowing she is lying through her teeth. She has told me more than once that she would rather poke out her own eyes than watch that movie one more time. “I wanted to take you somewhere special. Bethany will just have to suffer through Sulley and Mike alone.”
“She doesn’t mind. She’s probably watched that movie a hundred times, and she would watch it a hundred more if Jenny asked her to.”
“That’s true.” Bethany is watching Jenny for us tonight. It was kind of weird being around her at first, her being Dean’s sister, but Jenny couldn’t ask for a better aunt.
We stop our conversation as the hostess leads us to the table. We’re looking over the menu when Brittany saunters over.
“Well, well, Julie and Jase back together again. How sweet!” she says with fake cheeriness.
“What do you want, Brittany?” I spit out, wanting her to go the fuck away as soon as possible.
She ignores me and looks at Julie. “I heard you were having another kid, so I came to congratulate you and see if Jase wanted to hook up later. They’ve got extra big bathrooms here.” She has some fucking nerve. How could I have ever fucked such a bitch?
“Walk away, Brittany. Now. I don’t know how many damn times I have to tell you, I’m not fucking interested!” I say in a near shout.
She doesn’t walk away. Instead, she decides to share some information with Julie. “You should probably know, Jase has slept with every female member of the waitressing staff and probably half the women dining here tonight. So, make sure you check out your food really good before eating it,” she says laughing, sauntering off.
Stupid cunt! I look at Jules and notice that her face is pale, and she’s clenching her teeth. I reach my hands over to hers, noticing they are also clenched. “Baby,” I say quietly.
She takes her hands out of mine. “Please, Jase, just take me home.” Her voice is sad, and she’s refusing to look at me.
“Julie, don’t let Brittany or any other girl here ruin tonight for us. Please,” I beg.
“Fine. Jase, if one more woman decides to spew shit at me tonight, I’m leaving with or without you.” Her voice is firm.
I nod in agreement. “If it happens again, we’ll leave.”
Julie looks over at where Brittany is sitting. She then looks back at me. “Does she talk to you like that with Jenny around?”
I hesitate in my answer, but I need to be honest. “Yes, she has a time or two, but I’ve put her in her place.”
Her eyes narrow, and she throws the menu down. A second later, she is storming over to Brittany. Her hands are clenched to her sides, and her body is taut. Raising a hand, she puts her finger right in Brittany’s face. “If you ever go near my daughter again, I will kick your ass. Jase might not be willing to hit a woman, but I will do whatever I have to do to protect Jenny. Do you understand me?” Julie says in voice that is anything but calm.
Brittany laughs and rolls her eyes. “Oh, I’m so scared.”
“I’m funny, huh? How about this? If you so much as look at my daughter again, I will let Kristen go after your skank ass.”
Oh shit! Everyone in town knows that you do not cross Kristen. She can be one bad-ass bitch when she wants to be. I don’t even bother to look at Brittany’s reaction to Julie’s words, but when Julie comes back over, she is calm and collected. She grabs her menu and says, “I think I’m going to get the cheese ziti.”
Julie
“Are you okay?” he asks as he stares at me.
I feel bad because tonight isn’t going as planned. Jase tried so hard to make it special, but five minutes after we walked in, his past came ‘round to slap me in the face. That seems to be a pattern for us, one that I hope like hell we can change. I avoid his eyes and lie. “I’m fine, just hungry.”
I’m anything but fine; I’m mad as hell. For once, my anger isn’t directed at Jase. It’s all focused on the bitch across the dining room. I can’t believe I just went up to her in the middle of a busy restaurant. Was it a good idea? No. But it needed to be done. It’s one thing for her to come up to Jase or me, but it’s not going to happen when Jenny is around. I also hope with that little scene I just caused, any other woman thinking of coming over here tonight will think better of it.
“Are you sure?”
My eyes finally meet his. “I may not be fine, but I’m here with you, so I will get there.”
I’m getting sick of all this, but I realize there isn’t anything he can do to stop it. There is no way he can change the past, so I can’t be pissed at him now. In fact, if anything, I feel a little sorry for him. With every woman I meet, I get a better idea of what it was like for him while I was gone, and I hate it. Every story I hear starts the same: Jase was drunk off his ass...
I know Jase has been trying. He hasn’t been drinking, except a beer or two, since we got back together, but I can tell it’s hard on him, especially when everyone is trying to cause us trouble. We haven’t even been back together for a month yet, and I have had the pleasure of meeting a ton of women that he has screwed. They want to share all the seedy details of their time with him. I’m not sure why because it all just sounds sad to me. Is it too much to ask that if Jase and I go out, we get to have a nice time together without some woman he has slept with ruining it? Can’t they just give us a break?
He reaches across the table and places his hand over mine. “You know I love you, right?”
That is one thing I know for sure. “I know you do. I love you too.”
We sit quietly for a few more minutes before the waitress finally shows up to take our order. She looks a little nervous, so I smile at her to let her know I’m not going to freak out again. She walks away, but comes back with bread sticks a few minutes later. I am just starting to take a bite when Jase breaks the silence.
“I want to talk to you about something. I know this isn’t the best time, especially after all that shit,” he adds, looking toward Brittany’s table and shaking his head before he continues, “but I think that I should move in with you.”
What? Oh my God! Is he serious? “Don’t you think that would be a little too fast?”
I must look scared out of my mind because Jase starts to laugh. “Yeah, baby, it is fast, but I have my reasons. Now, just hear me out.” He takes a deep breath and continues rocking my world. “I don’t like the idea of you girls being there all alone. That dickhead you were married to has been calling damn near every day. Bethany is a fucking basket case, and you’re on edge. Even Jenny looks nervous. I can’t protect you from across town.”
I think about what he’s saying, and it makes sense, but I’m just not sure I’m ready for this. “I don’t know, Jase.”
“Baby, it doesn’t have to be permanent. When the shit with that bastard calms down, I can move back home, but I’m hoping you won’t want me to.” He ends with a wink, trying to make light of what is truly a serious conversation.
He’s right about everything he is saying. Him moving in would be the smart thing to do. Dean’s calls are coming daily, and each time he calls, his threats are worse than the time before. Even though I’ve filed report after report, there isn’t much the police can do with him calling from Missouri. As long as he stays there, we will be okay, but the possibility of him showing up on my doorstep grows more frightening every day. “Maybe…”
“I just want to protect you.”
Seeing the truth in his eyes, I know I have to say yes. The thought of Jase moving in, despite the reason, thrills me a little. Maybe it would be for the best? I look up at Jase and smile, my mind made up. “Okay, we can give it a try.”
Jase gets up and walks around the table. He leans down and gives me a kiss. “I promise you won’t regret this.”
Chapter 21
Jase
I’ve been living at Julie’s for two weeks, and I fucking love it. Learning to live with a house full of women is kind of hard, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The only thing I miss about living on my own i
s watching TV. I swear if I have to watch one more episode of Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, or Sex in the City, I will turn into a bitch myself.
But I’m alone today. Julie, Kristen, and Bethany are Christmas shopping, and Jenny’s with Pop, working on his truck. I think my little girl may be a mechanic when she grows up. She spends nearly as much time at the shop as I do, and I work at the fucking place. She even conned Pop into buying her a pair of purple coveralls.
While I’m alone, my plan is to watch an Ultimate Fighter marathon. I’m going to do it while drinking a beer and eating pizza without a plate. I laugh as I knock crumbs off my lap onto the floor. Bethany will hit the fucking roof if she sees crumbs on the couch. Maybe she won’t notice them in the carpet. I’ve grown to like that woman a hell of a lot, but she is really fucking anal when it comes to shit like that.
Just as the first episode starts, I hear a phone ringing in the other room. Mine is in my pocket, so one of the girls must have left theirs here. I get up to answer it, but the ringing stops. I barely get to sit back down when it starts to ring again. I get up and start to walk toward the sound when it stops for the second time. I figure whoever’s phone it is, they must be trying to find it. I’m just walking into the kitchen when the ringing starts again.
I look around until I see that Julie’s phone is on the counter. I grab it without looking at the caller ID. “Did you forget something, baby?”
“Who is this?” A man’s voice asks.
“Who is this?” I ask back, but I have a good idea already.
“This is my wife’s phone, and I would like to know why a man is answering it.”
Hell no! “This is my woman’s phone. She was married to an asshole that liked to use her for a punching bag, but she’s not anymore. She divorced her piece-of-shit husband months ago. Now she’s got me to protect her from bastards like him.”
“Sounds like an interesting man to me, a man that knows how to keep his woman in line.”
I’ve had enough of our little game. “I know who you are, and I know where you live. If you don’t stop calling her, I’m going to come to Missouri and break your fucking neck!”
The bastard starts to laugh. “She may have divorced me, but she is still my wife. One way or another, she will come home. The only choice she has is if she comes willingly or not.”
“You better stay away from Julie. If you touch her again, I will kill you!” I’m so angry, I can think of nothing but hurting him.
“I was told Julie is pregnant. Did she tell you that I am a gynecologist? I know just the right medication to give her to make her have a miscarriage, and everyone would just think it was nature taking its course. Of course, Julie should be fine. But one never knows for sure with things like that.” I don’t even have time to respond before I hear the phone click off.
I drop the phone on the counter and run my hands through my hair. The girls are right; he is one sick bastard. I’m raging, struggling to keep my shit together. I take a minute to calm down before picking her phone back up. I hate going through her shit, but I need to see how often that fucker has been calling her. I scroll through her calls, and I can’t believe my eyes. I quit counting at thirty-seven unknown name numbers. That was just in the last five days.
She has changed her phone number a few times over the last month, and even went with some pre-paid shit, so it would be harder for him to get her number. Nothing has worked. Well, she has done all she can. Now, it’s my turn. I put her phone in my pocket and pull out my own. I push Shane’s name and bring it to my ear.
“Hey, bro.”
“Listen up. I know you’re good with all that computer shit. If I bring you Julie’s phone, can you put something on it where I can see who’s calling her?” I ask, already walking toward the door.
“Jase, shit, I can’t do that to Jules. If there’s something going on, you need to talk to her, but you’re crazy as hell if you think she is cheating on you.”
“Fuck, man, I know that. Her bastard of an ex-husband just called here. He threatened Julie and our baby. I want to know who’s calling her, that way I can keep her safe. Just get your ass ready. I’ll be over there in a minute.” I hang up without giving him a chance to respond.
Julie
The girls and I are at Opry Mills. We are supposed to be Christmas shopping, but we somehow end up in Victoria’s Secret. Kristen is looking through the teddies. No matter what she says, I know she’s not picking one out for Aunt Angie. I laugh in her face when she tells me that one. “I think she would look better in red.”
Kristen cuts her eyes to me, clutching a piece of black silk in her hands. “She prefers black.”
Bethany looks toward the teddy in Kris’s hands and shrugs. “I don’t know. I think your mom would look pretty in it. I’m sure Mack would enjoy it. They’re not too old to have fun just yet.”
Kristen scrunches up her nose and makes a gagging sound. “Gross! Never say anything like that again.”
By the time we leave, she has two black teddies and one blue one. I smile and give her a playful shove. “Looks like Matty’s going to have some fun tonight.”
She looks like I just slapped her, pain flashing in her eyes. “Don’t, Jules. Just don’t go there. You can give me shit about anything else, but not Matty.”
What the hell? “I was just teasing you. I thought I noticed something between y’all. That’s why I said it. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Kristen just nods her head and walks on. I look over at Bethany and give her a ‘what the hell was that’ look. She shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head.
We continue to walk for a moment. I do my best to ignore the strange tension with Kristen, trying to pretend like nothing weird just happened. Kristen looks at me and smiles. “Come on. Let’s go to Johnny Rockets. I want a chocolate shake so bad.”
“Oh, that’s sounds good,” Bethany agrees and comes over. She links her arm through mine, and we make our way to the restaurant. Thankfully, there’s not a line, so we get seated immediately. As soon as our waiter arrives, we place our orders.
“I can’t believe you ordered a burger with a fried egg on it.” Kristen looks at me with disgust.
“Don’t forget the pickles, jalapeno peppers, and barbecue sauce,” Bethany adds with a laugh.
The looks on their faces are hilarious. “When you guys get pregnant, you’ll understand.”
Bethany shakes her head. “No way. If I have to eat strawberry yogurt with olives mixed in it, I never want a baby.”
“What?” Kristen says in shock.
Bethany starts to tell her all about my weird cravings, but she stops when her phone rings. She pulls it out of her purse and looks at the screen. Her face turns white, and she looks up at me. She lays the phone on the table and pushes it toward me. It doesn’t show a name, but it’s an 816 area code. “That’s new. The number is usually unlisted.”
“I just changed my number three days ago. I haven’t given it to anyone but you guys and work. How could he have gotten it so fast?”
I click the ignore button and power down the phone. “I don’t know. I’ve changed mine three times, and he always figures it out.”
“What? I thought y’all said he quit calling,” Kristen interrupts us, looking back and forth between us.
I nod my head. “He did for a few days, after I changed it the last time, but it’s started again. Today’s the first time he hasn’t called in over a week.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize that my phone hasn’t rung at all. I grab my purse and dig through it. My phone isn’t there. I think back to the last time I used it, standing in the kitchen talking to Aunt Angie. I must have left it there after I finished. Oh shit! If Dean calls, Jase will answer it, and there is no telling how that conversation will go. “We have to go, now.”
When we get to the house, Jase isn’t home. I look around to find my phone, but I can’t find it anywhere. I could have sworn I left it in the kitchen. “Do you guys know whe
re I put my phone?” I yell out to the girls.
“Nope,” they both say. Some help they are. They could at least be trying to help me look for it right now. “Can you two get off your lazy asses and help me find it.”
Just as I start to dig through the junk drawer, I hear the front door close. A second later, I listen as Jase talks to Bethany and Kristen in the living room. I walk out of the kitchen to join them. As soon as I see him, I know something has happened. He looks pissed. “What’s wrong?”
“That stupid bastard called you while you were gone.” He’s definitely pissed off. He hands me my phone. “I got Shane to put something on it, so whenever someone calls you, I’ll be able to see it.”
I can’t believe he would do something like that. He didn’t just invade my privacy; he stomped all over it. “Why in the world would you do that?”
“I just want to make sure you’re safe! I can’t do that if I don’t know what in the fuck is going on.”
I narrow my eyes at his stern voice and watch as he runs his fingers through his hair. I know he’s afraid for me, so I try to calm down before saying anything else. After thinking about how he must feel, I decide to discuss the whole tracker thing later on. Right now, we need to focus on Dean.
“What did he say?” I ask quietly.
“A bunch of fucked up shit. Apparently, he still calls you his wife.” He’s beyond pissed as he tells me about what Dean said about the baby and how I’ll be going home to him soon. I can’t help it. It’s not until my tears hit my chin that I realize I’m actually crying. I can’t keep living like this, in constant fear. It’s all shades of fucked up.
Jase wraps his arms around me and pulls me close. “He’s not gonna fuckin’ hurt you.” His breath is warm on my hair, chasing the chill of fear away. I can feel the calm easing its way through my body as he inhales. “I’ll kill him first.”
Chapter 22
Jase
We are just leaving Mack and Angie’s Christmas Eve party when Julie’s phone rings. It’s the second time since we pulled out of their driveway. I look over and see her staring out the window, completely ignoring the call. “Give it to me. I’ll look and see who it is.”