I begin slamming cabinets and drawers as I pull out the plates and silverware in order to set the table. Even though my heart is racing from the thought of a confrontation later on, I’m still nervous, yet pissed at the same time.
I’m choosing to let my anger override any fear I have of being ganged up on. They just have no motherfucking clue what the last three years have been like for me.
Do they care? Probably not. The lot of them are as selfish as a fucking silver-spooned-fed-rich kid. But, at the same time, I love every fucking one of them.
They had my unwavering dedication for years, yet they’re refusing to give me the benefit of the doubt before shooting lasers in my direction and spouting out crap from their mouths.
Holding my head high and my shoulders back with pride, I call out that dinner is ready. Then I put all of their plates in front of the chairs around my kitchen table, and bring food out, placing it in the middle on hot pads.
My belongings may not be expensive, but they’re well-maintained and clean, and I plan on keeping things that way.
Dinner was awkward to say the least. The only person who talked to me besides Hadley was Rayne, and that was only to ask me questions about our daughter. Hadley took to the girls right away, and they took to her just as quickly. It felt as if my little girl stepped in and inadvertently took my place with the Wilde siblings. No fault of her own, but it still caused a wound to fester in my chest. As we said goodnight to the Wilde sisters, they never once looked my way as they left my home. Shaking it off, I escort Rayne to the bathroom where he helped me give Hadley a bath. For the first time in a long time, my family and life felt complete.
And isn’t that a bitter pill to swallow.
8
Rayne
I know my sisters’ brush-off of Jacey hurt her immensely. But tonight wasn’t about a friendly reunion between the five of us. It was about nothing more than getting to know Hadley. As the night concluded and I read my girl her favorite nighttime story, then give Annabelle and her several kisses, I quietly step out of Hadley’s room once she is snoring and come face-to-face with Jacey.
“Is she asleep?” Jacey asks me, maneuvering from one foot to the other.
“She is. Look, Jacey, we need to hash a few things out. But in all honesty, I’m wiped the fuck out. Can we meet up tomorrow morning? We’ll have breakfast, then talk. I need a few hours of sleep to process everything.”
“Sounds good. May want to make it more of a brunch. Hadley isn’t an early riser. Plus, I need to hit the grocery store and run a few errands that I put off today,” she advises as she chews on her bottom lip. I hold back the groan that wants to escape me—her biting that lip has always been my undoing. But I have to be strong, hold my ground. Whereas I want to pull her into my arms and get lost in her curvaceous body, I know that now is not the time to go there. I’m still pissed, I’m still hurt, and things between Jacey and I are still up in the air. I’m not sure how I’m feeling where it comes to her, I need a bit to go through my thoughts and filter them. Prioritize them into boxes within my brain.
I don’t want to rush into something that I may end up regretting tomorrow. I’ve done enough of that in the last three years.
“How about I bring breakfast, Jace? You can do that online shopping thing that’s all the rave now and I’ll have my sisters pick it up and deliver it here to you.”
“Will they be adding arsenic to the food? Remind them that Hadley eats that too, would you?” I chuckle at the horror of her words.
“Come on, Jacey. They are a little put-out with you right now, but they’d never intentionally poison you.” Well, Billie might, I’ll make sure to put Sibley and Justine on that task. I don’t think she’d poison Jacey, but I wouldn’t put it past her to spit on it either. She’s hotheaded and acts before thinking sometimes.
“I’m not so sure about that.” She momentarily looks away from me. Then, as she looks back, she says, “Billie’s venom is still quite deadly. I thought she was going to take me out tonight. Put everyone out of their misery of having to see me again.”
“What do you want me to say to that, Jacey? You fucking obliterated us. When we found out you’d hidden Hadley from not only me and them, but our parents and yours, they lost all the respect they ever had for you. That’s on you, not them.”
“I know.” She silently cries. I want to reach up and wipe her tears away, but I’m secretly enjoying watching them fall. She deserves to feel just an iota of how I felt. I want her to suffer in the same manner as I did the day my chest felt like a weighted boulder fell on me, pressing down on the cavity as I belatedly discovered the level of betrayal she bestowed upon me and my family.
Touché, Jacey. “I’ll see you tomorrow, say eleven?”
“That works. See ya tomorrow, Rayne.”
The next morning comes all too damn quickly. My eyes are raw from lack of sleep. My mind drifted all night with thoughts of Jacey and Hadley. My attraction to my ex is still ever present. No matter how angry I am at her, I still want her with a vivacious hunger. Her body has changed since birthing our daughter. Her hips are just a bit wider, perfect grips for my hands as I pound into her from behind. Her tits, dear God, I think they’ve grown a cup size or two. They were already a handful, but now, they’d overfill my mitts.
I want to touch them, caress them, compare them with the memory I have from before. All in due time, first we have to have a heart-to-heart that needs to take place before I can make a move on her. I will get her back, but I need to allow some time for our hearts to heal. I have a lot of making up to do where it comes to her. I know she’s more than likely seen all the tabloids with me and a different woman at every venue. I know that had to gut her, because the thought of anyone else touching her, causes a red sheen to cover my vision.
No, I won’t go there. Even if she’s been with someone else since we parted ways, I have no room to judge or get angry. I’ve done much worse.
I pick up my phone and place an order at the local bakery for breakfast. I get a few breakfast burritos and some sweets; I want to cover all bases. Jacey used to have a sweet tooth, but I’m not sure if she allows Hadley to eat sugar-coated donuts for breakfast.
Anger momentarily sets in again as I think about what all I don’t know when it comes to Hadley. I should know all of these miniscule details.
Jacey
I set my alarm clock and wake up earlier than normal. I’ve already called my assistant and have him covering the shop this morning. I have no meetings lined up for the next several days, so I can afford to play hooky.
I’ve never taken as much as a vacation, and I think this situation calls for some time off. Which should make Hadley extremely happy. She’s been asking for me to take her to the zoo, she loves every animal there.
Maybe Rayne would like to come along as well? I shake that question off. I can’t ask him, we’d be bombarded by fans and paparazzi. I remember those days when we couldn’t even take a stroll without being chased.
That’s the life I don’t want for Hadley. Rayne and I are gonna have to come up with a plan of action for when he has her. Those masses would scare her and I don’t want that for her, and I have a feeling neither would he. He lives in the spotlight of fame and fortune; everyone wants a piece of him.
That’s exactly why he and I would never work. I’ve left that life behind and have enjoyed the peacefulness that’s come with it.
As I walk into the kitchen to brew a fresh pot of coffee, the doorbell rings. I look over to the microwave and see it’s only now turning eight o’clock. Damn, he’s way earlier than I expected him to be.
Without looking through the peephole, I open the door. That was a huge mistake. Jameson is standing on the other side, looking far beyond pissed off.
“Jameson, why are you here?”
“We have a problem that you need to fix,” he angrily spits out.
“Me? What the hell did I do?” I ask him, pointing at my chest.
“You wer
e supposed to lay low, stay out of their lives, Jace!” His bellow is filled with malice and has me taking a step back.
“I didn’t contact him, any of them,” I solidify, holding my ground.
“How the fuck else would he have found you in this fucking lame town if you didn’t?” His accusations are beginning to piss me off. I’m tired of people putting words into my damn mouth.
“He hired a private detective, you dipshit!” I holler back, unable to control myself anymore. Enough is fucking enough already.
“I would have known if he’d done that, Jace.”
“Obviously you aren’t doing your job well enough then, because he did, Jameson!”
“I will ruin you, Jacey. I swear I will if you don’t make him leave. I won’t have my career nor theirs going up in flames. You fix this, or you pay.”
“And how do you plan on making me pay, Jameson? Your threats are miniscule and inconsequential in my life.” Where the hell does he get off laying threats at my feet this way? He may think he’s got the upper hand, but I’m full of surprises.
“By taking the one thing you love most in this world away from you,” he says with a smile that is anything but friendly.
“No judge will take Hadley from me. Try again, Jameson.” He may not know this, but there is only one judge in this small town, and I’ve planned his fortieth wedding anniversary, planned one of his kid’s weddings and the other’s baby shower. If anything, Judge Cooper would side with me.
“Who said anything about court, Jace?” My mouth drops open with that threat, surely he’s not implying… what, kidnapping her? It was left open-ended, and I do not like that at all.
“Fix this, Jacey, I’m not messing around with this,” he emphatically states before turning around and walking away. I stand in the open door and watch as he gets into his rental car. He shoots me a wicked smile before starting it up and driving away.
I must be in shock, because I’m still standing here when Rayne pulls up. I’m suddenly very grateful that he came before Hadley wakes up.
We have a lot to discuss and I need to tell him about my early visitor.
Rayne’s going to fly off the handle, but I need his help to rein Jameson in. He may not pull a lot of weight around this town with the judge and sheriff, but his threat was very intimidating and I don’t know if he knows anyone that could hurt Hadley or not. That’s not a risk I’m going to take.
Fuck that noise, no one threatens my baby and gets away with it.
9
Rayne
As I pull up, I notice that Jacey is standing in her open doorway with a look of utter devastation on her face. What the hell could’ve happened so early? I know that Hadley isn’t awake yet, I timed this to perfection. I wanted Jacey and I to have our chat over a steaming cup of coffee, lay all of our cards out on the table before Hadley even contemplates opening her eyes for the day. I know once she’s up and about, we won’t have the opportunity to do so.
Grabbing the box from my passenger side seat, I exit the truck and make my way up to the front porch. I’m trying to make just enough noise so I won’t startle her, but not enough to freak her the fuck out.
“Jacey?” I call out her name as I make it to where I’m standing directly in the path of her eyes.
“We need to talk,” she snaps at me before turning around and marching back inside of her house.
“Well, alrighty then,” I mumble as I follow her inside.
When I make my way to the breakfast bar, I take a seat on one of the stools and watch as she pours two cups of coffee. “I need to tell you a story, Rayne, but I need loads of caffeine first.”
“Am I gonna need a shot of whiskey inside of my cup for this conversation, Jacey?”
“We both could use one, but I’m fresh out,” she mumbles. Glancing over at her, I notice that her hands are shaky. My brows go up into my forehead; she really is rattled about something. I just hope whatever it is, is easily solvable.
“Jacey, I need you to talk to me. I’m starting to freak out here.”
“Let’s start at the very beginning,” she says, coming over and taking the stool next to mine. She hands me my cup of coffee before taking a small sip of her own.
“Best place to start,” I respond to her statement. I know I need to hear all the details, but right now, I’m more anxious for her to get to what’s happened this morning that’s got her so upset.
“When I left you that morning, I boarded a plane and went home. But the second I landed at the airport; I knew I couldn’t go back there. Too many memories, too many people that know about us. I just couldn’t go back with my tail tucked between my legs. So, I pulled up a Google map of the United States, closed my eyes, and picked a place. That’s how I ended up here.”
She looks over at me from the corner of her eyes and I nod my head for her to continue. “Understandable, Jacey. But I need you to highlight the crucial parts for me.”
“About twelve weeks after I landed here, I started getting violently ill. I thought I had food poisoning or something, so I made a doctor’s appointment because after three days, my symptoms weren’t subsiding. That’s when I found out I was pregnant. It took some time for it to sink in, but when I gained enough courage, I set off to find you.”
“And did you, Jacey? Find me I mean?”
“Oh yeah, but when I did, you were quite busy,” she angrily shoots back at me.
“Fuck,” I hiss through my front teeth. I can only imagine what she saw when she did find me.
“Didn’t take you long to get over me. What I saw devastated me, broke me, made me hate you for a time.”
“I can only imagine,” I hesitantly say. “And I wasn’t over you then, and I’m still not now.” When the truth of my words spring from my mouth, she rolls her eyes, huffs then pays close attention to her mug.
“I still hate you some, Rayne. I meant so little to you that you allowed women in your bed a few short weeks after getting rid of me. I still see that day clearly in my head. It’s as if it just happened yesterday.”
“What did you see, Jacey?”
“A woman between your legs giving you a blow job while two other women molested you… in fucking public, Rayne!”
“Dammit,” I solemnly say, scrubbing my hands down my face in both embarrassment and frustration.
I can’t believe she saw that with her very own eyes.
How fucking humiliating.
Things between us are going to be rocky for a while, and I have no one to blame but myself. Fuck, I could’ve had my daughter in my life if I’d have kept my damn dick in my pants.
Jacey
I don’t know what he’s so up in arms about. He’s the one who decimated me, not the other way around. I shoot him an evil glare before continuing. “Before I had a chance to get away from that fun scene, Jameson stopped me.”
“How did he stop you?” he sort of asks. I can’t really tell if it was posed as a question or a demand. He’s like a rabid dog, full of barks and growls. I’m intently looking at him, wondering if at any time now he’ll start foaming at the mouth. “Jacey,” he snaps.
“He didn’t lay a hand on me if that’s what you’re asking, Rayne. He saw me standing there, heart in my throat and decided that was the perfect time to talk some shit to me is all.”
“What kind of shit, Jacey? As close to word-for-word as you can remember.”
His eyes are fully focused on me, intently watching me as I recall that unpleasant memory.
“I told him I was pregnant after he accused me of coming back to break up the band. I told him that wasn’t my intent, but he pointed out how happy and free you were after kicking me to the curb. Jameson said he’d never seen you so alive and I would do nothing but bring you and the band down if I returned. He reminded me how miserable I made you and offered me cash if I proved to him I was pregnant. I shoved my ultrasound picture in his hands before walking away, after promising to stay away from you all.”
“What?” Rayn
e bellows, and I swear the walls shake with his ire.
“Shh, you’re going to wake Hadley up and we aren’t done,” I say to him as I look down the hallway and place my eyes on her bedroom door. I wait a few minutes before I continue with everything I have to say to him.
“Sorry,” he abashedly states. “But damn, that pisses me off. My fucking manager hid the fact that you were pregnant from me. He fucking knew I had a kid out there and buried that shit deep.”
“Yeah, he did. I don’t know how he found out that I’d given birth to Hadley, I never reached out to him. I didn’t want a fucking dime from him or you. I knew I could do it on my own, but as soon as I made it home from the hospital, there was a check for five thousand dollars sitting in my mailbox, and like clockwork, one arrived the first of every month.”
“At least he did something, right,” Rayne mumbles.
“I haven’t touched a dime of it. I’ve put it all in a separate account for Hadley when she gets older. She can use it for schooling or to begin her life when she comes of age.”
“That’s admirable of you, Jacey, but that money is for Hadley’s support—to help put a roof over her head, clothes on her back and food in her belly. I will pay for her education personally, and I’ll make sure she has a nice nest egg to build her life on.”
“We don’t need your money, Rayne,” I sharply state. I don’t know why taking money from him upsets me as much as it does, but I do just fine taking care of our daughter on my income.
“I know you don’t, Jacey, but I need to feel as if I’m contributing to our daughter as well.”
“Sorry, Rayne,” I apologize. “I’m on edge after my surprise visit from Jameson this morning.”
Uninhibited : Savage Wilde Page 5