Shattered Rose (Winsor Series) - By T L Gray Page 0,118
immediately feeling the chill of the wind as soon I did. I hugged myself tight and ran as fast as I could to my car, shivering the entire way. Within minutes I was back on my couch with a blanket trying to get warm again. I heard my phone buzz and ran to get it thinking it might be Parker again. It wasn’t.
“Why are you in your pajamas? I thought you had a date with Parker tonight.” I stared at the text wondering how he knew.
“Jake, are you stalking me?” I texted back.
“Lol. No. I came to pick up my car and saw your mad dash. What’s the story?”
“Still out of town. Rescheduled for tomorrow.”
I had barely put the phone back down when I heard my door open and saw Jake with a big grin on his face. He shut it behind him and fell on the couch next to me, resting his hand on my thigh. “So what are we doing tonight?”
I looked at him with my mouth open in disbelief. “I’m watching a movie,” I said sternly. “You are going home.”
He put his hand across his heart as if I had wounded him and then got up to grab a coke out of the fridge. “Seriously, what movie is it?”
“Jake, I am being serious. We need a little space.”
“Ah come on, you said you overreacted last night.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So what’s the big deal? I’ve always watched movies with y’all on Sunday nights.”
“Jake, in case you haven’t noticed, Issy doesn’t live here anymore, and people are starting to get the wrong impression about us.”
“Technically, Issy does still live her. But fine, I’ll just stay for an hour, I promise.”
I rolled my eyes and then warned him if he said a word about my movie choice, he was immediately evicted. He agreed whole-heartedly and joined me back on the couch.
Almost two hours into the movie, I felt my stomach growl loud enough that even Jake heard it. “Skip dinner tonight?” he asked with his eyebrows raised.
“Yeah, I did. Want some pizza?” I asked as I grabbed my phone to make the order.
“Of course. I never turn down pizza.”
I placed the order and then scowled when they said it would be at least forty-five minutes until they got there.
Jake looked up at me as I rejoined him on the couch. “I have to admit, this is a pretty good movie. I was worried when I saw how long it was.” he said with a grin.
“It is, isn’t it? I know how to pick’em,” I beamed, feeling proud of myself. He shook his head and laughed, pressing play on the DVD player again. He leaned back on the couch and pulled me toward him. I started to resist, but he insisted it was more comfortable that way.
Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door and we both jumped.
“That was fast,” I said rushing to my room. “Get the door, and I’ll grab my wallet.”
It took me a while before I found where I had set my purse and I felt guilty knowing the guy was standing out there in the cold. I finally spotted it and started towards the door, pulling out the money as I spoke. “Sorry it took me so long, I couldn’t find my pur…” I looked up and my heart stopped. Standing in front of my closed front door was a stunned Parker and Jake who seemed almost amused.
“It wasn’t the pizza,” Jake said matter-of-factly.
I couldn’t move, and I immediately felt my heart begin to race so fast that I thought I might pass out. Parker took one more look at Jake and then walked past me into my bedroom, glancing my way in the process. His face showed a combination of shock, hurt and anger. What I didn’t see was the usual adoration that I had grown so accustomed to, and I felt a shiver go down my spine. I turned and watched him disappear and then slowly walked towards Jake.
“You should probably go,” I whispered, my body still trembling from the shock.
“I’m not leaving you alone with him,” Jake said sternly, glancing into my bedroom.
“Please Jake, Parker would never hurt me. Just go. I begging you, please, go.”
He must have seen the desperation in my eyes, because he grabbed his keys and started for the door. Before leaving, he turned back around and pulled me towards him, planting a kiss on my forehead. I cringed as he lingered there, his eyes never leaving the door