Page 55 of Deal with Mr. Cruel
“Of course, it is.” He reached a hand out for her.
She jerked away from him.
“I can’t believe how stupid I’ve been.” She shook her head angrily.
Jonas reached for her again, but her friend stepped in front of her. “Don’t.” She held up a finger and shook her head.
Mae slowly stepped out from behind her friend, nodding at her reassuringly. She stepped in front of Jonas and pulled her rings off. She pushed them against his chest and he fumbled to grab them as she turned and ran, her friend and her children trailing behind her. He wanted to run after her, but Nico stepped in front of him. Jonas knew what was coming next, but he didn’t care. He watched as Nico pulled back his hand and punched him clean in the jaw. Jonas fell to the floor. He watched as Kenny ran over and pulled Nico back before he could land another blow.
He knelt in the dirt, red staining the knees of his jeans. He gripped his face. It hurt, but not nearly as much as it did to watch Mae run away in tears. He feared she would never forgive him. How could he have let his anger get the best of him? It wasn’t worth hurting Nico if it broke Mae’s heart. He had to find her. He had to make things right.
Chapter 21
Mae
Mae could barely see through her tears as she ran through the festival, desperate to find an exit. Booths and people whirred by her. She really didn’t care who saw her in this state. She had to get out of there. Finally, the doors for the exit appeared and she pushed her way through. Outside, she knelt over, placing her hands on her knees, and let out a sob.
She felt so stupid. How could she have trusted him again? How could she have believed he could actually love her? She had been so naïve. As much as she had tried to stay strong and play tough, Jonas had crept into her heart. Or maybe he had been there all this time. She had completely set herself up to be heartbroken. Again.
She heard the doors swing open behind her. She wished for it to be anyone but Jonas.
“When did you become a track star?” asked Lindsay, panting.
Mae whirled around to see her best friend standing there, holding her two kids, red in the face.
“Oh, Lindsay. I’m so sorry. I had to get out of there.”
Lindsay waved her off. “Please. You know I’ve got your back.”
“Thank you.”
“That man is an asshole.” Lindsay wiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead.
“Mom! You can’t say that. I’m telling Dad!” her kids yelled.
Lindsay slapped her head against her forehead. “Sorry, loves. Mama did an oopsie.”
“You have to put a quarter in the swear jar.”
Lindsay rolled her eyes as she set her kids on the ground. She enveloped Mae into a big hug. Mae sunk into her friend as she let more tears flow. Lindsay rubbed her back gently, as her kids came up and clung to Mae’s legs.
“It’s okay, Aunt Mae,” they said, giving her a squeeze.
Mae looked down at them and brushed away her tears. She gave them a forced smile. “Thanks, guys. I’ll be okay. I promise.” Although, in that moment, she wasn’t so sure.
“Can we get out of here?” asked Mae. She knew she shouldn’t be leaving work on such a big day, but the event seemed to be running smoothly. Maybe no one would miss her.
“You stay here. I’ll go get the car,” said Lindsay reassuringly.
Mae nodded as she sat down on the curb with her head in her hands. Lindsay gently grabbed her kids’ hands and led them down the sidewalk swiftly.
Mae replayed Jonas’s words in her head.It’s all fake. It was all part of a plan. I knew exactly how to get to her.Mae shook her head, trying to free the words from her memory.
She heard the doors swing open behind her, and this time, she knew it was the one person she couldn’t face right now. She could feel Jonas standing behind her. He stayed quiet for what seemed like forever, but was probably only a minute.
“Mae,” he said hesitantly.
Mae didn’t respond, even though his voice ran through her like liquid. She just stared at the ground. She was scared if she turned and saw him, she would somehow forget the awful things he said and end up in his arms. Like an idiot. Again.