Jaked, page 15
So he knew it was all just an act? Thanks to Bianca, no doubt. God, how humiliating. Rango was the last person in the world I wanted to impress, but I hated looking pathetic in front of anyone, especially someone who had cost me so much already.
"I don't know what you mean," I said.
He gave a soft chuckle. "Sure you don't. Now admit it. You miss me."
"Yeah," I said, "like a hole in my head."
"You wanna mouth off?" he said. "Come on back. Do it in person."
I wanted to tell him that if I did come back, I wouldn't be coming alone. But of course, it would be a lie. I didn't even know where Jake was. And even if I did, I wouldn’t be dragging him any further into my problems. The way it sounded, he was fighting plenty of his own demons.
"Forget it," I said. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Fine," Rango said. "I'll come to you."
"Oh yeah? What about your girlfriend?"
"Aw lighten up," he said. "You were kidding. I was kidding. Let's get together, talk it out, alright?"
He was up to something. I just knew it. "Is this about that book?" I asked.
"Don't worry," he said. "We'll get to that."
"I heard it's not even yours."
"Well, you know what they say about possession," he said. "Nine-tenths of the law, babe."
"If that's your logic," I said, "then the book's more mine than yours. Right?" In truth, I didn't even want the thing. But I couldn’t resist goading him at least a little more after everything he'd done.
"We'll see about that," he said. "And before you get any funny ideas, I've changed all my passwords, so your little joke-fest is over."
"Like I didn't know that already." It was kind of a bummer too, because I'd come with some great new ideas for his personal Web page.
"Shit," Rango muttered, "what's he doing here?"
"Who?" I asked.
"I've gotta go." A split-second later, he ended the call without so much as a goodbye.
I stared at my phone, wondering what the hell had just happened. I was still wondering when I heard the telltale sound of a key card in the entryway.
Jake?
I looked toward the door just in time to see it fly open. I jumped to my feet. My heart sank. It wasn't Jake. It was Bianca in all her schoolmarm glory. And she wasn't alone.
Chapter 34
Standing behind Bianca was Vince Hammond, the sports agent who'd confronted Jake at the museum. Talk about double the fun – someone who hated me and someone who hated Jake. What could possibly go wrong here?
I gave Bianca an annoyed look. "What are you doing here?" I asked.
She strode through the front door like she owned the place. "I came to get my things."
I turned to Vince. "And what about you?" I asked.
He flicked his head toward Bianca. "I'm her ride."
"He's more than my ride," Bianca said. "He's my newest client."
From the look in her eye, he'd probably be more than a client before the night was through. I could see the appeal. The guy was rich, successful, and if I were being honest, good-looking in that classic sort of way.
Without another word, Bianca started heading toward the back hallway. I strode forward to block her path.
"Jake's not here," I said, "so you'll have to come back later."
She gave her key card a little wave. "In case you haven't noticed, I have a key. That means I don't need your permission."
"But you still need Jake's," I said. "And as I already mentioned, he's not here."
"Ooooh what happened?" she said in a voice of mock concern. "Did he dump you? So soon? Poor baby."
"It's not like that," I said.
"Sure it isn't." She glanced down at my torso. "And I'll be needing my dress back now."
I did my best Bianca impression. "Oooooh, are you sure?" I made a show of fanning myself. "Because I've been sweating buckets in this thing."
"Oh grow up," she said. "I'm not planning to actually wear it. I just don't want you to have it."
"Gee, who was being childish now?" Still, two could play at this game. "In that case," I said, "I'll be needing my dress back too."
She pursed her lips. "Why?"
Actually, I didn't have a clue why. The dress was butt-ugly and had Bianca cooties all over it. Still, I heard myself blurt out, "Jake thinks it's sexy."
"Don't be ridiculous," she said. "He does not."
"Well, maybe not on you," I said. "I mean, you're not exactly the 'willowy' type, are you?"
"Hey! I'm more willowy than you are."
"If you say so…"
Her gaze narrowed. "Are you returning my dress or not?"
Before giving the dress to anyone, I'd need to change out of it. And there was no way I'd be leaving Bianca unattended, especially with Vince in tow. It was no secret the guy wanted to do Jake harm. I'd be a fool to turn my back on him for even a minute.
"If you want the dress," I told Bianca, "you'll have to come back tomorrow."
She made a sound of annoyance. "Why tomorrow?"
I smiled. "Because I'm not done sweating in it yet."
Bianca whirled toward Vince. "You see what I've been putting up with?"
Vince gave a noncommittal shrug.
Biance frowned. "Is that all you have to say?"
He held up a hand. "Hey, I'm just the guy with the car keys."
Again, Bianca made a move toward the hall. Again, I blocked her path.
"Will you stop that?" she said.
"Sorry, but I can't let you go back there. Not without Jake's permission."
"Who are you?" she said. "Suzy Hall-Monitor?"
"Who are you?" I said. "Petunia Prairie Lady?"
Her jaw clenched. "Petunia? Really?"
I smiled. "Don't forget the prairie part."
With a long-suffering sigh, she threw up her hands. "Fine. I'll call him."
She reached into her little purse and pulled out her cell phone. She tapped away at the screen and put the phone to her ear. Standing just a couple feet away, I could hear the phone ring once, and then twice.
On the third ring, I heard Jake, loud and clear, say, "Yeah?"
At the sound of his voice, my heart ached. I wanted to yank that phone out of Bianca's bony clutches and beg Jake to come back home.
I gave Bianca a speculative look. She was taller. And mean as hell. She wouldn't give up her phone easily. But if it came to a catfight, I could probably take her.
Bianca cupped a hand around her phone and gave me an annoyed look. "Do you mind?" she said.
I blinked over at her. "Mind what?"
"Oh for heaven's sake." She turned and started stalking toward the balcony. I didn't bother trying to stop her. If she wanted to freeze her butt off, that was her business, not mine. Besides, there was nothing to steal out there, unless she wanted to lug off some patio furniture. And in that case, more power to her.
When she strode out through the French doors and shut them behind her, I turned to Vince, who was still standing in the entryway.
"How about you?" I asked.
"Me?" he said. "I'm not talking to the guy."
I gave him a no-nonsense look. "Good."
"But there is another reason I'm here," he said.
Just great. I expected as much. Was this where he tried to trash the place? Threatened to sue? Went for the good silverware? I frowned. Did Jake even have good silverware? Honestly, he didn't seem the type.
Under Vince's gaze, I put my hands on my hips. "And what reason is that?" I asked.
"To apologize."
My mouth fell open. "Excuse me?"
"Earlier, I was a jackass. And I'm sorry for that."
I glanced around. "So, uh, you want me to relay that to Jake?"
"Hell no," he said. "The apology wasn't for him. It was for you."
I shook my head. "I'm not following."
"Bianca mentioned you'd be here tonight, so…" He gave a shrug. "I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone – give her a ride and tell you that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up like that."
I couldn't help it. I just had to ask. "Did Jake really cost you half a million?"
Chapter 35
Inside the penthouse, Vince gave a humorless laugh. "At least."
I let out a long breath. "Wow."
"Yeah," he said. "It really ticked me off too."
"Really?" I said. "I didn't notice."
He gave me a sheepish grin. "Right. Well, the thing is, I worked my ass off to get that deal. And here, it's gone–" He gave a quick snap of his fingers. "–just like that. I'm not one to lose my cool, but, eh, what can I say? It happens."
In spite of myself, I felt a tiny tug of sympathy. "So there's no chance of working it out?" I asked. "I mean, you probably had an official contract or something, right?"
"Not yet," Vince said. "We were set to sign next week."
"Oh. I’m sorry to hear that." And for some reason, I meant it too. If someone cost me that much money, I'd definitely go for the silverware.
I glanced toward the balcony. Through the glass doors, I saw Bianca talking into her phone, looking anything but happy. Still, something made me lower my voice when I turned back to Vince and asked, "So, have you known Jake long?"
"You could say that," Vince said. "Funny, we used to be friends."
I laughed. "Yeah, right."
"I'm not kidding," he said.
My laugher faded as I studied his face. "Really?" I said.
He gave a half-shrug. "Friendly enough, anyway."
"But you're not anymore?"
"Hard to be friends with someone who costs you that much money."
I winced. I could see his point. "So," I said, "you were friends until today?"
"Nah. Not today. A few months ago, we had a falling out."
"Over what?" I asked.
"The truth?" he said, looking slightly embarrassed. "A girl."
For some reason, this wasn't the answer I wanted to hear. "Oh."
"But forget that," he said. "So, about my apology." He grinned. "Do you accept? Or do I have to beg?"
I looked over at him. Somehow, he didn't look the begging type. "Would you?" I asked.
His gaze met mine. "Wanna try me?"
I couldn’t help but return his smile. "I almost feel like it would be rude not to."
"Good," he said, "because I'll tell you a secret." He motioned me closer. When I moved forward only a fraction, he said in a low, oddly intoxicating voice, "because I hate to beg."
I glanced down at my empty hands. Suddenly, I wished I had a drink or something, anything to take the edge off. I thought about Jake. Would he be gone all night? And when he returned, would he be alone? Or with a guest?
"So," Vince asked, "are you and Jake just friends, or…" He met my gaze. "—something more?"
The question hung in the air. What was I to Jake? That kiss had felt so achingly real. But the whole thing had been a shame, a ruse, a lie. I was an idiot, and Jake was, well Jake.
Meeting Vince's gaze, I heard myself say, "I guess you'd call us old friends."
Vince gave a slow nod. "Good to know."
Behind me, I heard the balcony doors open. I turned to see Bianca stalk back inside. She looked at Vince and said, "Come on. Let's get out of here."
"What about your things?" he asked.
She turned to give me a dirty look. "I guess I'll have to get them tomorrow."
I couldn't help it. I felt myself smile.
"You don't have to look so smug," she said.
"Oh come on," I said. "You had to know he wouldn’t want you rummaging around here when he's gone. I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out."
"I wasn't going to 'rummage' anything of his," she said. "I was going to rummage mine."
I couldn’t help but wonder, what kind of stuff did she mean? Visions of lingerie and sex toys popped into my brain. Maybe their relationship had been more serious than Jake had implied.
Against my better judgment, I asked, "When you talked to Jake, did he say when he'd be back?"
Her lips curved into a slow smile. "So you don't know?"
"Never mind," I said. "Forget I asked."
"Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it," she said. "Let's put it this way. He wasn't alone. So I wouldn't wait up if I were you."
Something in my stomach twisted. I'd feared as much. But then again, this was Bianca. She was probably lying. But what if she wasn't?
Still, somehow, I managed to suck it up and say, "It doesn't matter, because Jake and I are just friends."
Long after they left, that's what I kept repeating to myself over and over again. We were just friends. That's it. I had no claim on him.
I'm not sure what time it was when I crawled, half-asleep into the guest bed, but I knew it was late. Jake still hadn't returned, and after a certain point, it became pretty obvious he wasn't going to.
Sometime in the middle of the night, I woke, feeling parched and anxious. I sat up in bed and looked around. Moonlight was streaming in through the open blinds, and I tried to get my bearings as I pushed aside the covers.
I was still missing most of my clothes, so I had slept in panties and an oversized T-shirt that I'd found in the spare closet. Quietly, I crept out of bed and cracked open the bedroom door. I peeked around the corner and into the hall. The place looked dark and quiet, just like I'd left it.
Disappointment coursed through me. Either Jake had returned and gone straight to bed, or he was still gone. I tried to count my blessings. The silence might be unnerving, but it was a whole lot better than listening to more female screams of passion.
Unwilling to take any chances, I tiptoed toward the kitchen in search of a cold drink of water. I was just passing through the main living area when something caught my eye, a shadowed figure sitting on the sofa.
I stifled a gasp. "Jake?"
"Yeah," he said. "It's me."
I squinted into the darkness. "Why are you sitting there in the dark? Is, uh, anyone else here?"
"No."
Relief flooded through me. "So what are you doing?" I asked.
"Thinking."
"About what?"
His voice was soft in the quiet room. "You."
Chapter 36
I stared into the darkness. "Me?" My thirst forgotten, I moved toward him. "Why?"
"You want the truth?" he asked.
Wordlessly, I walked through the shadows. Soon, I was standing barefoot beside the sofa where he sat. I was so close, I could have reached out to stroke the side of his face. But I didn't. Jake and I were just friends, and I needed to remember that.
"I always want the truth," I said. "Don't you?"
"No."
"Who not?" I asked.
"Because it's ugly."
I felt myself stiffen. "So you're about to tell me an ugly truth? Is that what you're saying?"
"Pretty much."
I stood, stupidly, beside the sofa, waiting for him to say more, and dreading what it might be.
Unlike me, Jake wasn't dressed for bed. From what I could tell, he was wearing the same clothes as earlier. But now, his shoes were off, and his shirt was open, leaving his chest and stomach nearly bare. Determined not to stare, I lifted my gaze to his face, hoping for a hint of what he might say.
Into the darkness, he finally spoke. "I knew you were there."
"Where?" I asked.
"In that shitty apartment. Last night."
"Oh." I sank down onto the sofa beside him. "When you were with Maddie, you mean?"
Through the darkness, I saw him nod. I stared at his profile, still cast in shadows. "Is there a reason you're telling me this?" I asked.
"Yeah," he said. "But not a good one."
"What do you mean?"
He turned toward me. "You're important to me. You know that. Right?"
Funny, I never knew I was important to him. Still, I felt myself nod. "You're important to me too," I said. And I meant it. Okay, so I hadn't seen him much lately, but he was such a fixture in my memories, it was almost like he had never left.
"Are you ready for that truth?" he asked.
Oh yeah. The ugly one. No. I wasn't ready. But I squared my shoulders anyway and made myself say, "Sure. Go ahead."
"Alright, here it is," he said. "I didn't want you interested in me."
Heat flooded my face. I couldn’t say it was a surprise. For as long as I could remember, I'd had that stupid crush on him. In my fantasies, Jake someday felt the same about me. But life wasn't a fantasy, and the idea of him crushing on me was too far-fetched to consider. Somehow, I'd always known that. But it still hurt to hear those awful said out loud.
"Wow," I said, getting to my feet. "Thanks for sharing that. I guess." I turned to go.
"Luna," he said.
"What?"
"Wait."
I heard myself sigh. "For what?"
"The rest of it. Sit back down. Alright?"
Oh God, there was more? Well, it's not like it could get any worse, right? Wordlessly, I sank back down and tried to ignore the sudden ache in my heart.
"I wanted to scare you," he said, "to show you what a bastard I was, to let you see for yourself how I treat the girls I’m with."
From the sounds that I'd overheard, he treated those girls pretty darn good. But somehow, I didn't think he meant in the bedroom. "What do you mean?" I asked. "How do you treat them?"
He made a hard sound deep in his throat. "Like garbage," he said. "I use them a time or two. And when I'm done? I just throw them away."
The more he talked, the uglier this truth was sounding. "Why are you telling me this?" I asked.
"Because," he said, "there's a fucked-up part of me that wishes you never saw that side."
"Only a part of you?" I said.
"Yeah. Because there's another part, maybe a bigger part, that's glad you did."
I shook my head. "I'm not following."
"The thing is," he said, "girls like Maddie. I've had my share."
Probably, he had more than his share, but that wasn't the point, was it? "So?" I said.
"So it's what I'm used to. I never wanted anything else. I never wanted to want anything else."
"What are you saying?" I asked. "That you want something else now?"
The question hung in the air, and the longer he went without answering, the more I regretted asking it.
