I sighed and my insides pooled with warmth. I never dreamt in a million years that he’d be so honest and candid with his feelings. Jackson Caine wanted me. Three months ago I didn’t even think he was capable of liking anyone, and yet here we were on his couch, and he was telling me he wanted me.
“I feel the same,” I said, stroking his bristly, beautiful face.
I wanted to say those three little words that I knew would change everything for us. I longed to tell him I loved him, more than anyone I’d ever known. More than Justin, that was for sure, but I didn’t. Something held me back. I don’t know if it was fear or self-preservation. I couldn’t fully let myself go though, not yet. Maybe I’d been burnt too deeply. Maybe traumas from the past were still holding me hostage. Chaining my deeper core of emotions within me. But if anyone could break those chains, and smash through the walls I’d subconsciously erected, it was Jackson.
His face broke out into the biggest grin I think I’d ever seen from him.
“I can’t believe three months ago you were such an ass, anyone would think you wanted me to hate you,” I joked.
“Back then it worked in my best interest to have you hating me. It served a purpose. It doesn’t anymore, angel. What can I say? You’ve grown on me.” I playfully elbowed him in the ribs and he laughed. “You’re a part of me now.”
I hated being away from her for even a second, but I had to go into the club to sign a few documents and checkout a few things. Cill had done a sterling job holding down the fort, but he couldn’t do everything. Three hours I spent away from my apartment, wading through paperwork and finalising deals. Three hours without her scent, her body, her smile. Three hours without my new drug of choice. Three long hours, and when I returned, I found my whole world balanced on a knife’s edge. Everything teetering on a cliff. My life was about to blow wide open, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
I strode back into the apartment, ready to sweep her up into my arms and carry her back into our bedroom. But I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw we had visitors.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” A searing pain sliced into my chest, and I fought the overwhelming urge to launch myself at these unwelcome guests.
Justin sat on my couch, looking every inch the filthy rat he was. But next to him, looking smug as shit, was Travis, Ryley’s older brother.
“Get out.” I gritted my teeth. Every muscle in my body was tense and my defences were on full alert.
I couldn’t bring myself to look in Ryley’s direction. I had no idea what they’d said to her, and the realisation that she could be slipping through my fingers was too much to bear.
“I told them to leave,
but they insisted on waiting for you,” she snapped, coming to stand by my side and wrapping her arm around mine.
My nerves settled slightly at her contact, but I wasn’t ready to stand at ease just yet. I was still in full on attack mode, primed and ready to defend their impending assault.
“Jesus Christ, sis. What the hell has gotten in to you?” Travis looked right at me, sending daggers my way.
“Don’t you think you should concentrate on your own love life? Leave me to deal with mine?” Ryley hissed. “You’re no expert at relationships, are you, Trav? In fact, you two must’ve come from the same mould. You’re both lying, cheating assholes who can’t keep it in your pants.”
Justin sucked in a breath, and Travis turned to glower at him.
“Did you cheat on my sister?” He sat forward on the couch, as if he was ready to pounce on the gutter rat instead of me.
I put my arm around my girl and pulled her close. Maybe these two would annihilate each other, and I wouldn’t have to go on the defensive after all.
“Dude, I was high as a fucking kite. I’ve absolutely no idea what the fuck I was doing. I love her though. I always have and always will. You know that.” He looked up at Ryley, ignoring my presence completely. “I love you, Ryley, and I’m sorry, for everything. We can work this out, baby. Don’t throw seven years away for a stupid mistake. We’re worth more than that.”
“It wasn’t one girl though, was it? There were multiple girls, multiple times that you cheated, and yes, I got to see it all in glorious Technicolor, because you had Liam record every seedy fucked up minute.”
He winced as she spoke, sinking farther back into the sofa. I could feel Ryley shaking beside me, so I kissed the top of her head to try and calm her down.
“And you think he’s gonna treat you any better?” Justin nodded over at me, grimacing at the way I was holding her. “He’s the worst kind of snake there is. He’s a monster and he’s gonna destroy you, baby.”
“She isn’t your baby,” I snarled at him, my jealousy lashing out like a lion about to take down its prey.
“Does she know about your little plans?” Travis butted in. “Is this all part of it? Get my sister into your bed and then break her heart, or find some other way to get to our father through her?”
I swallowed hard, biding my time before I replied, thinking of the best way to shoot this down, get them out of my apartment and out of our lives for good.
“You don’t know anything about us,” Ryley spoke, mirroring my own inner thoughts.
“Maybe so, but he’s not so innocent.” Justin narrowed his eyes at us. “He’s always known who you were, Ryley. At least he did when we went to visit him that first time in his office. He made you think he didn’t, but he did. It was all part of his plan. All of this is.” He held his arms up, gesturing around him. “This is what he wanted. To come between us and destroy you. He planned it like this, baby.”
I went to move forward, take this gutter rat by the scruff of the neck and teach him a lesson, but Ryley pulled me back.