I took my wet fingers and dabbed under my eyes. I had a few minutes to compose myself before I needed to get back out there. I wanted to make sure I looked somewhat presentable.
The sound of the door opening caused my ears to twitch, but I was too distracted to look over my shoulder. It wasn’t until someone laughed quietly behind me that I turned to find the dreadlocks girl staring at me.
“Jet,” she said through her blue-covered lips.
I straightened and glanced over at her. Was she talking to me?
I just smiled and reached over to grab a paper towel. I dabbed at my eyes to remove the excess water there. I kept my gaze trained on myself in the mirror and silently prayed that she’d go away.
I didn’t want talk to anyone about Jet right now, much less this stranger.
“He breaks your heart, doesn’t he.”
Well, I guess she didn’t pick up on the fact that I didn’t want to talk to her. She was watching me with her arms folded and an overly-lined eyebrow raised.
I forced a smile. “Do you know him?”
She scoffed and then turned to mess with her hair as she stared at her reflection. “He’s my ex. Loser broke it off at the end of the school year.”
I nodded, not sure what to say to that. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “His loss.” Then she turned and stuck out her hand. “Name’s Jasmine.”
I gingerly shook her hand. “Brielle.”
“Nice to meet you, Brielle.” She turned back to the mirror. “Do I know you? I haven’t seen you around.”
I shook my head. “I’m staying at the Livingstone Hotel. I’m...” I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to tell this stranger.
But it seemed like she was expecting me to finish my sentence. She turned and stared at me. “You’re…?”
I fiddled with the hem of my dress and shrugged. “I’m here for the summer. I go to school in New York.”
She parted her lips into an “o” shape. Then she nodded. “So, you’re rich.”
I almost choked on my spit. Call me crazy, but I really didn’t want this girl to know anything about me. “I’m not. My parents are.”
She let out a snort. “That’s what rich people say.”
I eyed the bathroom door, wondering if I could get out of here without her stopping me. Probably not. I ran track in school, but I wasn’t that fast.
I was stuck in the bathroom with Jet’s ex.
“Hey, so a group of us were going to sing this evening, but Deseree called in sick.” She turned and rested her hip against the sink. “You any good?”
I coughed as I stared at her. “You mean sing?”
She nodded. “Just backup. Nothing too intense.”
Truth was, I loved singing. I was in choir back home. And I was good. But I wasn’t sure if I was singing-in-a-bar good. “Um...”
Her gaze turned expectant as she stared at me. I felt as if I couldn’t say no.
So I nodded. “Sure.” Besides, I wasn’t at risk of getting too close to Jet if I was up on stage. It was probably for the best.
And it would put off the “I’m leaving for the summer and probably for good” conversation that I was going to have to have with him.
She cheered as she clapped her hands together. “Perfect! Come on,” she said as she walked over to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulder.
I nodded, still feeling a tad awkward as she led me out of the bathroom.
We made our way through the crowded bar and over to the stage. I tried to ignore Jet’s stare as we passed by him. His expression was a mixture of confusion and shock. I kept my gaze down, not sure how I was going to explain any of this to him.
When we got to the group of girls I’d seen Jasmine standing with earlier, she introduced me to them all. There were a few who seemed confused as to why I was there, but Jasmine reminded them of Deseree, and they all nodded in agreement.
I just smiled and kept to myself. I was ready to just sing the song and put this whole evening behind me. I didn’t belong, and it was killing me to be this close to Jet and not tell him how I felt.
Maybe going to Italy was a good thing. Distance from Jet seemed to be the only thing that kept me somewhat sane.
“Let’s go,” Jasmine sang out as she pushed me toward the stage.
I stumbled as I tried to right myself in the ridiculous heels that Kate had me wear. By the time I got on to the stage, I was sure my face was beet red. Maybe from embarrassment. Maybe from nerves. I was getting up in front of all these strangers to sing something I hadn’t prepared.
The reason for going on stage had left my mind, and the only thing I could think of was how badly I wanted to run away. How badly I wanted to go back in time and just stay at the hotel. That way, I wouldn’t have met Jet and my heart wouldn’t be breaking.
The opening notes to the song started up, and I glanced over to Jasmine, who gave me a big smile and a wink. I held onto the microphone on the stand in front of me like it was a lifeline. It took a few measures before I recognized the song.
My friend Portia from school was obsessed with nineties hits, which is the only reason why I recognized the song That Boy is Mine from Brandy and Monica.
I stared at Jasmine, wondering what the heck was going on. I barely knew the words to the song, but she didn’t seem to be struggling. Instead, she was staring at me as she pulled the mic from its stand and began circling me. The other girls followed her, and I finally realized what she was up to.
She hadn’t asked me up here to stand in for her friend. I was the target for her weird mean-girl prank.
And for some reason, all I could do was stand there. It was like my legs forgot how to move.
I could hear the laughter from the audience. My skin felt as if it were on fire. How could I have been so stupid? I never should have come. I should have stayed in the hotel with my parents, who didn’t even know I was there. At least they didn’t mock me.
Man...my life was pathetic. I couldn’t get my parents to care about me, and I couldn’t be with the one guy who decided that maybe he liked me, because I was leaving for freaking Italy on Monday.
How had things spiraled out of control so fast?
Suddenly, I felt an arm around my shoulder and a deep voice boomed in my ear, “Let’s go.”
I didn’t even have to look to know who had come to my rescue.
Jet.
His hand felt warm as it pressed into my shoulder. He pulled me next to him like he was protecting me.
As soon as I felt him next to me, my body knew what to do. I walked with him across the stage and over to the stairs.
Jasmine protested, but Jet pushed right through her. I didn’t look back as we made our way through the crowd and out to the parking lot. As the doors shut behind us, we slowed our pace.
“Wait,” I said as I pulled out of his grasp and collapsed against the wall.
Jet stared at me as I grabbed my phone from my bra. “Kate,” I said as I pulled up her number.
I waited for her to answer, praying she would hear her phone over the noise of the bar. From the angry look on Jet’s face, there was no way he was just going to leave me alone. He was mad about what had happened in there, and I was pretty sure that I would spill everything if he asked.
And I didn’t need that right now.
I didn’t need his sympathy. I didn’t need him to tell me not to go. And I certainly didn’t need him to tell me to go.
The phone rang for what felt like an eternity. Finally, she answered.
“Bri? What was that? That tramp. I’m going to—”
“Hey, I’m outside. Can you come get me?”
There was a pause. “Are you with Jet?”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “No,” I said in the most unconvincing voice ever.
She snorted. “Have you talked to him?”
“Yes.” Wow. Since when did I lie this much?
“I can tell you’re lying. Talk to him. Tell him what you told me.”
Tears pricked my eyes as I shook my head. I leaned into the phone so Jet couldn’t hear me. “I can’t.”
“Brielle. Yes, you can. You have to. If the expression on his face when he realized what that stupid girl was doing was any indicator of how he felt about you, you need to tell him. He deserves to know.”
I hated how right Kate was being right now. I knew I needed to tell Jet, I just wasn’t ready for this all to be over. It felt so final.
“Okay,” I whispered.
We said our goodbyes, and I hung up shoved the phone back into my dress. Jet was standing with his back to me, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. He was staring up at the sky. I could tell he was upset from the way his shoulders were raised.
“What did she say?” he asked, not looking over at me.
I blinked back my tears as I stepped up to join him. We stood there, side by side, surrounded by silence. I didn’t want to speak. The feeling of him standing next to me was exactly what I needed, and if I parted my lips, that would all be over.
When he glanced down at me, I realized he was waiting for me to speak. I sighed.
“She wants me to tell you the truth.”
I could feel his gaze on me for a moment before he turned his attention back to the sky. “And what’s that?”
The lump in my throat grew to the point that I feared I wouldn’t be able to speak if I tried. I wanted to tell him, I did. But it was like my body was rejecting my decision.
“I can’t do this,” I said as I turned and walked away from him. “You need to stay away from me.” I needed to get out of here. If I called Mrs. Porter she would probably be there in five minutes flat. I could leave. It would be so easy.
But just as I began to relax, two arms wrapped around me and suddenly I was airborne. I yelped as I whipped my head around to see Jet holding me with a very determined look on his face.
He pulled me to his chest and made his way across the parking lot to his bike.
“What are you doing?” I asked as I shifted to make sure that people couldn’t see up my dress.
“Taking you with me,” he growled as he set me down on his bike. Suddenly my choice of dress was coming back to bite me.
“My dress?” I said, motioning toward the hemline.
I swear Jet blushed as he stared at my legs. Then he shook off his jacket and set it on my lap.
“Here,” he said. Then he grabbed his helmet and plopped it onto my head.
Before I could protest, he climbed onto the bike and started it up. The roaring sound of the engine filled my ears, silencing all my concerns. When I felt him shift to push the kickstand up, I wrapped my arms around his chest, allowing my body to remember what it felt like to be this close to him.
It was like holding him chased all my worries away.
He was exactly what I needed to calm down. To feel at peace.
I didn’t fight him as he took off down the road. We rode together alongside the beach for what felt like forever. Or maybe I just wished it was. I wanted him to keep going and never stop. I wanted it to be just me and him. No family. No expectations. Just the two of us.
I wasn’t sure how long he drove, but when he pulled into a small parking lot just off the ocean, I tried not to grumble. He killed the engine and pushed the kickstand down. He was off the bike before I could say anything.
I scrambled to get off as well. It was a feat to try to keep his jacket covering my legs. Once I was standing, Jet grabbed his coat and draped it over my shoulders. He took my hand, engulfing it in his.
He knew I was going to pull away if I was given the chance.
“Come with me,” he said as he pulled me alongside him.
Since I had no idea where we were going, I followed.
We walked through the sand. The sound of the ocean crashing against the shore filled the night. At first, he walked faster than I did. Like he had a mission to accomplish.
Then he slowed, allowing our hands to fall to our sides. Maybe he realized that I wasn’t going to go anywhere. How could I? My heart was pounding so hard, and yet, I felt complete walking next to him.
A few minutes later, a rundown shed appeared off to the side. It was hidden by some brush. I glanced over to Jet, but he didn’t acknowledge me. Instead, he pulled on my arm as he made his way closer to it.
“What...” I started to ask, but Jet didn’t stop. He opened the door and ushered me inside.
It looked better on the inside then it did on the outside. There was a small cot off in the corner. A few cans of food were lined up along a shelf. Candles dotted the other flat surfaces.
Jet motioned for me to sit on the cot as he pulled out a box of matches from underneath the bed. He struck one against the box and then made his way around the room, lighting the candles.
Soon, pale, flickering light filled the shed.
Jet threw the matches back under the bed.
Then he stood there like he didn’t know what to do. He shoved his hands through his hair as he flicked his gaze from me to the wall behind my head.
I studied him, not sure what I should say. It had been a whirlwind getting here, and I still wasn’t certain why he’d brought me.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he shoved his hands into his front pockets and finally met my gaze. His expression was sorrowful and caused my heart to break.
“For what?” My voice broke as emotions filled my chest. He had nothing to be sorry for.
“For what Jasmine did. I shouldn’t have brought you to that place. It’s...” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I told you that you didn’t fit in my life.”
That stung. I blinked a few times, wondering if that was why he’d brought me here. But he could have told me this at the bar. He didn’t need to drag me down to the beach to tell me that we would never work out.
“I’m sorry,” I said and then winced. I could hear the hurt in my voice.
Jet glanced down at me and regret filled his gaze. “No. That’s not what I meant.” He blew out his breath as he scrubbed his face. “I just meant we don’t work, you and I.” He motioned between us.
Wow. That was worse.
Tears threatened to spill, so I stood. I just needed to get out of here before he pulled my heart from my chest and stomped on it. “I get it. It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about me,” I said as I made my way over to the door.
“Brielle, I...” His hand grabbed mine, halting me in place.
I kept my gaze down, not sure if I could handle looking up at him.
“I’m an idiot.”
Okay. This was different. I hesitated as I waited.
“You are so...perfect. And my life is a mess. I just...” His voice dropped off, and curiosity grew inside of me. I peeked over at him to see that he was staring at the ground.
“You just?” I turned to face him, pushing back my fear of opening up to him.
He stared at me for a moment before he closed the gap between us. He cradled my cheek in his hand, and, before I could breathe, he pressed his lips to mine.
Chapter Fifteen
The emotions that coursed through me as Jet pressed his lips to mine felt like heaven. Every part of my being responded to him. My lips moved in time with his. My hands felt the curves of his chest as they moved up to his shoulders and tangled in his hair.
His body pressed against mine, and every point of contact heated from his touch. I’d never felt more complete than I did when he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer.
I fell into kissing him. And I never wanted to stop falling.
“Brielle,” he said as he pulled his lips away and pressed his forehead against mine.
“Mm-hmm,” I mumbled as I dropped my hands back down to his chest. I could feel his pounding heart. It beat in time with my own.
“I—”
Panic filled me, and, before I knew what I was I doing, I pressed my finger to his lips. I couldn’t hear those three little words. Once spoken, we couldn’t take them back. “Plea
se. Don’t.”
The look on his face caused my heart to crumble. I wanted to tell him what I’d been keeping from him before he confessed something like that.
“You don’t know everything,” I said.
Reality came crashing down on me as I pushed away from him. He tried to pull me back, but when I resisted, he let me go.
“What are you talking about?” he asked. His voice was full concern.
Keeping my gaze down, I made my way over to the cot and sat down. Maybe if I wasn’t standing, we couldn’t just pick up where we’d left off. My resolve to keep away from him was growing weaker by the second. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
It took a moment before he sat down next to me. I could feel his gaze as he stared at me, waiting for me to speak.
“Okay,” he said.
I took a deep breath. Here went nothing. “I’m leaving for Italy,” I said slowly.
I waited for him to respond. When he didn’t, I continued.
“My parents want me to date this guy. He’s the son of a business partner.”
More silence.
Just as I parted my lips, Jet finally spoke.
“So are they bartering you?” There was a confused tone to his voice.
I felt the same. “Sort of.”
Jet scoffed. “That’s ridiculous. They can’t expect you to go.”
I nodded as tears filled my eyes. “I’m going,” I whispered.
When he didn’t respond, I glanced over at him.
“You’re going? Why?” His forehead was furrowed as he studied me.
A tear slipped down my cheek, and I reached up and angrily wiped it off. “You won’t understand.” I hated saying that, but I didn’t want him to have to choose between his family or me.
I was already having to do that, and it was pulling me apart inside.
He reeled back at my words. It broke my heart that he looked so betrayed. “Why wouldn’t I understand?”
I swallowed. My emotions choked my throat as my mind raced. How could I explain this to him?
“There’s a lot riding on this deal. If I don’t go, things could change. Lives would be altered.” I peeked over at him. His face had only hardened more.
“Do you love the guy?” He stared down at me as if challenging me to answer.
Rule #5: You Can’t Trust The Bad Boy: The Rules of Love Series Book 5 Page 13
