Page 128 of Jake's Angel
“Look, in all seriousness, are you sure you want to go through with this meeting?” I ask. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to go through with it after everything he’s done to you and your family …” I turn over, leaning up on my elbow to see her.
“Nah. I’m good. I’ve talked to him before, just never in person. He’s one of the reasons I keep so many burner phones. When I moved with Mack to Baron’s Edge, Thomas tracked me down. He managed to get my number from someone and sent me a text telling me he was working in the area and would always keep an eye on me. He said I should reach out if I ever needed anything. I never did.” She shrugs her shoulder and starts picking at her nails.
“You know, Thomas set up a trust account for me so I would have a way to take care of myself when I turned eighteen. It’s so I can pay for college or whatever. I guess he figured if he paid me off, then everything would be good between us. I wouldn’tnotice he abandoned us all those years ago.” She scoffs. “I didn’t want anything from him at first, but then when Mack made such a big deal out of me going to college and what he wanted me to do with my life, I decided I should take the money. I pulled the public papers on the cabin, found out who owned it, and started working on what I wanted. I mean, hey, at least I can say he was good for something in my life, right?” Her face does not match the tone in her voice. She’s trying for nonchalance, but there is pain in her eyes that she can’t hide. Not from me.
“Anyway, I’m not here for him. And I’m not going to meet him with you. I’ll be a distraction. You’ll meet him alone. But I’ll be watching,” Sadie says. “If this looks like a trap or if anything seems off to me, we give up on the meet-my-asshole-traitor-father-plan. Deal?” She demands.
“Deal.” I reply. “Changing the subject, what happened to you last night? I noticed Hawk drag you down the hall, but I didn’t see you again before I left. What was that all about?”
“His usual bullshit. He thinks he can tell me what to do and loses his shit when I don’t listen.” She shrugs. “He’s known me since we were kids. He refuses to see me as more than a little girl. He won’t accept I’ve grown up and can make my own damn decisions. He got bent out of shape because I took you to the nightclub and evaded the prospects.”
“Evaded? Sadie—you drugged them!” I shout, laughing at her nonchalance. We break into a fit of giggles.
“Whatever. It’s only Valium. It won’t hurt them. Besides, if they’d stop trying to control my every move, I wouldn’t have to go to such extremes. They all need to learn I can take care of myself,” she grumbles. “They chose to forget about me when I left for Baron’s Edge. So, why can’t they forget about me now?” I can hear the hurt and anger in her voice as it shakes a little with every word.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve got my own money. Own my own home. Hell, I’m starting my own business. They need to learn to let me live my life the way I want to. Nottheir way. Notthe club way. My way,” she whispers.
Not sure what to say, I squeeze her hand. I’ll do whatever I can for Sadie. I know she can’t go with me wherever it is, so I decide to go from here. She’s right. She has her own life started now. A home, a business, and her family, as dysfunctional as it may be. Even if she is hurt and angry with them right now, she needs them.
Choosing to let this go for now, I lay my head on her shoulder.
“We should’ve had breakfast this morning. I’m fucking hungry.” Sadie grumbles. “I guess you’ve given up breakfast, though, huh?”
“What?”
“You stopped eating breakfast.” She teases. “Or was it only you just stopped eating whatever Jake brought or made for breakfast?”
“Shut up. He was trying to be sweet, and I was mad at him. Don’t act like you don’t have your moments.”
“Yeah, you were being stubborn, and still are, I might add,” she sasses. “You know, starving yourself is not the way to prove to a man you’re pissed at him. But then neither is fucking his brains out. It sends mixed signals.” I reach for the pillow and slap her with it.
“I’m not stubborn and I’m not pissed. I’m realistic. He doesn’t wantme,Sades. He wanted to have sex with me. Now that he has, I’m sure he’ll move on to someone else,” I say softly. -But it’s okay. I wanted Jake to be my first. I chose to give myself to him. I knew what I was in for.”
It still hurts to think about everything he said in the moment, but I’ll keep those to myself.
A girl can dream …and get herself off when the need arises.
“If he does still talk to me, I’m sure it will only be because Gabe is asking him to keep an eye on me and he doesn’t want to be rude.”
“Jake doesn’t care about being rude. Hello. You’ve met him on several occasions and he’s rarely polite. Wasn’t it you who pointed out the fact he’s a—how did you put it? A walking penis?” Her voice raises, and we both giggle. “Still proud of you for that, by the way.”
“Ok, you’re right. He doesn’t care about being rude, but he doesn’t care about being with me either. He got what he wanted, and so did I. It was nice, and now it’s over. Can we please change the subject?”
“It’snotover and I know for damn sure it wasn’tnice.You don’t glow the way you do when it’s nice.” She uses her hands to make air quotes, and I laugh. “I don’t see anything about Jake being nice. Moody, smartass, protective and overbearing. Absolutely.” She taps her finger on her chin a few times as if contemplating the meaning of the universe, which I know is bullshit, especially after she opens her mouth again. “Or did you mean nice, like he has a nice penis? I mean, I guess that could be.”
“Sadie!” I shout. She cackles in the obnoxious way that only she can when she’s gotten under my skin about something. My face is flaming red. I pick up another pillow and swing it at her, but she blocks my shot. “You just wait. Someday some guy’s going to spin your head and I’ll be the one laughing. I can’t wait for the day someone tames your ass.”
“Tames me? Please. I don’t need a man to take care of me or tame my ass. I do just fine taking care of myself.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me, and I can’t help the look of disgust that crosses my face. “Oh, don’t act so innocent. You know you were playingyour own fiddle until Jake came along and taught you how to play with a different instrument.”
“Oh my God. You are so fowl sometimes. I do not play with myself, and I really wish I didn’t know you do.” A throat clears, and we both jump.
“Mr. Parisi will arrive soon. If you would like to wash up before we eat?” Nora motions to the ensuite bathroom. “Linens. Toiletries. Help yourself.” She bows and makes a quick exit.
We fall back on the bed and laugh hysterically.
“I hate you,” I manage to gasp out between laughs.
“You love me and now you know I love myself. You should try it sometime, in case things don’t work out with Jake. You’ll be able to have a party of five all by yourself.” She wiggles her fingers in the air. I’m laughing so hard my stomach hurts.