Keeping Her - Jordan Marie Page 0,30

a word.

I don’t want another woman.

I want Jasmine and I’m going to fucking have her. If she thinks this ended shit, she’s fooling herself. She’s not getting away from me.

Not now… Not ever.

22

Jasmine

“You broke his nose,” Hawk laughs, sounding abnormally happy about that.

“And probably his dick,” Gabby adds, and I pinch the bridge of my nose, wondering why I said anything.

“That’s my sis,” Hawk replies, definitely proud.

“Can we please change the subject? I pout, ignoring them both, and taking an over-filled spoonful of vanilla ice cream.

I’m curled up on Hawk’s sofa. Hawk is sitting beside me, spread out with his feet on the coffee table—boots and all. Gabby is on the floor across from us, sitting with her legs under her. I drove straight here from the dam and I cried myself to sleep.

My big plan consisted of hiding out here for a few days and trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life. It sounded good, except I forgot Gabby practically lives here and she showed up this morning. I kind of figured she would, but then this evening my frustration got worse. My dipshit brother—whom I normally adore, but not right now—decided to come here and add to my misery.

“Hey, you okay?” Hawk asks, and this time you can’t mistake the concern in his voice. My hand trembles. Mostly I want to cry and tell him that I’m not okay. I want to tell him that I feel like my world is ending. I want to confess that somehow, despite my past, I let my guard down and I’m hopelessly in love with Luke and he lied and I’m pretty sure, destroyed me.

“Sure. I’m always okay,” I fib.

“Bullshit,” Hawk murmurs and he doesn’t know the half of it, but I don’t reply.

“I love you guys, but do you think…just maybe, you could listen to me and drop the subject?”

“You liked him,” Gabby murmurs, her face sad. Maybe it’s because she knows what a broken heart feels like. Maybe she’s putting herself in my shoes and imagining Luke is Dom. Whatever it is, the sadness on her face is enough to cut open the wounds that I’m doing my best to bury in ice cream.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” I mutter, slapping my bowl down on the table by the couch.

I try not to run, but I don’t think I achieved my goal. I slam the door with an echoing thud, and then slowly slide to the floor

I allow some of my tears to fall. I hate them almost as much as how much I want to hate Luke, but I still let them fall.

How could I have been so stupid?

You would think that after dealing with Dewayne I would have learned my lesson.

Maybe I’m just as stupid as everyone is always accusing me of being.

I don’t know how long I sit there, but eventually I get up. I splash water on my face and dry my eyes. Then, I vow that I will hold my shit together until everyone leaves. I’ll crumble tonight when I’m alone.

I walk back into the living room, trying to pretend I’m not dying inside.

“Gabby, do you still want to rent my apartment out?” I ask her, hoping I don’t sound as fake-cheerful as it sounds to my ears.

“Huh?”

“You mentioned it before. I’m thinking of moving,” I tell her as I turn the corner to face them again.

“Where are you moving to?” Gabby asks, just as the doorbell rings. I ignore Hawk’s heated stare, even though I can feel it. I stare at the door instead, wondering just how much worse today can get. With any luck it’s my parents on the other side, desperate to tell me what a failure I am.

Might as well get it the fuck over with.

“Not sure,” I respond, opening the door. “I’m thinking I might move to Vegas, try my luck there,” I add looking over my shoulder.

“You’re not moving to Vegas.”

My body freezes as I hear Luke’s voice. Slowly I turn around to see him standing in front of me. His eyes are bloodshot and there’s a deep bruise under his eyes, his nose is puffy, but still intact…

Darn it.

23

Grunt

How you can be pissed off at a woman and fucking glad to see her, all at the same time, is beyond me. She looks good, even with her eyes swollen. She’s been crying. I hate that, but fuck, I’m taking that as an encouraging sign that she cares.

She didn’t break