The Match (It Happened in Charleston 1)

“Get off of me, Tyler!” I say, feeling more annoyed than frightened. Although he’s being a prick right now, I know he’s not going to force anything more than a kiss.

“Just give me one chance to show you what you’re missing.” He’s dipping his head down while I’m still trying to squirm out of his grasp and away from his lethal-potency cologne.

“Gross. No. Get off of me or—”

Suddenly, Tyler takes two falling steps backwards, and I realize that he’s been grabbed from behind and physically peeled off of me. Jake is holding Tyler by the back of his suit, and the look on his face says everything: I’m going to knock you out. And he does. Jake punches Tyler square in the jaw so hard that Tyler falls back onto the ground.

Jake hovers over him like a victor from a Rocky film. “Don’t ever touch her without her consent again. Do you understand me?” Tyler just stares up at Jake, stunned and holding his face. “This is the last time you will ever try to pursue Evie. She’s made it perfectly clear that she doesn’t want you anywhere near her, and from now on, you will respect her wishes.”

Huh. I had no idea that I had a thing for hot guys going all bodyguard on me…but yeah, it’s a thing, apparently.

Usually, this is where Tyler would say something sarcastic in reply, but he rubs his jaw and looks up at Jake instead and nods. It makes me think I should have punched Tyler myself a long time ago.

“Not good enough. Let me hear you say it along with an apology,” says Jake in such a stern voice that it sends a chill down my spine.

Tyler’s eyes meet mine, and I can see that he’d rather die than apologize to me, but he does it anyway. “I’m sorry, Evie. It won’t happen again.”

“Thank you.” My voice sounds puny. Why can’t I have a Rocky voice like Jake?

Tyler stands up and dusts himself off before walking toward the doors of the venue again. Jake makes a sharp eh sound like I use when training my dogs, and Tyler freezes.

“Wrong way,” Jake says, and I swear that Tyler wants to hit him back but knows he would never be a match for Jake.

So, to my great delight, Tyler turns around and walks away from the fundraiser, back toward his fancy BMW, with his tail between his legs and then speeds off. When he pulls away, I sigh with relief. Not because I ever felt like I was in real danger, but because I’m so sick of seeing Tyler’s face, and now I’m pretty sure I won’t have to anymore.

Jake turns his head and pierces me with his gaze. “Are you okay?” His voice is so tender it nearly melts me right here on the sidewalk.

I shake my head no, and in an instant, he’s walking up close to me and putting his hands on my arms, rubbing them up and down. “Did he hurt you?”

I shake my head no again and let my tears roll down my cheeks. “No. But you did.”

Jake’s hands still, and he meets my eyes. He looks like I physically stabbed him. “What can I say to make this better, Evie? I’m so sorry for making you think I don’t trust you. Because I do. I trust you more than anyone. I let your family get in my head, and I reacted poorly. But I won’t make that mistake again—”

I cut Jake off and shove away from him. “This isn’t about what happened at my parents’ house, Jake.”

His head kicks back, and his brows dip together. “Then, what’s it about?”

My mouth falls open, and I let out a sad mock laugh. “Did she not tell you I came by?”

Jake blinks a few times. “Evie, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Came by where?”

“Your house, Jake!” I shove his chest because, apparently, I’m that kind of girl when I’m angry. He lets himself rock back on his feet to make me feel stronger. “I saw her. The perky little brunette with the big boobs, standing in your doorway in her underwear! I saw her, Jake! How could you turn around and sleep with someone right after dropping me off at my house? I thought we had something special, but—”

Jake shakes himself from the trance he’s been in since I started my monologue and rushes up to me, grabbing my shoulders again. “No, Evie. You have it all wrong. I didn’t sleep with her. In fact, I slept at my parents’ house last night.”

…What?

What in the freaking what did he just say?

“You…didn’t sleep with that woman?”

Jake’s face cracks into a tentative smile, and he shakes his head slowly. He opens his mouth to explain but is cut off by the sound of his phone ringing in his pocket.

“I’ve got to answer this; it’s my mom. But I’ll explain everything in a minute. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

I nod and wrap my arms around myself because the past 24 hours have felt like a roller coaster, and I’m not sure I’m off the ride yet.

“Mom? Everything okay?” He pauses, and I watch as a heavy expression settles over his face. He stays perfectly frozen.