led ourselves into. “I’m okay where I am. I have a gun in my room.”
His head snaps to mine in shock. “You have a what?”
This is another reason why I couldn’t tell him. “I bought a gun, and don’t worry, I did it legally. I thought it was about time I learnt how to defend myself.”
Placing his hand on the steering wheel, he glances away from me a moment as he shakes his head. “Ana, you can be home with me, and I can protect you.” His head turns back to face me. “I admire your spirit, but I want to be there for you and take down this motherfucker if he ever dares to get close to you again.”
My eyes narrow in on him. “Don’t do that.”
“What?” he asks, that cute fucking frown of his forming at the brink of his nose.
“Be condescending like that. I’m not some feeble little woman who needs a man to take care of her … I’m—”
Jake smirks, swiftly taking my hand. “Ana, shut up—”
I gasp loudly. “I will not shut up! How dare you speak—”
My tirade is quickly stopped by his lips on mine, swallowing the words that want to desperately leave my lips. I’m angry at him for thinking I need him to protect me. I’m tired of other people saying they’ll do it for me when I’m more than capable of doing it myself.
Anger switches to lust within a nanosecond, thoughts of tearing at Jake’s shirt and climbing on top of him invading my mind. But the moment they come, Jake pulls away from me, both of us panting with desire.
“I never said you need looking after, Ana,” he growls. I don’t know whether his frustration is because of me or that little make-out session we just had. “But having me there with you sure is a fucking deterrent, don’t you think? I’ll snap anyone’s neck in two if they dare to get near you.”
My laughter erupts, the words out quicker than I can stop them. “My caveman.” I swiftly shut my mouth and throw my hand over it, willing the words to stop. How can I have so many emotions in the space of five minutes?
Jake smiles. “So I’m still your caveman?”
Oh, shit.
“I just got lost in the moment … forgot where I was.” I peer over to him, and his eyes look sad. I don’t want to hurt him, but I have. Our fucked-up circumstances have.
He swiftly changes the subject. “Did Stella seriously not know what was going on under her own roof all that time?”
I shake my head. “No, I believe she didn’t know. I wanted to tell her, but I was too scared.”
The anger’s back on his face, his lips forming a hard line. “I wish I never met that woman now, but then to say that would mean I might not have met you. You were the only good thing that came out of that whole mess. You know that weekend away I planned to Williamsburg?” I nod, encouraging him to go on. “I was going to break things off with her. I wanted to take her away from any distractions and have a serious conversation about how I felt—or rather, didn’t feel. I was actually glad she beat me to it and left herself. I knew it would possibly mean losing you, but I would have tried to persuade you to stay. I was planning on taking you out once we got back and asking you to stay. I couldn’t bear the thought of you moving out, and now that you are gone, my heart understands why. Please come back to me, Ana. I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you—if that’s what it takes.”
I shake my head as the tears threaten again. “We can’t. The baby … my aunt … everything.”
“Fuck,” he hisses, like he’s only just realizing I’m right. “Why did shit have to get so complicated? Why did Stella have to come back and turn our world upside down like this?”
I huff out a sarcastic laugh. “Tell me about it.”
Leaning forward, he grabs my head, pulling me towards him. Once his forehead is on mine, he closes his eyes. “The universe wants to tear us apart, but I’m not going to let it. Somehow, some way, I’m going to make things right. Make you mine again. However long it takes. All I can keep saying for now is how fucking terrified I am of losing you.”
Tears