The Heart - Kate Stewart Page 0,32
David with menace “—I have no problem doing that. You regret throwing her away. It’s evident. You’re a fucking idiot for doing it. Maybe you should learn a lesson about regrets tonight. So I’m going to ask you again not to finish that sentence so we can part ways.” Jack let go of him abruptly just as the bartender came over to assess the situation. I was shaking, as well as David, who could do very little to hide it. Jack kept his eyes glued to David’s in challenge as he lifted his wallet out of his pocket and threw several bills onto the bar.
“Drinks on me, neighbor,” he muttered with confidence as he grabbed my hand and led me to the door. I didn’t look back.
After a silent drive back to my house, Jack turned to me and started to speak. I pushed the door open and let myself out of the car. He objected profusely as he rounded the car and handed me my keys.
“I’m sorry,” I said, embarrassed. I’d spent the drive home stunned by David’s sudden appearance and behavior, but at the same time completely fascinated by Jack. I’d forced myself to look anywhere but directly at him because the truth was, as terrified as I’d been for David’s safety, I was a little bit turned on by the whole thing. As I looked at Jack standing in the front of my car, my headlights still on, I found myself comfortable in his eyes, as if a weight had been lifted.
“Don’t be sorry for someone else’s behavior. It’s not your cross to bear.”
I nodded, too tired to decipher my current emotions.
“Night, Jack,” I whispered as I quickly made my way up to my porch.
“Rose, stop,” he said, his voice filled with authority. I stood with my hand on my door and waited for him to continue. The night had gone from promising to disastrously bad, and I still wasn’t sure whose fault it was, aside from David’s.
“Yes?” I asked, turning to look back at him, trying to seem indifferent. I was pretty sure both of us knew I wasn’t. He stayed put at the foot of the deck as he watched me.
I waited, unable to look at him.
“Get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Actually, you won’t. I’m back on at the hospital tomorrow, so thank you for dinner.”
“Rose?” Jack started up the steps and I cut him off with my posture, no longer willing to play games. I felt too raw, too vulnerable. My emotions were way too apparent. Maybe I wasn’t ready, or maybe he was drawing them out of me.
“Night, and thank you for all you’ve done for the center.” I closed the door behind me, walked straight over to my dresser, grabbed the vibrator that Jules had bought me, and took it to the bathroom with me. To hell with him. He was far too damned good looking, anyway.
“If Ben Affleck can outlive the embarrassment of Gigli, you can get out of bed, Rose.”
“So?” The two J’s looked at me expectantly as I pulled my jacket on.
“Nothing happened, and I mean nothing.” Other than the fast orgasm I’d brought myself to after dismissing Jack, I was still alone in every sense of the word. I’d drawn the conclusion after a long restless night. I’d snubbed Jack, and he’d reacted badly, but we were both guilty. Either way, it seemed over before it began.
The girls looked at me as I blew out a harsh breath. “He’s a good friend of my dad and doesn’t want to screw that up.”
“By screwing you,” Jamie added, pulling her long, silky hair into a bun.
“Exactly, and you know what?” I said, looking at Jules and slamming my locker. “About five seconds before he told me he couldn’t lay a hand on me, I’d decided to do his brains out.”
“Well, at least you’re finally up for it,” Jamie said, patting me on the shoulder as if I needed condolence. “I mean the doing part.”
“I think it pissed him off that I hinted it was all I was up for.”
“Let me get this straight,” Jamie said, sliding her sneakers on. “He got butthurt because all you wanted to do was have casual sex?”
“I think so. It was like he was telling me unless he could date me he wouldn’t do anything at all.”
“Out of respect for your father,” Jules added.
The excuses started to pour from me before either could press me further. “I’m six months away from being a senior