“Of what?”
“Losing you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t. You have no idea how amazing you are. Guys are always looking at you. Those two assholes in the bar the night you had drinks with Meg. And last night. If I lived here, it wouldn’t matter. The way things are now is how they’ll be for the next eighteen months. I’m scared that while I’m away you’ll meet someone and realize you can get everything you need from a guy who doesn’t spend seventy-five percent of his time on the road.”
Jack’s eyes were closed, and he exhaled deeply. Emily touched his cheek, and he turned to her. She saw fear and sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I thought I’d made it clear that if I wasn’t with you, there wouldn’t be anyone else. I wasn’t ready for a new relationship, but we met when we met, and here we are.” She cupped his face with her hands. “I know that we aren’t on the same page yet, but it’s only been five weeks.”
She also saw his intense love for her, and it took her breath away. A lump formed in her throat and her chest tightened. Emily forced herself to continue. “You know that I like and care about you. It sounds silly compared to how you’ve expressed your feelings to me. But that’s where I am.” Emily had her own fears. “I know that’s not enough for you. And I’m scared you’ll meet some beautiful, perfect, undamaged…” Emily sat back. “And I’m afraid you’ll give up before I’m able to catch up.”
Jack pulled her to him, crashing his lips onto hers. Bright sun glared through the windows of the truck, illuminating them, its warmth having nothing to do with her body temperature rising. His heart thundered under her palms. Her body went limp, and all the energy it had went into kissing him, showing him that she was his and that, with or without him, no other man existed to her.
A whistle from far away barely pierced her consciousness. Then a louder woo-hoo. Jack regained his senses and broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. She moaned her dissatisfaction. She’d wanted the kiss to go on for eternity.
Jack’s hands caressed circles on her back. “Emily Grace Prescott, I will never give up on you or us.”
Drained and exhausted, she wished they could rewind time to yesterday when she’d first seen him in the bar. But everything that came after would’ve still happened, leaving her feeling like she did now. “I knew things wouldn’t be easy, but I just didn’t imagine they’d be this hard.” How had her mom managed to keep it together all those years while her dad had been deployed? Five weeks in, and her world spun out of control.
“I love you.”
She smiled and kissed him. Hand in hand, they walked to her apartment to face yet another challenge.
Gary walked them through all the upgrades they’d installed. Even though the landlord had forbidden installation of anything permanent, they’d changed all the window locks and added sensors. They also added another deadbolt to the front door that could only be unlocked from the inside and a wireless keypad. Gary assured her that Mr. Martin had granted approval. They’d wanted to install a motion-activated camera outside the front door, but Mr. Martin had said no to that as it would be an invasion on Mrs. Locke’s privacy.
“Last thing we need to do is set your alarm codes, and we’ll be on our way,” Gary said. “Okay, four digits, please, and keep the code to yourself.”
Emily stepped up to the keypad and punched in her code: 0421.
“Everyone who has entry to your apartment should have their own code, so if you have a cleaning service…”
“Just me.” Emily smiled at Jack, but he looked away. Shit. “I meant just me that cleans. Jack should have his own code.”
Jack smiled and punched in his code, but the display flashed error.
Gary frowned and punched a few keys. “Okay, try again.”
Jack punched his code; again, error flashed across the screen. “If this thing isn’t working properly—”
“No, it’s working just fine. Each code has to be different, so unless you two picked the same code…”
Jack grinned. “Em, what code did you pick?”
“I’m sorry.” She tried to hide her smile. “You heard Gary. I cannot tell anyone my code under pain of death.”
Jeff stepped between them “Enough jocularity you two. One of you has to change your code.” The restrained laughter in Jeff’s tone belied his stern expression.
“I live here.” Emily tilted her chin up.
“Fine, I’ll change mine.” Jack punched in a new code, and this time, no error message flashed.
“Great. The booklet has directions if you need to add any more codes or delete a user.” Gary reached into his pocket and took out a card. “Or you can always call me.”
Emily tucked the card into her pocket. “Thank you for coming on short notice.”
Jack and Gary shook hands. “Yeah, I really appreciate it. Add twenty percent to the bill.” Jack put up his hand to halt Gary’s protest. “You guys did a great job, and I’m sure you had another client today. You did me a huge favor. I’ll feel much better knowing she’s more secure.”
“Thanks, the guys will appreciate it.” They shook hands, and Gary left.
She’d wanted to handle Sully on her own, but after what happened last night, seeing him so different, she decided it’d be better to deal with him while Jack was here. “I’m calling him.” She grabbed her phone and dialed. She’d deleted his phone number and their texts the day she’d caught him, but she hadn’t yet forgotten his number.
He answered on the fourth ring. “Hey, Emi, I’m—”
“Your stuff is out by the curb. Garbage pickup is Monday.” Emily hung up. She didn’t want him calling her Emi anymore, didn’t want him calling her anything. She slumped on the couch. Jack was instantly next to her, cuddling her in his arms. She leaned into him, his strength and warmth a balm to her battered heart.
Hopefully, he’d pick up his stuff when she wasn’t home. Maybe they could spend the night at the motel. Emily didn’t think she could take much more.
When the text alert sounded on her phone, her heart pounded: Bitch.
Before she could respond, her phone rang, and she answered it.
“I’ll be there in an hour.” His voice sounded weak and defeated. For the first time in months, some of the anger and hurt she’d felt released their stranglehold on her heart, and she felt a little sorry for him. And that was the moment she knew the healing had begun. The moment she knew that someday, she’d be able to forgive him.
But not today.
J
Jack heard the rattle of the truck as soon as it arrived. He watched out the window as the fucker and his fucker friends began to load up his shit. Even from the second story, Jack could tell the guy was broken. A niggle of sympathy worked its way in, and for Emily’s sake, he let it flourish and refused to gloat. Jeff was parked across the street. Jack could handle himself, but he wouldn’t take any chances with Em’s safety.
Emily joined him at the window and took his hand. He knew before she said it that she was going to talk to him. Jack just hoped she didn’t insist on doing it alone. Last thing they needed was another fight.
She squeezed his hand. “I’m going to make sure he knows I’ve moved on.” She started to walk away but stopped when Jack didn’t move. “You coming?”
His heart flipped, and together, they went out. His friends saw them coming and stopped loading the truck to walk toward them. Really? Fine. Bring it.
Emily stopped and turned to him. “No caveman crap. You’re here as an observer only.”
“Hey, don’t tell me, they’re the ones—”
“Jack William McBride, don’t bullshit me. Your whole body tensed. I don’t want this to escalate. Besides, I don’t care about them. I care about you.” Her eyes sparkled with emotion. “Please?”
“I can handle myself.”
“I remember, but you’re outnumbered.”
Jack smiled. She was worried
about him. He hadn’t planned on telling her Jeff was still here, but he wanted to ease her mind. “No, baby, I’m not.”
Instantly understanding, she looked around until she spotted Jeff. She sighed, in relief or frustration with him, Jack couldn’t tell. She went up on tiptoes and kissed him briefly, too briefly, then stepped back and continued walking, stopping a few feet in front her ex and his friends.
“I knew it,” the fucker said, smiling a smarmy salesman’s smile. “This is his doing, you’d never do this to me.”
“It’s what I wanted.”
The fucker’s smile faded. “I don’t know who you are anymore.”
When Jeff walked up behind them, his friends went back to loading the truck. Not as stupid as they look.
“Make no mistake, Sean, this is your doing. What were you thinking, breaking in—”
“I didn’t break in, I had a key.”
“One that you shouldn’t have had. You certainly didn’t have permission to enter my home.”
“It’s my home, too.”
Emily took a step toward him. “Used to be. Until you decided to blow up our life, our future.”
Jack felt Jeff tense behind him.
“You were supposed to forgive me,” he yelled.
Jack stepped next to Em; her face was red and tears threatened. He wanted to take her inside and end this, but he knew she wasn’t done.
Her lips moved several times, but no words came out. “Forgive you? You planned this. You wanted me to catch you?” She shook her head, clearly not grasping what the fucker had done.
The fucker didn’t deny it. He stepped forward but stopped when Jeff stepped next to Emily. He growled, “Yeah, that’s right.”
She swallowed hard, and her eyes scrunched closed.
Jeff’s expression told Jack he’d protect Emily no matter what.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Why? What could I have possibly done to deserve such a…punishment?”
Venom poured from the fucker. His face turned ugly, and his fair skin reddened. “You needed to know.”
“Know what?”
“That other women wanted me. That I was a catch and deserved your full devotion and attention.”
Em’s control snapped, and she stepped forward and pushed him, sending him stumbling backward. “Me wanting you wasn’t enough?”
“You never got jealous. Other women would come on to me in front of you, and you thought it was funny.”
“It was never funny. It was rude, appalling, and outrageous. What did you expect me to do, pull their hair? You weren’t responsible for their behavior. If I’d thought I had anything to be jealous of, we’d never have been together in the first place.” Emily’s hands fisted at her sides. “Why not just talk to me, tell me how you felt?”
“Tell you what? That I was so fucking jealous of every guy who looked at you that it was hard to breathe.” His eyes narrowed to slits, and he shook with fury. “Jealous of every guy you talked to? That I loved you so much that the thought of losing you drove me crazy? You had to be so fucking independent. You never needed me. I went along with everything you wanted.” He looked at Jack and glowered. “You’re already on her hook. Well, get used to it, buddy. She’ll never feel the same about you.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Emily took another step toward him. When Jeff put his hand on her shoulder, she shrugged him off.
“Just what I said, he’ll always love you more than you’ll love him.”
“I loved you with everything I had!”
“It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t even close to how much I love you.”
Emily stepped back as though she’d been slapped. “Is that how you justify what you did, that you loved me more? That’s fucked-up bullshit.”
“I’d have still married you.”
Em’s throat worked with the effort to swallow. “Gee, thanks.”
“We could’ve been happy together. You’re the one who ended it.”
“How could you think I’d still marry you after what you did? In our bed? How many others were there?”
“It was only ever you for me since the moment I laid eyes on you. I was done, other women ceased to exist. Baby, you know that.”
Emily waived her hand in the air. “I’m not your baby. How many?”
He looked down. “Just her.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Still looking down, he said, “This isn’t how this was supposed to go. You were supposed to forgive me. We’d have postponed the wedding, but we’d have reconciled.” When he looked up, seething hatred shot out of his eyes. The fucker took a step toward him. “This bastard ruined everything.”
It took all of Jack’s willpower to remain an observer. From the look on Jeff’s face, his Marine discipline was stretched thin.
Em shook her head. “Reconciled? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“You forgave that drunken, entitled bitch who killed your family. All I did was—”
Jeff stepped between them. “Get your shit and get out of here.”
Jack pulled her trembling body to his. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks, and she turned her head into his side as he guided her to the door.
“Good luck, buddy, you’re going to need it,” the fucker sneered.
Jack turned to see Jeff menace the fucker. His friends were smart enough to stay out of it. Emily openly sobbed, unable to contain her frayed emotions. Jack would’ve really enjoyed beating the shit out of him, but Em needed to handle it, so he suppressed his base urges to rearrange that asshole’s face.
Once inside, she broke down. Tears and sobs tore from her. As the avalanche of her emotions overwhelmed her, Jack didn’t know what to say to make it better, so he held her. He was glad she didn’t shut him out. When she was done, her eyes were red and swollen, and tears stained her pale cheeks.
He cradled her in his arms, letting her rest her tired body against his. Her breaths evened out and she was still. He tried to gently adjust his position because his ass was numb.
She lifted her head and turned her worn out eyes to him. “What if he’s right?”
Jack pulled her onto his lap. “Not a chance.” He kissed her forehead. “You’re the most caring person I’ve ever met. He was just lashing out.”
Emily blinked slowly. “Things haven’t been the same since the accident. I haven’t been the same. I used to be different.”
Jack smiled. “This is the version of you that I’m in love with. Everybody changes, baby. I’m not the same guy I was ten years ago.”
Emily’s wan smile made his heart ache. “Gradually, not in an instant.”
“Baby, you lost everything. That would change anyone in an instant. But it doesn’t mean you changed for the worse.”
“What if I did?”
Jack shook his head. “Not possible. I know you have feelings for me, strong, scary feelings, and that makes you question everything you felt before.”
Her eyes widened.
“I know because I feel the same way. I thought Christie and I would get married. I even bought her a ring, but then everything fell apart so fast. I tried to keep it together, but I couldn’t.” Jack’s head fell back against the couch. “The day I realized that the future I’d been so sure of for so long wasn’t going to happen made me question everything.”
“I wish…”
“What?”
Emily shook her head. “Doesn’t matter.”
He held her face so she’d look at him. “Of course, it matters.”
“I wish you didn’t have to leave tomorrow.”
Jack sighed. So did he. In all his past relationships, leaving was never easy, but it wasn’t like this, like he left pieces of himself behind. “I’m here now.”
She unbuttoned his jeans and gripped the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it up, kissing his skin as she went. “We never have enough time together.” She palmed his chest.
; With urgency, he relieved her of her T-shirt and bra. He cupped her breasts, kissing her mouth deeply.
A car backfired outside. Jack tore his lips from hers. They were on the second floor, but the blinds were open. He stood and carried her to their bedroom, laying her on the bed. He pulled her jeans off, quickly shucked his, and grabbed a condom off the nightstand.
She looked so beautiful, spread open and wanting him. He lay over her, slowly entering her. Her hands roamed over the muscles in his back and down to his ass and then slowly made their way up to his shoulders. He loved that her hands always moved over him, like she couldn’t get enough. He couldn’t.
J
Jack lay awake because his mind kept replaying the events of the last two days. He wasn’t one of those guys who liked to fight, but they had serious issues that they needed to work out sooner than later. It wasn’t just Jack’s insecurities about Em’s feelings for him. Now that the fucker’s shit was out of her place, he hoped that’d be the end of it, but he didn’t think it would be.
“You awake?” Em asked.
“Yeah.”
Em pushed up onto her elbow. “Have you been pumping Nicki for information about me?”
Jack tensed. “Huh?”
“I saw her wink at you Thursday night.” Em rolled onto her back.
Jack relaxed. “I just wanted to know how to be a good boyfriend to a writer, so she’s been giving me some pointers.”
“Pointers, huh? Anything else?”
“Like what?”
“About my accident.”
Jack turned onto his side. “Why would you think that?”
Em chuckled. “Because you, who has to know everything, haven’t asked any questions since the first week we were together.”
Damn, he hadn’t realized that. “Not exactly.”
“Jack…”
“She never betrayed your trust. I was miserable, and she took pity on me and pointed me in the right direction. I did a search on you.” He’d felt ashamed at the time but not enough to let it stop him.
No More Yesterdays: A Rock Star Romance (Rocked in Love Book 2) Page 26
