Page 131 of A Little Jaded
My pulse spikes, and I hold my breath, convinced I heard him wrong. I’m too much of a coward to ask him to repeat himself and confirm I’m right. That he didn’t just drop the L-bomb in the middle of Bean Scene’s parking lot.
“I know right now probably isn’t the best time to tell you this, but I do,” he adds quietly. “I love you so fucking much, and I’m so sorry Drake refuses to leave you alone, but I promise you, baby. I promise he’ll never hurt you again.”
I untuck my head from the crook of his neck and blink slowly, letting the tears fall freely as I hold his icy-blue gaze. I never thought I’d trust someone enough to let them pick up the pieces and put me back together again. Never thought itwas even possible. But this man? This man has surprised me more times than I can count, and the idea of him loving me and not knowing I feel the same is worse than anything we’ve been through since we met all those weeks ago. And it’s strange. Because I thought I knew what love was. What it felt like. The truth is? I had no freaking clue. Not until Everett walked into my life, er, not until I walked into his.
Licking the salty tears from my lips, I whisper, “I love you, too, Ev.”
His mouth lifts. “Yeah?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“Good. ‘Cause, uh, pretty sure your love is the only thing that’s going to keep you from wanting to stab me.”
“And why would I want to stab you?”
“Because I’ve been fielding your dad’s calls since last night.”
My breath hitches. “What?”
“I’m not sure how he got my number, but when you weren’t answering your phone, he tracked it down.”
“Why?” I whisper.
“Drake, uh,” he scrubs his hand over his face, “Drake sent him the video.”
The video.
The blasted fucking video.
Can I seriously not catch a break?
Rage and defeat and resentment battle within me, threatening to rip me to shreds. I rest my head against his shoulder and pray for strength. “Perfect.”
“I told him we’d stop by.”
“What?”
“I know you probably don’t want to, but if I was in their shoes, I would want to make sure my daughter’s okay, you know?” He drops a kiss to the top of my head. “Don’t hate me.”
“I don’t hate you,” I whisper. “I hate Drake.”
His chuckle is dry and low as he kisses my hair again. “You’re not the only one. Come on,” he prods. “Drink your coffee. You’re gonna need the caffeine.”
“And here I thought we’d head back to the cabin and sleep for a week.”
“Not yet.” He nudges my head with a gentle pop of his shoulder, and I sit up as he adds, “Soon, though. First, we gotta talk to your parents.”
“Sounds…great.”
A ghost of a smile plays on the edge of his lips, and he shoves his car into drive.
Bitingon the inside of my cheek, I lift my hand and rap my knuckles against the front door. I don’t know why I didn’t think Drake would stoop this low. But the idea he would send the video to my dad never even crossed my mind. I think it’s because he knew there would be no going back if he crossed that line. No second chances. Apparently, he’s finally gotten the message, and the gloves are officially off. If only I knew how to throw a punch back at him instead of just cowering in the corner and taking it on the chin.
It’s freezing out. Everett had an extra hoodie in the back of his car, but I left my coat at the house. I was too distracted to grab it when I rushed out the front door like a bat out of hell last night. It’s crazy, though. To think how much has changed in such a short period of time. Life is funny like that, I guess. The way time moves. Sometimes at a snail’s pace. Other times it’s faster than light speed. Now, here I am. On my parents’ front porch. Unable to do anything but knock and wait for their disappointed looks. I should walk in. If itwas any other day, I would. This is my family home, so why do I not feel welcome?
“You good?” Everett questions.
“What did you tell him?” I glance at Ev and clarify, “My dad.”