The question caught me off guard. Yes. I did.
But I didn't trust her one bit, so I gave a tight shrug and made no reply.
"Get this," she said. "He told me I wasn't 'wife material.' Can you freaking believe it?"
No. I couldn’t.
Slowly, I turned to study her face. She didn't look like she was lying. But then again, how would I know? "And you're telling me this, why?"
With a little smirk, she eyed me up and down. "Because you're not either."
I stiffened. In spite of my best efforts, the comment got under my skin.
Probably, it was because I saw the truth of her statement. And it had nothing to do with my attire. Mostly, it was because Jax and I were from two totally different worlds, worlds that would never mesh, not long-term, anyway.
If he were just an average Joe, it might be different. But he wasn't average, not in any conceivable way. I loved everything about him, and yet, I couldn't help hating what that meant for us.
It's not that I was shopping for a husband. It's just that, well, I wasn't shopping for a fling. And this left me where, exactly?
Out in the cold, that's where.
When I made no reply, Morgan said, "I mean, sure you cleaned up nice for the party and all, but if this is your everyday look…" She gave a little shudder and said, "…well, I'm just saying, he's not gonna marry a slob."
If I cared one iota what she thought of me, I might've pointed out that I wasn't always a slob. But all I said was, "Maybe he won't marry anyone. Maybe he's not even the marrying type."
"Oh, he is," she said. "A few months ago, I heard him talking to Jaden, telling him to stop whoring around unless he wanted his dick to fall off."
Well, that was an image I didn't need.
Still, I managed to reply, "Just because he doesn't want Jaden to be a man-whore, that doesn't mean he's looking to settle down."
"Wanna bet?" she said. "He's got this checklist and everything."
That made me pause. "What kind of checklist?"
"It's not a real checklist. I'm just saying he's got criteria, you know." She raised a hand and started counting off on her fingers. "Educated, smart. Not too pretty."
I frowned. "Wait, what?"
"Yeah," she said. "I mean, don’t get me wrong – he's not into trolls or anything. But he doesn't go for the knockouts." She gave a dramatic sigh. "That's probably why he dumped me."
I was staring now. "Are you serious?"
"Sure." She glanced down. "I mean, look at me. I'm a knockout, right?"
Yes. She was. But the rest of her story was too unbelievable for words. And besides, her own attire was proof enough that she was lying.
Now, I looked her up and down. "Good thing you're hiding your light under a bushel."
She looked around. "What bushel?"
I tried again. "I'm just saying, if he truly had something against pretty girls, you wouldn't be dressed so…" How to put this?
She smiled. "Slutty?"
"Um…"
"That's on purpose," she said. "I'm not going for Jax anymore."
"Oh?"
"Oh yeah. He's a lost cause. I'm going for Jaden. He likes 'em slutty."
Good grief.
I was still debating what to say in response when a familiar sports car pulled into the drive. It was the same car Jax had been driving during our date last night.
And yet, I wasn't positive it was him. After all, the brothers did have a history of borrowing each other's vehicles.
I held my breath as I stared at the car. Who would be getting out?
Jax? Or Jaden?
Turns out, it was both.
Chapter 56
I was already on my feet, and so was Morgan. But where she scampered forward, I stood still, watching awkwardly as both guys stopped to stare – not at Morgan, but at me.
It was easy to guess what Jaden was thinking, because it was written all over his face. What the hell is that psycho on the steps wearing?
As for Jax, his gaze was guarded, like he wasn't quite sure what he was seeing at his own front door. But then, a split-second later, he was striding forward, even as Morgan, with a happy squeal, launched herself into Jaden's arms.
Whether his arms closed around her or not, I couldn't say, because already, I'd returned my full attention to Jax, who, with long, steady strides, was rapidly closing the distance between us.
Soon, he was up the steps and at my side. In a low voice, he asked, "You okay?"
Heat flooded my face. "Of course, I’m okay."
He looked down at my clothes, and his eyebrows furrowed. "You sure?"
Damn it. None of this was going how I envisioned. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just, I dunno…" How to put this?
With obvious concern, he studied my face. "Tell me."
Crap. I hated this. I hadn't come to make him concerned. I'd come to make a point – and to get some answers. I sighed. "We need to talk."
He frowned. "About what?"
Good Lord, did I really need to explain? Even if I hadn't heard about that stupid ski mask, I'd surely have something to say about how our date ended last night.
But just like always, everything was so terribly complicated because I owed him. Even now, he was paying for my mom's hotel room. With an effort, I reminded myself that no such room would be needed if it weren't for that masked mugging.
And I wasn't naive. This was Florida, not Alaska. The weather was hot and humid. No one needed a ski mask – not for anything good. And just how many people in the city owned ski gear at all?
Nearly none. I'd bet my life on it.
I crossed my arms. "Do you want to talk here? Or inside?"
He turned to scan the street. "How'd you get here?"
The question felt like an accusation, and suddenly, I couldn’t help but wonder if he liked the fact that I had no car. After all, girls with no cars seldom made pesky little visits like this.
I lifted my chin. "I got a ride."
His expression darkened. "From who?"
I really didn't want to say. It was, after all, pretty pathetic that I'd had to bribe a stranger to bring me here. On top of that, I had only twenty more minutes until the guy left me stranded – assuming that he hadn't ditched me already.
I tried to think positive. While sitting on the steps, I'd been keeping an eye on the street. I hadn't seen the guy drive by, so that was good, right?
When Jax repeated his question, I finally said, "I did the ride-share thing, that's all."
His frown deepened. "You mean with some stranger?"
Yes. Actually. But not the way Jax made it sound.
"Oh come on," I said. "It's not 'some stranger.' The guy's a professional." Even if he hadn't really acted like it.
"From now on," Jax said, "if you need a ride, you call me, alright?"
I stared up at him. "Why would I call you?"
He stiffened. "Why wouldn’t you?"
I gave a bark of laughter. "You do remember how last night ended, right?"
And then, you didn't call.
It's not that he had to call, but after the way he'd stormed off, it would've been nice to get some sort of explanation.
When he made no reply, I made a sigh of impatience. "You remember what you said, right?"
"I remember."
When he didn't elaborate, I figured, what the heck, I'd dressed this way for a reason. I might as well make the point and be done with it.
I lifted my arms and said, "Well, I'm not 'beautiful' now. So, what do you think of that?"
He looked at me for a long moment. "I think you're wrong."
I dropped my arms. "What?"
"You are beautiful." His voice hardened. "And if you don't believe me, look in a mirror."
I had no mirror, and yet I couldn't resist looking down to study my clothes. My sweatpants were lime-green, and my flip flops were pink. My shirt was all kinds of crazy colors, but only because I'd worn the thing when Allie and I had repainted our last apartment.
<
br /> None of the clothes even fit, not great, anyway, and I'd barely bothered to comb my hair. Even the driver had been suitably repulsed. So what was I missing?
I looked up to study Jax's face. As our gazes locked, I couldn’t help but recall Morgan's words from a half-hour earlier. She'd claimed that Jax was looking for someone who wasn't, as she'd put it, "too pretty."
For the first time, I seriously considered that she might've been telling me the truth.
If so, it made no sense.
If Jax were any other guy, I might've chalked it up to insecurity. But he wasn't insecure. That much was obvious. He exuded raw confidence – not just with me, but with everyone I'd seen him interacting with.
Now, standing on his doorstep, I quickly considered – and then just as quickly discarded – all kinds of crazy theories. None of them made a lick of sense.
And unfortunately, the clock was still ticking.
Finally, I said, "You know what? Never mind. That's not even the reason I'm here." I glanced toward his front door. "And you never said, do you want to talk out here? Or inside?"
This was an obvious cue for him to invite me in.
But he didn't.
Instead, he replied, "What I want, and what I'm gonna do are two different things."
I stared up at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," he said, "if I invite you in, you're gonna regret it."
More confused than ever, I turned to look at his front door. As I did, an awful thought occurred to me. Was someone inside, right now, waiting for him? Maybe in the pool? Or, heaven forbid, up in his bed?
My stomach roiled at the mere thought. And yet, if that was the case, I wanted to know. I needed to know. In the calmest voice I could muster, I asked, "Why would I regret it?"
He loomed closer. "Alright, you wanna know why?"
Probably not. Still, I forced a single nod.
His voice grew very quiet. "Because I can't promise to keep my hands off you."
I blinked. Of all the answers I'd been anticipating, this one hadn't been on the list. I mumbled, "What?"
"You heard me."
As I studied his face, I couldn't decide if I was thrilled or angry. It took me less than a second to decide that it wasn't anger making my knees tremble. And yet, I was irritated, because the mixed signals were giving me a serious case of mental whiplash.
Again, I looked to his door. What was he saying? That if we went inside, we'd be getting naked? I liked the thought of getting naked with him, but not with such a cloud of uncertainty hanging over our heads.
And certainly not when he was acting so strange.
And besides, that wasn't why I was here, so I stiffened my spine and said, "There's something I need to know." I waited. And when he offered no encouragement, I finally just blurted it out. "Yesterday, were you the one who robbed Dominic?"
Chapter 57
For the longest time, the question hung there, unanswered and unacknowledged.
Still, I waited, determined to get a reply, one way or another.
Around us, the daylight was fading to night. Near the curb, a streetlight flickered to life. In the driveway, Jaden's car was slowly backing out, even as Morgan's car squealed off to parts unknown.
But here on the steps, Jax had grown very still. I searched his face, trying like crazy to figure out what emotion I was seeing. But the longer I searched, the less I knew. It was like a mask – and perversely, not a ski mask – had fallen over his face, hiding his thoughts from my probing eyes.
Finally, he gave me an answer. "No."
I stiffened. That's it?
The answer was way too short for such a long delay. I waited, certain that he'd say something more. But he never did.
I didn't bother to hide my irritation. "So, you didn't rob him? That's what you're saying."
"Yeah. That's what I'm saying."
"Oh come on," I said. "I know what I know."
Of course, I couldn't tell him everything I knew – not without causing trouble for Allie. Already, she was having a terrible time at work, and I could only imagine how thrilled both brothers would be to learn that she'd been the cause of this little visit.
In front of me, Jax said, "So you think I’m lying."
I didn't want to call him a liar, but I didn't want to be a sap either. "I don't know," I said. "Are you?"
His mouth tightened. "I don't lie."
If this weren't so pathetic, I might've laughed. "Oh, really?"
"Yes. Really." He wasn't looking away. "And I'll do you one better. I'll never lie to you."
He made it sound like he'd have the chance, like we'd have years and years to share nothing but the truth. It was a lovely sentiment, and I might've believed in the possibility, except for one thing.
I was fairly certain he was lying to me now.
This morning, after Allie had made that comment about the ski mask, I'd casually requested more details. She'd offered none, except to say that she'd discovered the mask last night when stopping by the office for something she'd forgotten.
I also recalled that story from my mom. She'd claimed that two guys had dragged Dominic into the bushes. At the time, I hadn't quite believed her. But in hindsight, the details were impossible to ignore.
Two guys.
Two brothers.
Jax and Jaden.
Who else could it be, especially with the whole mask thing?
Why Jaden would leave his mask on Allie's desk, I had no idea. Maybe it was simply to annoy her. Maybe he hadn't considered the fact that we were roommates. Or maybe, he had considered, and he was hoping to cause trouble between me and Jax.
If that was the goal, he'd succeeded wonderfully.
I still hadn't responded to Jax's claim that he'd never lie to me. But what could I say? Nothing good. So instead, I tossed him another question. "What about Jaden?"
"What about him?"
As if he didn't know. "Did he rob Dominic?"
"No."
Now, I couldn’t help but scoff. "Oh, then I suppose he didn't drag him into the bushes either, huh?"
"That's right."
The denial stung, because I just knew he was giving me a load of crap. So much for that whole, "I'll never lie to you" routine.
Beyond frustrated, I turned away, intending to stomp back to the car.
But then, Jax added, "It was me."
Startled, I turned back. "What?"
"I did the dragging, not Jaden."
I was staring now. "But I thought you weren't there."
"I never said that."
"You did, too."
"No," Jax said in a tone that was annoyingly reasonable. What I said was, I didn't rob him." He gave a tight shrug. "Which I didn't."
What the hell? "But that's a distinction without a difference."
"Not to me."
"Oh, please," I said. "So who robbed him? Jaden?"
"No."
I gave Jax a look. "You know what? I've got like two minutes to get back to the car, so if your plan is to keep giving me the runaround, you'll have to do it another time."
As if there'd be another time.
His gaze shifted to the street. "What car?"
"The car that's waiting."
He looked back to me and asked, "Where?"
I flicked my head in the general direction of where I'd been let off. "Up the street." In theory, anyway.
His jaw tightened. "If you wanna leave, I'll drive you."
I wanted to scream in frustration. "Forget the car. Didn't you hear anything I just said?"
"I heard."
My eyebrows lifted. "So….?"
"So, if you want the story, you'll be getting in my car, not his."
This whole conversation was beyond ridiculous. "What is that? A bribe?"
He shrugged. "If that's the way you want to look at it."
I held up a hand. "So just to clarify, you're saying that you'll only tell me if I do what you want?"
"No. What I’m saying i
s, I don’t want you getting in some stranger's car."
This again? "In case you didn't notice, I got here just fine."
I wasn't even sure why I was arguing. The driver was a giant douchebag. For all I knew, he'd already ditched me. And yet, I hated the thought of Jax driving me home just because he felt he had to, and not because he wanted to.
Plus, I wanted answers, not a ride in his car. And I was about to tell him so when he turned away, heading down the front steps.
I called out after him. "Wait, where are you going?"
Over his shoulder, he said, "Hang on. I'll be back in a minute."
I didn't have a minute. I scampered after him, arguing the whole way, even as he reached the sidewalk and then turned in the direction of where I'd pointed.
Oh, God, he wasn't seriously heading to that guy's car, was he?
But yup, he sure was.
Not that it mattered.
The guy was gone.
How humiliating was this?
Chapter 58
Together, Jax and I stood on the darkened sidewalk, facing the spot where the car should've been. I muttered, "Well, he was here."
The douchebag.
Beyond annoyed, I turned to Jax and said, "I suppose you're happy."
He frowned. "Hell yeah."
Just great. Another mixed message. I glared up at him. "And what were you gonna do, anyway?"
"Depends on the guy."
That was hardly comforting. "You know you're acting crazy, right?"
His only reply was a long, drawn-out look, starting at the top of my messy hair and ending at the tips of my pink flip flops.
I didn't appreciate it one bit. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
He shrugged. "What?"
"That look. It meant something."
"No kidding."
"Well?" I said. "What?"
"It means I'm not the only crazy one here."
"Aha!" I said. "So you admit you're acting crazy."
He shoved a hand through his hair and muttered, "Shit."
"And what does that mean?"
"It means," he said, "I've been crazy for a month."
That made me pause. "Really? Why?"
His gaze met mine, and something in his expression changed. "You know why."
As I stared up at him, I fought a sudden urge to smile.
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