Page 24 of Head Over Wheels
I wring my hands together. How do I do this? I don’t want to look like a jealous girlfriend or cause any trouble between him and Deb. The last thing we all need is more drama. But he’s here, and I told him I’d tell him what was going on.
I sink down onto the bed and gesture at the chair by the desk. Jace pulls it out and sits down, leaning his forearms on his knees. His sleeves are rolled up, his muscles flexing. It takes some effort to pull my eyes away. The last thing I need right now is more distraction.
“At the event tonight, I’m sure you saw that Deb was at our table?”
He nods and motions for me to continue.
I twist a loose tendril of hair around my fingers. It’s always escaping when I try to tie it up. “Everything was going well, and we were all chatting. She was engaging with us, and everyone was asking her questions.” I pause again, dreading having to replay what happened.
“And then?” He speaks softly, almost as if he’s afraid to interrupt.
“And then I got up to use the restroom, check my makeup after dinner, you know. When I was done and about to go back to the event, Deb walked in.”
His eyes widen at that, but he stays quiet.
“At first I thought she just came to freshen up as well, but then she cornered me and said she wanted to have a word with me.” My cheeks go hot again, remembering how I’d felt.
Jace runs a hand through his short hair, but of course it looks unruffled and perfect afterwards. His lips thin into a straight line. “What did she say to you?”
“This is awkward, Jace. I’m not sure what you want me to say.” I look for a cue from him to see if it’s really okay to answer his question.
“Ella, you’re worrying me. Just tell me.” His hands are gripping the arm rests.
“In a nutshell, she staked her claim on you.”
“What?” He pushes himself right out of the chair.
I wave him back to sitting. “Deb told me that she’s still in love with you and your breakup is only temporary. She said that you’ll be back together soon and that you’ll never have real feelings for me.” I stare up at him, wincing in anticipation.
He’s pacing the small area between his chair and where I’m sitting on the bed. His hand is gripping the back of his neck. He doesn’t say anything at first, and I allow him the time to process what I’ve told him so far. All of a sudden, he stops pacing, and drops down onto the bed beside me. He grabs my hand and tilts my chin until I’m meeting his eyes. What’s on his mind?
CHAPTER 19
“Ella, I’m sorry all this drama is affecting you. I hate the drama.” He lets out a big sigh, and his warm breath tickles my lips.
“Was she telling the truth, Jace? Are you about to get back together?” I drop my eyes again, too scared of what I’ll see reflected back at me.
He tips my chin up with his index finger. “Deb was telling the truth about one thing. She is still in love with me. But that’s all. We’re not getting back together, I promise you.”
A small snort leaves my lips involuntarily. I quickly throw my hand over my mouth, hoping he didn’t notice.
He raises an eyebrow at me. “You don’t believe me?” A flash of hurt crosses his eyes.
“Jace, I saw you at the club with her. You didn’t look like you were on different pages as far as getting back together goes.”
His brows draw together. “Wait, what? What did you see?”
“You were beside the dance floor, with your arms around her. It looked very intimate.” My lips are pulled into a straight line. Just remembering what I saw is making my stomach plunge all over again.
His forehead relaxes and a hint of a smile plays around his lips. “I can see why you thought that validated Deb’s comments. But even though it sounds cliché, it’s not what it looked like.”
Now it’s my turn to raise an eyebrow. “Really? That’s what you’re going with?”
He laughs a little. I’m thinking about rolling my eyes but manage to hold it back.
“Ella, Deb and I were talking. She was telling me that she still loves me and wants to get back together. Basically, the same thing she told you.”
“That sounds exactly like what it looked like.” I tap my toe on the ground.