race toward the street. I slow once I hit the pavement. Then I bend down, slip off my flip-flops, and run barefoot down the block, speeding away from the hurt in my heart.
“Jesus, slow down.”
I don’t register the feet racing behind me until I turn into Nana’s drive and finally slow my barefoot sprint. My feet ache. Running without shoes was a bad decision, but I needed the release of energy.
I spin to face Jess at the edge of Nana’s driveway. My driveway.
“Go home, Jess,” I snap before I turn away from him and stalk to the back porch. I open the screen door with a little more heft than necessary, and it gets stuck open. I realize Jess is still behind me.
“What do you want?” I spin on him as I take a backward step into the enclosed area. A low lamp is on to welcome me home.
“We need to talk.” He steps into the screened-in porch and locks the latch behind him.
“I have nothing to say,” I huff, crossing my arms.
“Well, I do. First off, Sami means nothing to me and as callous as that sounds, it’s the truth. I won’t go into the details of our relationship because we didn’t have one. We . . .” fucked. The word explodes without being said. My face turns away from him. I don’t need to hear this. I don’t want an explanation. “She’s not taking the hint, and I’m trying not to be a dick, but between last night and tonight, I’m over it.”
Jess scratches under his chin.
“Then there’s you and Gabe—”
“Don’t you turn this around,” I snap, pointing a finger at him. “Gabe and me, nothing. I ran into him the second I hit the corner. You were already tied up, I might add.” I cross my arms, and Jess steps forward.
“It wasn’t like that,” he growls.
My eyes lower to his shirt, and I sniff as if I can smell her on him. To my surprise, he tugs the shirt over his head and tosses it onto the couch. My mouth falls open as I take in his chiseled chest and the dramatic line of hair dashing into his jeans. He holds his arms wide at his sides, as if beckoning me to come and get him, but I’m still angry.
“This whole night has been bullshit,” he spits.
“What you said about Katie . . .” My voice drifts, cracking on the recall of his demand.
“Yeah, about that.” He lowers his arms and steps into my space. “Katie is tricky. I need to be careful. I don’t want her hurt again.”
“I’d never hurt her.”
Jess shakes his head. “I’m not saying you would intentionally. You’ve done more with her in a few weeks than I’ve been able to do in years.” He scrubs at his forehead. “I’ll always be grateful. Always. But I can’t guard her heart as well as my own, and I don’t want you loving her if you’re going to leave. Don’t open her up to more heartache.” He exhales and slaps at his own chest with the palm of his hand. “Don’t open me to the same.”
My forehead furrows. “Don’t you think I feel the same way?”
Don’t take my heart if you’re going to toss me away like that T-shirt.
It’s going to crush me to leave them behind, but I have no reason to stay, especially when Jess stands before me telling me not to love them.
He doesn’t respond to what I’ve asked, so I turn away and step into the dining room. Heading toward the small alcove under the stairs, I’m stopped once again by his fingers on my arm. Jess spins me, and my back presses against the wood panel. He ducks his head but still barely fits in this cramped space.
“Tell me what you feel,” he demands. “Tell me what you feel for me.”
“Speak from your heart,” Nana said. “Tell it like it is.” I shake my head. There’s no way I will open my heart to him, not like this. Not when he doesn’t want me feeling things for his child. For him.
When I don’t say anything, his hand cups my jaw, and within seconds, his mouth is on mine. The kiss is fierce, intense, fighting. We spar with tongues, and he unties the shoulder straps of my dress before tugging down the bodice. His hand slips around my back, unclasps my strapless bra, and drops it to the ground, all without breaking the kiss. His hands cup the swell of each