Stupid, Amber. That was so stupid of you, to fall for him.
I think I hear him calling my name, and I start to run, my sandals clacking on the paved floor. I duck under arms, squeeze between people in my rush to get out of there. Disoriented, I slow down and glance around.
There. The gate.
A moment later I’m out on the street, calling a cab. I’m lucky, there’s one in the vicinity. I walk further down the road while waiting, and as I hear a commotion at the gate, and my name being called once more, I climb into the cab and speed away.
If only fixing my heart could be so simple.
PART III
My name’s Jesse Lee, not Jesse James, but the famous outlaw and I seem to have lots in common. I’m not a train robber by any stretch, but I know what it’s like to be poor. I’m not a gang leader, but I’ve lived on the dirty streets for years. I’m no murderer, but by the looks some people give me, I might as well be. I’m always on the run, always on the move, never sprouting roots, always drifting, like my namesake.
He’s dead, and I’m alive, but I might as well be dead and buried in his grave. I might as well be him—because if I said I wanted to stop running, that I want a home and a girl to love and hold, nobody would believe me.
Wanna bet?
~ Jesse
Chapter Eighteen
Jesse
Holy shit. I try to push Cassie off me without hurting her, but she’s holding on to me like she’s drowning and I’m a lifesaver. What the fuck’s up with this girl? I don’t want to kiss her. I don’t like her, she tastes wrong, and besides…
Don’t want to kiss any girl but Amber.
I growl, finally shaking her hold off me and wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “What the hell’s wrong with you, huh?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t want it, Jesse Lee.” She has her hands on her hips, blue eyes flashing, and hell, she’d be sexy, she’d be hot if…
If I was interested. Which I’m not. “Stay away from me. I’m not…”
Was that Amber? I thought I saw her, eyes wide and dark, face white, mouth open. I thought I saw her turn on her heels and run.
“Amber?” I turn to go after her.
Cassie grabs my hand. “Jesse, wait. Do you really want to do this?”
I still. Cold fury spreads in my chest, in my face, until it feels numb. “Let. Go.” I look pointedly at her hand on mine. “Now.”
Her brows shoot up and some color leaves her face. “Okay.” She draws her hand back, curls it into a fist. “But you must see it. She’s not like you. She’s taking this seriously. I’m doing you a favor, Jesse.”
“Fuck you.” If she was a guy, I’d have punched her, but she’s a chick, dammit. “Stay out of my life, and don’t you ever fucking touch me again, got it?”
I run after Amber. I’ll explain this to her. She’ll understand. She has to know I wouldn’t do this to her. That I wouldn’t do this at all, not since her.
Why did she run? Fuck, she doesn’t believe I initiated the kiss, did she? Not after I told her I never kissed anyone before her. That I want to be with her.
But the cold feeling in my gut tells me she does believe it’s my fault.
Shocker, I know. With my history, why would she trust me? But it smarts.
I shove people aside, their curses following me as I look for her frantically. Where did she go?
Amber. I thought she saw me, that she had faith in me. More faith than I have in myself. And now I can’t see her anywhere. She hasn’t left the reception, right?
Right?