Adore Me (Austin Singles 3)

I left a message for Blake telling him that I hadn’t heard my phone going off and asking him to come over.

“I’ve got takeout,” Jarod announced.

I looked at him, not sure if I should ask him to leave.

He set the containers of food on the counter. “Blake told me you liked McAlisters.”

“He did? When would he have told you that?”

Jarod shrugged. “I don’t remember.”

I sent Blake a text.

Me: Didn’t hear my phone. I’m sorry. I’m home if you still want to come over and talk.

“Here, I brought soup and sandwiches. Why don’t we set up the table and eat? I brought extra in case Blake was here.”

I chewed on my lip. I needed to talk to Blake, and the reason I needed to speak to him was currently standing in my kitchen. Was Blake right about Jarod? Or just jealous?

“Jarod, I’m not really hungry, and now is not the best time.”

“Nonsense,” he said, continuing to set up the food. Before I knew it, it was all on the small table out on my patio. “Grab something to drink for us, would you?”

Agitation built as I watched him continue to set up the food.

“Blake and I had a fight, and truth be told it was about you.”

He glanced up. “Me?”

I nodded. Walking outside, I sat.

“Why me?”

“He thinks you have a thing for me.”

Jarod stared at me, a little too long at first. I moved in my seat, feeling very nervous. Then Jarod sat down and sighed. He ran his hand over his unshaven jaw and stared out in the backyard.

“Since Mike died, I’ve been keeping something from you.”

I frowned. “Keeping something from me?”

“Yeah. Morgan, it was me who pushed Mike to Lynn after Lance died.”

>

“What do you mean you pushed Mike to Lynn?”

“Fuck, I don’t know how to tell you this.”

My stomach felt ill. “Just tell me, Jarod.”

He looked me right in the eyes and let the words spill out so fast I could hardly process anything.

“Mike had been cheating on you as long as I’d known him. From what he had told us, he cheated before he even joined the army.”

My hand came up to my throat, and I whispered, “What?”

“He told us a bunch of crazy shit. How he took your virginity and felt like he owed it to you to stay with you.”