The Other Room (Door Peninsula Passions Book 2)

by Katherine Hastings

  “Behind!” Hanson shouted while he blew past me.

  I scooted out of his way, careful not to spill the three margaritas clutched in my hands. While I scanned the crowd trying to remember which customer they belonged to, my gaze skidded to a stop when it landed on Matt’s face in the back.

  No. Hell no!

  So much for my ruse about leaving town. I stood stammering as our eyes locked. My breath trapped in my throat, and instantly those damn tears made a move back into position. But before they could spring free, my rage won the race of emotions, and I narrowed my eyes.

  “Jo,” he called over the crowd. “It’s not what it seems. Please, just talk to me!”

  Not what it seems? Is he kidding right now?

  It was exactly what it seemed.

  Matt was still the lying, cheating asshole I’d thought he was all year long.

  “Bartender!” a customer called, shaking me from our stare down. “Can we get one of those?” He gestured to the margaritas in my hands.

  “Coming!” I called, shaking my head to get my shit back together.

  For the next few hours Matt sat at the table closest to the bar. I tried to ignore those pleading eyes while they followed my every move. Normally I looked forward to the end of the dinner rush, but tonight I willed every single customer to stay. More bodies at the bar meant more bodies keeping him at bay. But the rush couldn’t last forever, and when the last of the crowds parted, Matt walked back up to the bar.

  “Jo. Please. Just talk to me,” he begged, but I ignored his pleas, smiled at one of my remaining customers and rattled off the price of her drinks. Taking the money, I spun around and raced back to the cash register.

  “Jo!” Matt called again.

  Just the sound of his voice sent a shiver down my spine. An enraging blend of lust, hurt, and anger all twisted together and traveled through my body.

  Lust had no place in my emotions right now, but I couldn’t get the soft tones of that same voice whispering “I love you” into my ear out of my head.

  He’s a cheater.

  A liar and a cheater.

  Trying to shake off the emotions punching through me, I rang up my drinks and went back to ignoring him. Every step I took, Matt stayed with me, sad puppy-dog eyes following every movement I made. And each time I made the mistake of looking up and catching his stare, I nearly crumpled to the ground in a boneless heap of sobs.

  “Jo, I’m not leaving until you talk to me,” he said, popping his head between two customers.

  Hanson came up behind me and leaned into my ear. “Do you need to talk to him?”

  “No. Definitely no.”

  “Because you can. Dinner rush is over. I can handle the bar. If you need to talk to him, just go ahead.”

  Shaking my head hard, I straightened back up. “I don’t need to talk to him. Just ignore him.”

  “Want me to throw him out?” Hanson asked, and a slight smile lifted my lips.

  “You’d do that for me?”

  He scoffed. “Hell, yeah! I haven’t tossed a guy out of a bar in a while, but you’d better believe I’ll send that one sailing if he’s bothering you.”

  For a moment I contemplated it, but then realized as much as I appreciated the comradery, I didn’t need Hanson fighting my battle. Lifting my chin, I dug deep to find the strength to face Matt.

  “I’ll handle it,” I said, and Hanson gave me a nod of solidarity.

  Spinning back, I impaled Matt with a glare then crooked my head toward the open end of the bar. He raced over to meet me, and when he arrived, I was waiting.

  “Jo! Thank God, I just had to explain—”

  Crack!

  My hand collided with his face and he stumbled back clutching his cheek.

  The customers in the near vicinity gasped, but I didn’t let their shock deter me.

  “Get the fuck out of here. And don’t ever come back. We’re done. So done. Now leave me alone.”

  “Jo,” he started as he regained his balance. “I know it looked so bad. I mean so bad... but nothing happened with her, I swear!”

  “You’re such a liar.”

  “Jo, I would never do that to you! Nikki followed me to my truck, and her drunk ass fell, so I caught her. That was it.”

  “Oh? That was it, huh?” I snorted.

  Spinning around, I found my phone in my purse and pulled it out then turned it on. With a few clicks on the screen, I went to Nikki’s Instagram page and found the photo of her lying in bed with him hovering above her. I whipped the phone around and shoved it in his face. “And did she fall into your arms in her hotel room, too?”

  His mouth fell open as he took the phone from my hand.

  “Holy shit.”

  “Yeah. Holy shit is what I said, too. It’s over, Matt. Now get the hell out of this bar and out of my life.”

  “Jo, I only drove her and her friends home because they were hammered, and I couldn’t leave them—”

  “Enough!” I screamed, and every head at the bar turned toward me. “I’ve heard enough! You hurt me more than I ever knew was possible. And it’s done, Matt. You’ve done enough. Now please... go!”

  The tears burned behind my eyes, and I blinked fast to keep them at bay. One tear slid past my defenses and dripped down my cheek.

  “Jo, I swear to you that this is not what it looks like.”

  I ripped the phone from his hand and pointed to the door. “Go.”

  “I’m not leaving, Jo. Not until you listen.”

  Burning hot tears stung my eyes and my rapid blinking lost its battle against them.

  “If you won’t go, then I will. Hanson, I’m sorry!” I called, and he just gave me an understanding nod and shooed me with his hand.

  “Move!” I shouted as I pushed past Matt. “And don’t fucking follow me!”

  The tears exploded as I rushed out the door. Hurt, anger, and humiliation ripped apart my insides as the sobs shook my body. I bolted down the sidewalk and onto the docks, praying Matt wouldn’t follow me. Praying this would be the last time I saw him.

  Praying I would remember how to breathe again.

  Matt

  Nikki’s friends had posted a picture of us? Of course, they had. If her goal was to make Jake jealous she’d have leapt at the possibility. And if it didn’t look bad enough before, it was catastrophic now. Me actually struggling to get Nikki’s arms from around my neck so I could get out of there looked a hell of a lot like a hot make-out session between me and the devil herself. I pressed my hands to my head while I watched Jo sprint out of the bar.

  I glanced behind the bar and Hanson’s condemning eyes bore through me. A soft shake of his head warned me not to go after her, but I couldn’t let her keep thinking what she saw was real. I couldn’t leave her in pain when there was still a chance to fix this.

  A small chance.

  A miniscule chance.

  But a chance.

  I took off after her, screaming her name while I tore down the sidewalk and onto the docks. Jo glanced over her shoulder and picked up her pace, racing between the boats bobbing in the water.

  “Jo, stop!” I called, my calves burning as I tore after her. When I turned the corner, she stood at the edge of the dock staring out at the water with nowhere left to go. Slowing to a crawl, I approached her carefully, my heart shattering when I saw her shoulders shaking with her sobs.

  Sobs I’d caused.

  “Jo, please don’t run.”

  “Get away from me,” she whispered, her voice cracking as she struggled with the words.

  “I didn’t do anything with Nikki. I swear to God, Jo. It looks so bad, and I know that, but I need you to believe me.”

  She shook her head. “You’re a liar, Matt. I never should have let you back in my life.”

  “I’m not a liar.” I stepped toward her, careful not to move too fast. “Nikki was—”

  “Don’t say her name,” she spat.

  “I’m sorry. The devil was wasted and what yo
u really saw was her falling in my arms while I tried to get away. And what Aaron said to you was wrong, and he’ll tell you that. He’d seen me saving a stool... a stool for you. But I didn’t want to tell him about us until you were ready, so I just said I had a secret girlfriend. And then he saw Nikki and put two and two together... which was a completely incorrect attempt at solving the puzzle.”

  “Go away,” she whispered again. A soft breeze lifted her hair, and I caught the light scent of her shampoo.

  Torture. It was pure torture being this close to her and not touching her.

  Torture seeing her body quake with the tears I’d caused.

  Torture knowing I had hurt the woman I loved more than anything in this world.

  “Not until you listen to me.”

  She spun around. Red, swollen eyes met mine, and she stiffened her quivering lip. “Fine. If listening to you means I can finally get you out of my life forever, then talk. Quick. Because once you’re done, so are we.”

  I moved toward her but stopped when she recoiled. The few feet left between us may as well have been the Grand Canyon.

  “It all looks so bad. But nothing happened. I can’t stand Nikki. And I would never hurt you. I love you, Jo. I fucking love you.”

  “So, you loved me so much you took the girl you hate to bed?” She arched a brow and impaled me with a glare.

  “Nikki and her friends were wasted. I tried to run after you, but Nikki almost fell down again. As much as I wanted to come after you, I’m not the kind of guy who can leave a drunk girl, even one I hate, lying in a heap in the parking lot. That’s not me, Jo.”

  Her face softened for a beat but stiffened back up just as quick.

  “So yeah, I ended up with Nikki in my arms. And when I tried to dump her off on her friends, they didn’t even know where they were staying. I got Aaron and Tony to help me drive them all home. Because again, I’m not the kind of guy who can leave wasted girls wandering around town where they could get hurt. Though I’m so sorry that because of my morals it hurt you and looked so much worse than it was.”

  “It looks really bad, Matt. And the bed? I suppose Nikki needed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or something?”

  “No. My lips never touched hers. But she couldn’t walk, so I carried her up to her room and threw her in her bed. Then she refused to let go of my neck, so there were a few moments where it looked like things were happening that weren’t happening. Apparently, her crappy friends snapped a photo and posted it because she’s pissed Jake is engaged and I’m sure this is her ‘fuck you’ to him. Because she’s Nikki. She’s selfish and cruel. But that’s all it was. A photo of me struggling to get out of her death grip. Call Aaron. He’ll tell you.”

  “I don’t need to call Aaron. I’m sure you two already worked out your stories.”

  “Yes, you do. Or Jake or Cassie. They’ll all explain that this was just a huge misunderstanding.”

  Her gaze darted out to the lake, and I saw the struggle happening in her mind.

  “You weren’t wrong to trust me again. I swear it. And I know deep down you know I’m telling the truth. Misunderstanding the situation just gave you a valid reason to run. You know I would never do this to you.”

  “Do I?” She spun back around. “Do I know? Because I also know you were so ensnared by Nikki last year that you slept with her while she was engaged to your best friend. What’s to say you’re still not trapped in her claws?”

  “Because I’m in love with you, Jo. Totally, completely, madly, and irrevocably in love with you. And now that I know that, the thought of touching Nikki again makes my skin crawl. You’re the only one for me. I swear it. Please, don’t throw us away. Please, Jo.”

  My heart hammered against my chest while I stared into her eyes. Watching for some shift in her convictions. Looking for some flicker of the love I’d seen in her eyes just yesterday.

  “I can’t, Matt. Even if you’re telling the truth, I just can’t.” Her chin quivered, and I reached out to touch her, but she pulled away.

  “Yes, you can.”

  “No, I can’t!” she shouted, but I felt her resolve sliding. “I can’t do this. You’ll just end up breaking my heart, and I just can’t, Matt. This whole thing was just a huge fucking wake-up call that this, we, are a terrible idea.”

  “Jo, we are not a terrible idea. We are the best idea anyone has ever had. I love you, and I know you love me. Please don’t throw that away because you’re scared.”

  I reached out again, and she stepped back. But this time I didn’t stop, and I pulled her into my arms.

  “Don’t!” She struggled for a moment, but I held her tight.

  “I’m not leaving you, Jo. Ever.”

  “Go!” She fought harder, but I held on, pressing her body against mine.

  “I’m not leaving you, Jo,” I whispered against her hair. “I’m never leaving you.”

  Over and over I repeated the phrase, and with each admission, her struggle softened.

  “Go,” she tried again, but I knew about the root of her hurt. The fuel for the rage and anger burning inside of her.

  Deep down she believed me. I knew Jo... better than anyone. And I’d seen that look in her eyes before. It was the look she had when things were getting serious and her walls went flying up. The look she got just before she launched back to the safety of her life alone. A life where no one had the power to hurt her again. Abandon her.

  For all her anger and rage right now, I realized she knew I’d never fall for Nikki again and betray her. But her fear of me leaving her had sent her launching for the emergency exit, desperate to protect herself from being abandoned once again. Desperate to avoid a future I knew wouldn’t come. In her warped version of the future, I left her when she needed me most.

  Just like her dad.

  But I would never leave Jo. Not ever.

  And I wasn’t going to let her fear push me away like it’d done with every other man. Where they’d given up, I would hold strong. I would fight to my dying breath to show her I was the one she could depend on.

  Always.

  “I’m not leaving you,” I whispered again. “Ever. I love you, Jo. And I need you to accept that.”

  Slowly, her body folded against mine, her fight against her fears petering out. I pulled her tighter, pressing my lips to the top of her head as she slid her arms around my waist.

  “We’re going to have a long life together, and I need to know that you won’t bail on me because you’re scared. I can’t live without you, Jo. You need to find a way to trust me. Trust in my love for you and that I’m never ever leaving you. In the twenty-eight years we’ve been friends, name one time I’ve let you down. One time I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.”

  I felt her head shake against my chest.

  “The answer to that question is never. Not once have I ever abandoned you, and I fully intend to keep up that track record until we’re old and wrinkled and gray. I will be here for you always. Always and forever. And that’s how long I’m going to love you.”

  “I’m so scared,” she whispered, and I felt my own tears threatening to spill out.

  How could someone ever hurt a girl as wonderful as my Jo. Who could ever leave her?

  “When you’re scared, you lean on me, okay? I’ll be brave for the both of us. But I need you to trust me. No matter what. Because I will never ever hurt you. And I will never let you go. Understood?”

  She sniffled and nodded, and I squeezed her tighter, then released my grip and leaned back.

  Fearful eyes brimmed with tears met mine, and I slid my hand beneath her chin, stroking away a tear with my thumb.

  “I love you, Jo. More than anything.”

  “I love you, too,” she whispered.

  The power of those four words seeped into my soul, and I closed my eyes and pressed my lips to hers. I tried to kiss away all her insecurities, all her pain, and all her doubts. With each brush of my lips against hers, I tried to mend the cracks in he
r heart and fill them with my love.

  “I love you so much,” I whispered against her mouth. “I’ll love you until the day I die.”

  “Don’t hurt me, Matt.” Her breath ghosted my lips as she whispered the words.

  “Never,” I whispered back, then deepened our kiss.

  When I felt the last of her fears drift away on the summer breeze, I softened my grip around her and brushed her lips with one last kiss.

  “I promise I’ll never hurt you if you promise you won’t be searching for any excuse to leave me.” Arching a brow, I smiled. “I mean, I have every intention of giving you no ammo in that department, but I’m a dude. And sometimes we make stupid decisions. And sometimes things look a hell of a lot worse than they are. Sometimes I’m going to do the wrong thing or say the wrong thing. But not because I don’t love you or I’m going to leave you. Because I’m a guy and we do stupid shit sometimes. And I’m not perfect. But even then, I need you to trust in my love for you. Deal?”

  She bit her lip, and a smile started on her lips. “Deal.”

  I kissed her once again, and this time she met my lips with the same desire I’d felt before her confidence had been shaken.

  “I love you, Matt. I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”

  “You don’t need to apologize. Anyone would have jumped to that conclusion. But now you know... no matter what, you never need to worry about my loyalty to you.”

  “I’m holding you up to that.” She smiled and I felt it down to my toes. “If you screw me over, I’m siccing Petunia on you.”

  “A fate worse than death.” Laughing, I kissed her again.

  “As much as I want to keep doing this,” she said between our kisses, “I should really get back to work and help Hanson clean up.”

  “You go back to work, and I’ll go home and hang out with our cat until you get done. Then I want that date night you agreed to.”

  “Our cat?” She arched a brow as she slipped out of my arms, stepping to my side and taking my hand.

  “Yep, our cat.” I walked along with her. “Petunia and I bonded even more last night while I was lying in your bed waiting for you to come home.”

  “Is that so?”