Hooked by Love (Bellevue Bullies 3)

&nbs

p; I’m dead asleep when I hear my phone go off.

I ignore it, though, knowing it’s him.

All I see is him and her together, and it really boils my blood.

Stupid whore.

Stealing my man…

Blah.

When my phone signals another text, I reach for it, bringing it under the covers with me. The warm cocoon I’ve built for myself, where I’m safe. Like I suspected, it’s Jace. I know I should ignore it, but I can’t. Opening the text, I see a video and then two simple words.

Jace: Watch me.

Raising a brow, I hit play and then the video takes over my screen, the picture shaking on his end. When his beautiful face comes into the frame, my heart aches. He hasn’t shaved, scruff covering his thick jaw. His hair is hanging messily in his eyes, pushed down by the gray beanie he favors. His eyes are dark and red, like he’s had a rough night. I wish like hell the first thing I think isn’t that he was with her.

“I really think you should do something else here. Why don’t you send her—” I hear Jayden say, but Jace waves him off, looking at the camera.

“Shut up, it’s recording,” he says, his eyes dark and intense. “Avery, if you hit play, thank you. Thank you for watching, for giving me a chance to win you back.”

“Jesus,” I hear Jayden moan, and I can’t help but smile. Especially when Jace appears to throw a pillow at him. “Ow!”

“Shut up,” he snaps before looking back at the camera. “I’m so sorry my brother is a dick, but he’s the only person who knows how to play a guitar that I know, other than Jude. But he’s actually flying to Jersey at this very moment. I mean, I guess I could have come and done this in person, but I really didn’t want to have you slam the door in my face. But if you don’t answer me back in an hour after I send this, then I just might.”

“Oh my God, can we do this? Some people have things to do.”

I giggle at the annoyance in Jayden’s voice as Jace glares at him. “You suck. Really.”

“Stop talking so much and do what you planned. Even though, let’s be honest, I wouldn’t text or call you after listening to what we just practiced.”

“I hate you. I really do.” Jace glares and then turns back to the video. “So yeah, here it goes. What I want to say. What I’m feeling. What I want. Which is you.”

“For fuck’s sake,” I hear Jayden moan, and I swear, I love these two.

“Shut up and start playing!”

Jace looks back at the camera, and I listen as the beautiful melody to the beginning of “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran starts to play. I freaking love this song, so damn much. And when Jace starts to sing it, badly, of course, I know I just fell in love with it more. The words before were heart-wrecking, but now, the beauty of the lyrics is enhanced by the man I love. He may not be able to sing, but the words are coming from his soul. His eyes are locked on the camera, and his fist is moving with each word as he sings just for me.

Horribly, but I don’t care. He is beautiful, he is hilarious, and he’s doing this for me. Even if I’m not sure he should have to. I should be singing to him, but he’s fighting. He wants me. I do matter. As he gets to the chorus and he sings, desperately, from his soul, I can only smile with each jerk and fist pump he does. When the music stops, though, and Jayden takes the phone despite Jace’s protests, I laugh.

Jayden runs out of the room and into the bathroom across the hall, locking the door behind him. I have no clue what is going on, but the grin on my face is unstoppable as he struggles with the phone. Holding it out, Jayden looks at me, his green gaze locking on to me. I’ve never been intimidated by him, but I am now.

“Listen, Avery, please call my brother. Let him apologize so none of us ever have to listen to him sing again. I mean, that was torture. I didn’t know he was that bad,” he says quickly as Jace beats the door down. “He loves you. You have to realize that. And you make him happy. So please, give him a chance. If not for his sanity, for my family’s. Because I’m pretty sure if he calls my mom in a drunken state, crying like a fourteen-year-old girl whose boyfriend broke up with her and smashed all her One Direction CDs, she might come after you with a shotgun,” he says with a grin and I smile big. Then I’m laughing as Jace screams obscenities at his brother, his fist coming against the door like King Kong. “Love like this doesn’t come along often, you know? Don’t let some misunderstanding, or whatever the hell happened, come between you two. Real lovers work it out. They communicate instead of giving up. You’re not a quitter, I know you aren’t, so just call. Okay?”

And then the screen goes black, going back to my messaging app.

I can’t help but wonder if Jace killed Jayden, but before I can even text him, there is a knock at my door. Pushing the blankets down, I look toward the door to find Matty taking up the whole space. Just like that, my grin is gone and I’m glaring. I haven’t talked to him, or anyone, since last night. No one has checked on me, so I’m a little surprised to see him.

“What?”

He makes a face and then chuckles. “Man, your face is fucked up.”

My scowl deepens because I don’t know what he is talking about. “What do you want?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, he gives me a pointed look. “Mom told me to come apologize. But since I did nothing wrong, I refuse to. But tell her I did.”