by C. J. Welles
She leans up on her tippy-toes to kiss me but still can’t reach. Bending my head down, I capture her lips in mine. I kiss her so fucking gently like she deserves. “It’s okay.” She mumbles, and I shake my head. “Yes, it is, I don’t blame you. I know how hard it was for you to hear it. I love you and hate that I had to tell you that.” My heart nearly beats out of my chest when she says those words. It’s the first time she has said I love you, and it feels so fucking good.
Callie never ceases to amaze me. The life she has lived, the way I reacted last night and the way I acted today, and she is the one who is comforting me.
“I love you so fucking much, Angel.”
We get out of the shower and get dressed. Just as I go to walk downstairs, Callie grabs my arm. “There is something else I need to tell you about.” Oh, Christ, I don’t know if I can take anymore. I nod, and she sits on the end of my bed.
“I had been in Dallas for six weeks when I...” she pauses, and I know I need to brace myself for what she is going to say.
What she says has me sitting down before I drop to the floor. “I found out I was... I was pregnant,” she whispers. “It was a major blow. It felt like driving salt into an open wound.”
Oh, fucking hell. How much pain and suffering does one girl have to go through? Some people go through life with no dramas, but poor Callie has had it all thrown at her. It makes me feel like an ass. I was sad and depressed because I gave up my football career, thought the world hated me for my failed plans and here Callie was going through hell.
She begins to sob which pulls me out of my internal rant and scolding. Pulling her into my chest, I hug her tightly to me. I don’t think I ever want to let her go. “Shhh baby, it’s okay,” I say, as I rub my hands up her tiny back. It’s not all okay, but I don’t know what else to say.
Eventually, I lay us back on the bed and hold her as she cries. Every heart-wrenching sob that leaves her pains me. Soon she cries herself to sleep, and it’s fucking horrible to witness. Someone you love so much, so upset and wrecked they can’t stay awake.
∞∞∞
Chapter 20
Callie
I REALLY WANTED to tell Jace the truth about my baby, but it just wouldn’t come out. Then I ended up breaking down. In the end, it was too much emotion for me on the one day and I fell asleep.
Last night I had my first nightmare in months. When I first met Jace I had a dozen or so in the first month, but none since then. Before that, it was every night.
I’m sitting at the kitchen table when Jace comes in from his morning jobs. He bends down and drops a kiss on my lips before heading to the fridge. I haven’t met anyone who eats like him. He’s not overweight though. I swear the food he eats just turns to muscle and he is 230 pounds of true muscles.
“How’s your morning been?” I ask him.
He groans. “Frustrating. Two of the three horses we got last week are proving to be difficult to train.” I think they are all difficult to train. I’ve watched Jace and Jackson out there a few times and I wouldn’t have a clue how they get them to do different things. I know how to ride Ace and that’s about all.
“Y’all will get them behaving. Just give it some time.” I say, as he sits down at the table across from me and demolishes a ham and cheese sandwich in a minute.
Getting up, I walk around and sit down on his lap. “How are you feeling, Angel?”
“I’m good. You may not think it but telling you yesterday has eased some of the pain from my chest. It felt good to have someone listen to me. I’m just sorry you had to hear it.”
He lifts his hand and gently runs his thumb over my lips. “Anything for you baby. I wish I could take away all the pain for you, but I know I can’t.” Looking into his deep brown eyes, I can see the gold flecks sparkling as his eyes lock with mine. It is right there on his face, the pain that he feels for me and I can see how much he loves me.
Before either of us say anything else I hear a thud and bang out in the mudroom. I go to jump up but Jace holds me on his lap and nuzzles my neck. “It’s just Bryson, Baby.”
Just Bryson!?
Bryson who basically wanted to fuck me off out of Jace’s life because I am not good enough for him.
I try to twist out of his hold to leave the room, but he doesn’t let his grip loosen. “Let me go,” I growl.
“No Angel.” I sit on his lap and fume. I can feel my anger rising. How dare he make me sit here? I don’t give a fuck who Bryson is to Jace, he ain’t my friend.
Bryson walks into the room and freezes when he sees me.
Yeah, that’s right fucker I’m still here.
“What’s up Bry?” Jace asks him and Bryson pulls out a chair and sits across from us.
He looks to Jace but doesn’t meet my eyes. “Not a lot, just comin’ to see you both.” He looks to me “I wanted-”
“Bryson, I don’t want to hear anything from you,” I grate out, then push Jace’s arms away. “You made me feel dirty. You talked to me and about me like I was a piece of shit. You had no fucking right to do that.” I am so fucking angry. Who the fuck does he think he is, coming here wanting to talk to me. Standing up, I look down to Jace and shake my head at him.
Did he honestly think I would just accept an apology and it would be over with? I’ve taken a lot of shit in my life, but for a stranger to come in and try to destroy the best thing that has happened to me, I just can’t get over that.
Storming towards the door I grab my purse and head outside. I hear the door behind me as I get to the bottom of the stairs.
“I don’t expect you to accept my apology.” I hear Bryson say. I was expecting Jace to come after me. “Honestly, I wouldn’t if I was you. I was a complete fuckhead and deserve a knee to the balls.”
I stop and take several deep breaths. If I don’t calm the fuck down, I might just inflict pain on him.
Turning around I pin Bryson to the spot. “Well? What’s your apology? What’s your excuse for degrading me in front of your friends and my boyfriend?” He flinches.
“I don’t have an excuse,” he says honestly. He puts his head back and looks to the sky. “You want to know the truth? Yeah, you fuckin’ got it right the other night. I was a little jealous. I don’t fuckin know why, but I was. I’ve never been jealous of him before, but I was jealous of Jace.” He looks back to me. “Look, you don’t have to like me, and you don’t have to talk to me, but for Jace’s sake can we be civil? We all know I am a dickhead, but I don’t want to put Jace in the middle of us.”
I think about it for a minute. As much as I ain’t going to be his friend, he is my boyfriend’s best friend. I know Jace will do anything for me. I can do this for him.
“Yeah, for Jace. Tell him I will be at our spot.” I say and before he can answer, I jump in my car and drive down to the dam.
I’ve been laying in the grass next to the dam for an hour when I hear Jace’s car. I stay laying down as he pulls up and slams his door after jumping out. He won’t want to be angry at me, it won’t end well for him if he is.
Lying next to me, he rolls my tiny body onto my side, so that I’m facing him. All I can see on his face is love. Thank God, I don’t think I can handle anymore arguing. “I’m sorry Jace, but I couldn’t accept it. He hurt me, and he nearly destroyed us.”
“I know. Everythin’ will be all okay, don’t stress about it.” I’m not stressing. I just feel hurt, still, when it comes to Bry. “Have you calmed down? I thought you were goin’ to rip Bryson a new asshole, the way you were glarin’ at him.”
“I felt like I wanted to. But I’ll be nice to him for you.”
“That means so much to me, Angel. I’m not forgiving him for what he said and done and at the moment, I still want to kill him. But he’s been here for me my whole life. It’s like fighting with my brother. I can’t give up our friendship, sorry Angel.” And I wouldn’t expect him to. He’s his own person and so am I, I’m not going to control who he is friends with.
We lay silently, and I study the clouds as they pass by. I love spending time here. Not just the ranch, but this exact spot I’m lying on. It’s my go-to spot these days when everything gets too hard. It’s mine and Jace’s spot where we have shared so many memories.
“Do you have to work tonight?” Jace asks from behind me, where he’s cuddled up to me.
“Yes. I need to leave in a few hours, I start at nine.” He growls, he hates it when I start later. It means I work until later and by then the men are drunker and get touchier.
“I was going to come spend the night. There’s not a lot goin’ on here, but I don’t know if I can handle watchin’ other men watch you strip.” He does not handle it, at all.
I remember back to the first time he came to work. I nearly lost my job and Jace nearly got arrested.
“Hey, don’t touch me like that. You know it’s against the rules.” I remind the asshole for the third time. I’ve been dancing in front of his friend who shoved a heap of bills in my bra. This guy is alright, but his friend is a fucking pig. All night he has been calling out to me like an asshole.
“Come on baby, it’s your job to look pretty for us and to let us get a feel.”
“No, it’s my job to dance for you. You can’t touch.” I nearly growl. It’s pigs like this who put girls off dancing. All we are here for is to make some money and entertain men for a few hours. But some think they are better than the rest and are owed more.
Suddenly, I’m pulled into his lap and he presses his mouth to my ear as he grabs my tit. “How about I take you out back for a hundred and shove my dick in your pussy?”
“Let me the fuck go now,” I yell and push myself out of his hold. “You are a fucking pig. Men like you give us a bad name.”
“No. Sluts like you who will spread your legs for anyone gives you the bad name. Now, if I pay you for a fucking dance I expect it to be good.”
“You haven’t fucking paid me, and I don’t spread my legs, you arrogant fuckhead.”
I don’t see him come in, but next thing I know Jace is ripping the man from his chair by the throat and punches him in the nose. All I can hear is Jace roaring at the man. “You fucking low life fuck.” And something about being dead.
Just as quick as it started it finishes when two bouncers come running over and drag Jace off the man.
After it finished, Nigel called me into his office and was halfway through firing me when Jace walked in and handed him a check for the damages. I’m guessing it was a larger amount because Nigel looked at the check then told me to get the fuck out and be back for work tomorrow.
“What you thinkin’ about Angel? You look happy.” Jace asks with a smile.
“Just you trying to kick that man’s ass for touching me.”
He growls, “Well, he shouldn’t have touched what was mine. And it wasn’t how he touched you as much as how he talked to you. No fuckhead talks to you like that. He’s just lucky security were there to save his ass.”
I raise my eyebrows at him. He let Bryson talk to me like that. I don’t say it though. It’ll only cause an argument.
∞∞∞
Chapter 21
Callie
“HEY GIRL,” KRYSTAL greets me when I walk through the door after work. She’s sitting on the couch looking nervous with her hands wringing together in her lap.
“What’s going on?” I sit down next to her and wait for her to reply.
“Nothing much. I was, ah, wondering if you still want to move?” she asks carefully.
“Yeah. Without my extracurricular activities, I can’t afford this place anymore.” She lets out a deep breath as if she’s been holding it.
“Good, that’s good. I’ve been looking at a few places. There’s some a little further out that are good.”
“Write them down and we can go check them out at some stage.” I get up and walk to my room, but Krystal doesn’t move. I look back to her and she is looking down at the ground with her shoulders slumped forward.
Something is going on with her. I’ll give her some time and hopefully, she’ll come to me. She’s been there for me in the past plenty, I hope she knows she can come to me.
I hope into bed after stripping off and check my cell. There’s a message from Jace.
Jace: I hope those fuckers kept their hands off you tonight x
Me: Yes babe, you’re the only one to touch my body xx
Jace: That’s good, I’m not a violent man, but you just tell me and I’ll come give someone a beating. No one touches my girl.
His words. They make me want to melt.
Me: Argh, you’re like a caveman.
But I like to rile him up, he goes all alpha mode so easily.
Jace: You ain’t seen nothing yet, baby. You wait until you’re my wife and have my baby in your belly. I’ll then show you, caveman.
I just know him too well. I swear I know him better than myself some days.
Me: Hmmm. Wife? Who said I want to be your wife.
Who am I trying to kid? I’d become his wife tomorrow if he asked.
Jace: Baby, you will be my wife soon and I know you want to. So, stop trying to kid yourself.
Apparently, he knows me too well as well. I’m not kidding myself though.
Me: Your words are just too sweet, you make my heart flutter.
Jace: I’ll make something deep inside you flutter if you keep being smart. Now go to sleep.
Me: Love you xx
Jace: Love you too, night Angel.
I love that man. Jace fucking Thompson owns me.
*
SHE HAS GOT TO be joking. The past three houses were at least half an hour away from town. One of them was a complete dive and even I wouldn’t have lived there back when I was out on my own.
This place we’re at now isn’t so bad but its ages out. I don’t know what she was thinking when she went looking for them.
“Krystal, this is ages away. It’s like nearly an hour to work.”
She sighs softly. “I know, I just want to be out of the city. I’ve decided I like space.” I don’t think that reason is the full truth, but I’m not going to get any answers today.
I do agree with her. After spending so much time at the ranch I’m not keen on the city life anymore. But I hate traveling so far for work every day. I’ll end up driving in most days, I can tell already, and it’ll cost a fortune on gas compared to now.
“How about we think it over before we commit to anything. We can look to see if there is anything else out there.” She doesn’t reply but slowly nods her head. Well, thank fuck for that.
“Want to go somewhere for lunch? I’m starving,” I ask when my belly grumbles.
She looks at me with her head tipped to the side. “You just ate like two hours ago.”
“I know but I’m hungry again.”
We find a café close by that looks decent. Once we’re seated, we order some lunch. Krystal gives me another weird look when I order Caesar salad and a bowl of fries, then a chocolate thick shake. Jace would be proud, he’s always saying I don’t eat enough.
We chat about some of the girls from work and Krystal fills me in on the latest news from her office job. Apparently, someone is looking at buying out her boss and restructuring the company. That will be good for Krystal. The current boss is a dick and couldn’t run a company if his life depended on it.
“You got any plans for tonight?” I ask Krystal.
“Nope, was going to spend the night in.” She looks to me with a worried curious gaze.
“Awesome, same here. Want to catch up on the latest Suits episodes? I’ve missed the last three, but I have them recorded.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
We’re just paying the check when my cell rings. Pulling it out I see Jace’s sexy face. “Hey babe,” I answer.
“What you up to Angel? I’m just at your apartment but you’re not here.”
I groan. “We’ll be home in half hour or so. Just out looking for a new place wit
h Krystal. Can you wait for us?”
“Yeah baby, I was going to crash if I can.” Hell yes! As if I would say no.
“Do you really think you need to ask?” I ask, too excitedly for only seeing him yesterday.
We say goodbye and Krystal looks over to me. “Was that lover-boy?”
“Sure was.” I smile then pin her with a look. “We’re still on for tonight. He can just put up with it.”
“Okay girly. Let’s get out of here.”
*
Jace
I WASN’T GOING to say anything to Callie until we had fully organized it, but if she’s looking at a new place I’ll have to get my ass into gear and ask her tonight.
Waiting in my car, I call mom and double check she is okay to go ahead with what we are planning. That’s if Callie agrees. Fuck, I hope she does. I hate where she works and I fucking hate guys leering at her all night like she’s a piece of meat they can eat.
I’m the only one who eats her.
I see Callie’s little Getz pull up and hop out of the truck. That car of hers will be one of the first things we change. She needs a real car.
I walk up to her door and open it before pulling her up out of the car. “I missed you,” I mumble against her neck, as I kiss up to her ear. She giggles, and it makes my cock twitch. I love that sound. Not only because it turns me the fuck on, but it’s so bloody sweet. She should laugh more often.
Pushing me away she grabs my hand and walks to the front door. “You only saw me yesterday.”
“I know, still missed you though.”
“You just missed sex last night.”
I shrug, “Can’t argue with you there.” She does a dramatic sigh that deserves a reward and drops my hand. I laugh when I see her trying to hide a smile, but I can see her lips turning up at the sides.
“What are you doing in town?” she asks once inside her apartment. I drop down on the couch and pull her onto my lap.