Jersey Six - Jewel E Ann Page 0,102

need to watch me take off my clothes. I don’t need to watch you take off yours. You’re not a victim anymore, and neither am I.”

“I just want sex.”

“Maybe later. I have to go.”

“I’m having sex with someone tonight.”

Ian stopped, holding open the front door, glancing at her over his shoulder. “You’re not that person.” He brushed off her comment the way he’d been brushing her off for a month. “You’re in a boot. Just order dinner and rest your foot”

“You have no clue who I am.”

“Jersey …” He sighed, hanging his head. “I have to go.”

“Then go.” She tipped her chin up.

“You’re staying here.” He eyed her for a few seconds.

Was it a demand or a question?

“Go.” She met his gaze with a defiant one of her own, pushing her glasses up her nose.

“Are you going to hold this against me?” He sighed, his shoulders deflating inward.

“This? What is this? This moment? This night? This week? This life? Are you going to brush me off forever and blame me for standing up for myself? I don’t even know how I could hold something against you. I’m pretty sure the day I conspired to kill you was the day I lost all rights to be anything but forever grateful that you didn’t have me thrown in prison. So here I am … just waiting. Waiting for you to talk to me. Waiting for your dogs to shit. Waiting for the next book in a series on my audio app. Waiting for the next meal, the next burst of energy to go pound the bag. I’m just waiting, Coop. And it sucks. I’m pretty sure I was less lonely when I had nothing and no one.”

“Jersey …” Another sigh. “Your timing couldn’t be worse. I … I have to go. We’ll figure this out later.”

“Later …” she whispered.

Gone. Coop was gone. She lost him. They were just … going through the motions. Not even that. They were idle. Breathing such shallow breaths, she could no longer feel their pulse.

“This could drag on. Don’t wait up.”

Jersey looked up at him. Nodding. “You either.”

He stopped again, just before closing the door. Studying her for something. Maybe the truth? If he wanted the truth, all he had to do was listen. She spelled it out for him.

He didn’t listen. Instead, he shut the door, got in his car, and left.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Just before 2 a.m., Jersey came in the front door and eased it shut behind her, as if to avoid waking Lola and Foxy. When she turned, the lights flipped on and she froze, staring at Ian perched on the bottom of the stairs. He still had on his jeans and button-down shirt, but the top three buttons were undone, and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

After hours of running his hands through his hair and tugging on it out of worry and frustration, he knew why her gaze settled onto his head for several seconds before sliding to his eyes.

“Where the fuck have you been? Why isn’t the location turned on, on your phone? And why have you been ignoring my messages and calls?” Those weren’t the words he rehearsed in his head. The rehearsed words came from worry and the perceived relief he’d feel when she walked safely through the door.

But his heart only took seconds to feel relief and gratitude before his brain and ego jumped in to grill her.

She stared at him, looking numb from head to toe. The look she used to have in her eyes after Mr. Fisher took her to his room. Only this time, Ian—G didn’t rush to comfort her.

“It’s in the past, Ian. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“If you went and fucked some other guy tonight …”

“What?” Jersey crossed her arms over her chest. She wore a dress. Jersey rarely wore dresses.

He felt certain she only had maybe one or two that Max bought her for a few parties they attended on tour. It ate at him that she looked so fucking beautiful and it wasn’t for him that night. Ian hated himself for leaving that night … he should have stayed. His list of “should haves” was long.

“I’ve used my body for many things. Sometimes it’s fun to actually use it for pleasure. And thanks to technology, that pleasure is just a screen swipe away.”

“You cheated on me because I wouldn’t take my clothes off for you?”

She laughed. “Cheated on you? Are you serious? Did we get married when I