Her back straightened. “It’s over, Garret. I’ll have my lawyer call when the baby’s born.”
She side-stepped around me, but I cut her off. “You aren’t leaving. We need to discuss this. Your dad got to you. There isn’t anything he said we couldn’t make work.”
She flashed her eyes to me. In a voice I never heard her use, she grounded out, “Get your hands off me.”
I let go and stepped back. Livia glared at me before marching away. I watched her beautiful body disappear behind the hedgerow, wondering what the hell happened. My worst fear had come to light—she already regretted me.
My mind was a fog as I drove back to Jared’s house. I didn’t even remember how I ended up in his living room or how many beers I slammed back when the cute little thing from earlier sidled up to me. All I remembered was how different she felt in my hands, and different was what I was going after.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lexie
Current Day
Garret: Fun Fact. My mom tried to go vegan once. That’s when my dad became a grill master.
“Out of all the places to dine in the entire city, Jillian’s favorite restaurant is right next to Dido’s.” I motion toward my old place of employment.
Garret chuckles as we walk past the large windows. “Maybe your old boss will notice you walking by and beg for you to come back.”
“More like tossing my ass out,” I mumble. “That geezer could find fault in a rainbow. His life’s mission is to make young co-eds unhappy.”
Cara and I spent part of a summer working here, and it was the worst two months of my life. He went out of his way to yell at us. Cara more so than me, but the turnaround time for help in that short timeframe was ridiculous.
Garret leans down and gives me a peck on the cheek. “You look beautiful tonight. I haven’t told you that yet.”
“Thank you. You look handsome as well.” I usually see Garret in athletic wear, but he wears the black dress slacks and button-down Oxford shirt well. “I just hope you get full. This place caters to vegans.”
“I already have a plan for that. If the food totally blows or we’re still hungry by the time we leave, we’ll go get more food.”
I scrunch my nose as I look at the marquee flashing their namesake, Tantalizing. “People do rave about their food. It’s quite popular with vegans and vegetarians.”
“Great.” The sarcastic drawl to Garret’s voice isn’t hard to miss. Garret isn’t too picky when it comes to food, but he is a carnivore. “I suppose they had to name the restaurant to entice people.”
“The meat lover people, yeah.”
He pins me with a stare. “You know I’m only here because I like you, right?”
“You know I’m only here because you talked me into it.”
Garret tips his head back in laughter. “Touché.” He opens the door for me. “Do you think your dad and girlfriend are here yet?”
“Dad isn’t one for punctuality. His constant tardiness used to drive my mom crazy. I have no idea how his new girlfriend is, though.”
“Hello, welcome to Tantalizing,” the young hostess says, putting extra emphasis on the name.
Garret coughs back a laugh. I smile, so she doesn’t think we’re crazy. “Hello, we’re here for the Jenkins party.”
The woman looks at the reservation book and smiles. “Ah, yes. They’re already seated. Follow me.”
Garret leans down and whispers in my ear. “The In-and-Out is three blocks away. They have great burgers.”
I punch his arm. “Behave. We’ll have our meatless meal and make my dad’s girlfriend happy. Just be thankful my brothers didn’t come.” Dad excluding them is rather shitty, but having them here would’ve been a disaster. They’re not much into tofu.
“Here you go.” The lady extends her arm out to the table for four. My dad sits in the far corner, but Jillian is nowhere to be seen.
Dad stands and shakes Garret’s hand. “You must be Garret. I can’t say how surprised I was when I heard you’d be joining us. Lexie never brings boys around.”
Gee, I wonder why?
“I wouldn’t have missed it, sir.” Garret’s mouth remains tightlipped when he shoots me a look. He really is a trooper for coming. He can’t stand my dad or the food. This is going to be a fantastic evening.
“Where’s the birthday girl?” I ask before Dad says something more embarrassing.
“She’s in the ladies’ room. You know how you girls are.”
Garret places a hand on my knee. I like it there. It brings me peace. His touch makes dealing with Dad way more enjoyable. Maybe I should bring Garret with me all the time when I deal with Dad.
“This place has a variety of choices. I think you’re going to enjoy them. Jillian will talk about diet when she gets back.”
Garret’s hand tenses along with my body. I’m not even sure he realizes. He obviously didn’t like Dad’s comment any more than me. It doesn’t matter. I’m not spending the evening talking about nutrition and exercise regimes. I get that’s what she’s into and wants to recruit people to her gym, but come on. This is supposed to be her birthday meal.
“I know all about being a vegetarian or vegan. It’s not anything we haven’t learned.”
“It’s not a bad way to live. You should embrace it.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Hello.” The pixie cut blonde sidles next to Dad and gives him a quick peck on the cheek. “Sorry I wasn’t here to greet you. Gee insisted on driving with the top down.”
Gee? As in George? Like George needs to be shortened. Maybe she thinks George sounds too old? I bite back my snide remark and try to remain polite. Jillian’s still pawing over my dad and hasn’t even looked our way.
“He does like his convertible.” The upgrade to his car came after the divorce finalized. Midlife crisis and all.
Jillian finally pulls her gaze off my dad and straight to Garret and me. “This must be your new boy…friend.”
Garret’s entire body tenses. His hand slips from my leg and draws into a fist. My gaze flashes from him to Jillian. Her face pales, but she seems to recover quickly as the corners of her mouth rise to a knowing smirk. Do they know each other?
“Jillian, this is Garret. Garret, Jillian.”
She flutters her eyebrows a few times while her fake smile never wavers. “Garret, it’s nice to meet you.”
Garret studies her for a long beat before he snaps out of whatever funk he slipped into. He straightens in his seat. “Likewise. So, it’s your birthday?”
“Yes! And to celebrate, I wanted us all to enjoy some good food.” She turns her pointy nose toward me. “You know, I’ve been trying to get Lexie here to talk to me forever.” Her hand lands on Garret’s arm. Which is quite the undertaking considering she had to reach clear across the table. “I’m sure you would appreciate me whipping her in shape.” She adds a wink, and I want to wipe that smirk right off her petite little face.
“Lexie’s fine the way she is.” He withdraws his arm. It joins the other one under the table. Two fists now.
“Oh, you know what I mean.”
I want to die. Right now. I want to slip underneath the table and die. I open my mouth to defend myself, but Dad cuts me off.
“What Jillian’s trying to say is she can work with you. I can sign you up at her gym and enroll you in her nutrition class. She’ll go over precisely how many calories to consume. You’ll be healthy in no time, no matter what genes you have.”
“I’m confused. Are we here to eat and celebrate a birthday or to pick on Lexie? Because if it’s the latter, we can leave.” The harshness of Garret’s tone surprises me. He’s legit pissed. A few patrons turn to look.
“Her grandparents died early due to heart disease and diabetes. She’s my daughter. I have every right to be concerned.” Dad glares at Garret, but Garret doesn’t shrink back. He sits taller.
“Concern would be stepping in if she was eating nothing but junk food or ha
d a medical condition. But harping on her because she isn’t a twig is ridiculous. You berate her all time, and I won’t allow it.” Garret stands up and glances down at me. “You don’t have to take this.”
Confusion swirls in my brain as I try wondering what pushed him over the edge. I pull Jillian’s card out of my purse and hand it to her. “Happy Birthday.”
Garret grabs my hand, and we storm out of there. I can practically feel the tension running along his body. It comes off in waves. We get a few feet away from the door when he drops my hand. He shoves his fingers through his hair and yells, “Fuck!”
“What was that about?” I ask.
He looks at me as if I lost my mind. “How can you stand that? You know they’re just assholes, right? Please tell me you don’t buy into any of what they’re saying.”
“That’s how he is all of the time.”
“How can you not be more upset? I’m fucking livid.”
“I see that.” I walk up to him. He places his hands on my hips and brings his chin to my forehead. “I don’t like it, but he has harped on me for years. I guess I’m used to it. I’m not going to lie. It hurt back when I was twelve, but I see him for what he is—a shallow asshole.”
“You are such a strong person. You know that?” He pulls me up against him and wraps his arms around me.
“I’m not sure about that, but I do know my self-worth.”
“I don’t deserve you.”
You technically don’t have me.
“I do have one question, though. How do you know Jillian?”
A resounding sigh follows the sharp intake of air. “I’ve seen her around at various parties back in high school. It surprised me to see someone our age with your dad.”
“I should’ve warned you. Midlife crisis hit Dad hard.”
Garret gives me a wry smile. “Let’s go get some real food.”
“I’m down for that.”
Conversation remains minimal as we eat our dinner. Something’s off, but I can’t put my finger on it. His concern seems more extensive than my dad’s behavior. The silence stretches on as he pulls up to my house. When he makes no move to walk me to the door, I know something is bothering him. I just don’t know how to pull it out of him.
“My brothers are home, but you can come in, if you want to,” I say, already knowing the answer. When he shakes his head, confirming my thoughts, disappointment settles in the pit of my stomach anyway. Which is stupid. I knew he wasn’t coming inside.
“I better get home.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” It’s the last weekend our team will be working on the house. So, when remorse flashes in his eyes, I steel my insides. This feels an awful lot like a breakup, but there’s one problem with that. We’re not actually together for him to break up with me.
“I’ll be out of town this weekend. Can you let Grant know?”
“We can handle it. You’ve been a huge help.” I open the car door, slightly confused. “Goodbye, Garret.”
He nods. I half expect him to press the gas pedal as far as it goes, leaving me in the plume of exhaust fumes after I shut the door, but he does wait until I’m safely inside. I wish I knew the underlying issue because whatever bothers him has to be more than my dad wanting me to get in shape.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Garret
High School
Day After Graduation
What did I do?
Having a naked blonde lying next to me pretty much told me what I had done, but I didn’t want to believe I stooped to this level. I sat up and planted my feet on the floor, running my hand down my jaw. I just cheated on Livia. There wasn’t anything worse than a fucking cheater, and I was one.
I eased out of bed and tiptoed over to where my strewn clothes laid on the floor. Great. Now, I have resorted to a cheating bastard who sneaks away without telling the nameless girl goodbye. Fuck. I didn’t even remember what happened. I reached for my pants, and the spent condom lying beside my belt made me want to puke. I closed my eyes as Liv’s words fire at me. You’ve ruined me. I. Ruined. Her.
God, I’m so sorry, Liv.
I shoved my legs into the shorts and grabbed my wallet from the bedside table. I swiped the condom off the floor, thanking the pregnant gods I had enough sense to use one. Fuck. I couldn’t believe I had done this.
I looked over at the sleeping girl. She was model-like pretty just like most of the girls I went to school with—bleached bottle color and too much makeup. Livia’s natural beauty was what drew me to her in the first place. She wasn’t like these types of girls. I shoved my hand through my hair and rested my palm on the back of my neck. I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye.
“Hey.” I poked a finger on her slender shoulder. She let out a moan but didn’t stir. I poked again. When she didn’t acknowledge my second attempt, I shook her shoulders. That woke her up.
“Mmm? Where am I?”
“My buddies’ house.”
She raised, pulling the sheet over her bare breast. “This is awkward.”
I winced. “A little bit.”
I’d never had a one-night stand before. I wasn’t sure what the proper etiquette was when you needed to ditch. Did I apologize? Thank her? I didn’t think that was appropriate since I wasn’t feeling too grateful right now. But my remorse wasn’t her fault.
“I need to get going.”
She nodded, the cutest smirk covering her face. She must have sensed how clumsy I felt.
“Hey, Garret, I wish you luck at Cessna U.”
I gave her a quizzical look, wondering what I had told her. I didn’t remember mentioning Cessna U. But then again, I didn’t remember much of anything after Liv broke up with me. “Thanks, uh—” Shame blasted through me from not remembering her name.
She flashed a knowing smile. “It’s Jillian.”
“Thanks, Jillian.”
She nodded appreciatively, and I got the hell out of there. I darted home, wanting to wash last night off of me—my fight with Livia, her harsh words, the sex. God, the sex. The girl’s perfume lingers on my shirt. I couldn’t fucking believe I did that.
I pulled the car into our drive, and my heart sank the moment I spotted Livia walking to her car parked in the street. Her tear-streaked face had me jumping out of the driver’s seat. “Liv, what are you doing here?”
She stopped walking and took in my appearance: the disheveled hair and wrinkled clothes—the same ones from the night before. I stood in silence as I watched her spine straighten. All of my guilt hardened to stone when the flash of hurt settled in her eyes. She broke up with me. She was the one who said those hurtful things that dug deep. None of which was an I love you. She was done with me. Then, why didn’t it matter as I stared at her?
I knew why. Because it was my actions that put that look on her face. That hurt was all on me.
“You couldn’t wait twenty-four hours before jumping into bed with someone?”
“It’s not like that.”
She scoffed. “It’s exactly like that. Who do you think you’re kidding?”
“That’s not what I meant.” For a brief moment, I wondered how she even knew. But I didn’t dare ask. The elites had packed Jarod’s house. Any one of them could’ve snapped a picture and sent it to her. I wouldn’t put it past any of them. They only lived to destroy others.
“What do you expect me to say? I’ll say anything to make it up to you.”
“Save your words. You just proved to me what I meant to you.”
“No. Damn it, I love you and the baby you’re carrying.” She had to believe me.
“You loved me so much you went and found the first person to screw? Who even is she?” When I didn’t say anything, she scoffed again. “Do you even know her name?”
“It’s Jillian.”
“It was a rhetorical question. I don’t need to know.”
I’d been waiting all year for her to find her spine. And when she finally did, she used it against me. “You broke up
with me. Remember?” She flinched, but like the asshole I was, I continued, “I got drunk, and she was just there. It’s a shitty excuse. I get it. If I could take it back, I would. Liv, you told me I ruined you. Christ, you said you didn’t want our son.”
Liv broke out in tears, but she didn’t speak.
“I’m so fucking sorry. It was a horrible mistake. Take me back. I know I can’t make this up to you, but I promise I’ll never cheat again.”
“She had to be one of the skinny ones, though? Really?”
“She meant nothing. She was just there.” The remorse sat heavy in my voice, and I knew I sounded desperate, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was having my son and girlfriend back. I needed her to take me back. I’d crawl on my hands and knees to get that chance.
“Dad was right.”
My gaze flashed to hers. “What do you mean?”
“He said the first chance you had, you’d leave.”
“That’s not fair. You broke up with me.”
“It doesn’t mean I expected you to sleep with the first thing that threw themselves at you. I’m nine months pregnant for fuck’s sake.”
“I would’ve never done that if I thought we were together. You said you didn’t want our baby. You threatened to give him up for adoption. What did you think? I wasn’t going to believe you?”
Tears streamed down her face like a waterfall. Those chocolate-brown eyes peer up at me, and I knew. I knew at that moment that was precisely what she had thought. I had failed the first test of my love. I swallowed past the stinging pain in my throat.
“Did your dad put you up to last night?”
She about-faced and raced to her car. Well, as fast as a nine-month pregnant girl could run. I caught up to her quickly.
“Is that it? He told you to break up with me?”
“He said he would press charges if I didn’t comply.”
Air. I needed air to breathe because right now, I had none. I threw our love away for what? To prove to her son-of-a-bitch father he was right. That I wasn’t good enough for her? That I wasn’t good enough for anyone? Another wave of nausea works its way through me.
Full Count (Cessna U Wildcats Book 3) Page 13
