Don't Lie to Me (33 page)

“You got the shit beat out of me,” Marcus hissed at me when he came to pick up Logan for another sleepover.

I cringed and shrunk away from him, feeling bad for a moment before I remembered he was lying to me, too.

“You deserved it,” I calmly stated and began picking up the useless college applications strewn all over my coffee table. I had made my choice on schools and the rest were pointless.

“I can’t believe you put me in the middle of this shit.”

For a moment, I felt bad again. Bad enough to wrinkle my nose at Marcus’s swollen black eye. I went and grabbed a bag of peas from the freezer and tossed it towards him.

“Thanks,” he muttered and sat down on the couch. “What did you tell him?”

I blushed as I remembered exactly how that conversation went with Jack.

“Never mind, I don’t think I want to know.”

I chuckled a little bit and shut my mouth. “I didn’t think he’d beat you up. I just told him you wanted me and I was considering it.”

I dropped my eyes, feeling slightly ashamed of myself for using Marcus like this.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered finally. He stared at me like I had two heads. “That wasn’t fair to you. Or I at least should have warned you, but I just can’t be with you Marcus. Too much has changed and I don’t feel the same way about you anymore. I’d love to be a family with you, but I don’t love you anymore. I love him.”

I hadn’t heard from Jack in over twenty-four hours since I high-tailed it out his apartment the night before, but based on the black eye Marcus was sporting, I had clearly impacted him.

Slowly, Marcus nodded reluctantly and sighed. “I know. I know you do. And I think I just wanted what we used to have without realizing we’re now totally different people.”

“I think we can be friends, though.” I sat down next to him, slightly nervous he might smack me for being such a shit to Jack and getting him beat up. “That will be the best for Logan.”

He nodded and tossed his frozen bag of peas in my kitchen sink. “I get it,” he said and leaned down and gently pressed his lips against my cheek. “I love you, though.”

I smiled and winked. “I love you, too. I always will. And I’m really glad you’re back in Logan’s life. He’s been a completely different kid since his dad showed up.”

I pursed my lips and bit back my tears. “You’re a great dad, Marcus.”

I saw his own eyes begin to water up but he did some sort of man sniff to clear them away. “Thanks, Emma.”

“Can you tell me what’s going on yet?” I had a sinking feeling that I wasn’t going to hear from Jack until whatever bullshit he was dealing with was done. Regardless, I was finally better than I had been in weeks. I should have been, after the mind-blowing orgasms he gave me yesterday.

But I threw my cards down and laid my hand out for Jack to see. He knew I wanted him and the ball was in his court, so to speak. I was determined to wait for him; to trust that he loved me and was doing something to protect me, and I would stand by his side figuratively, since I couldn’t be there literally.

And if, when all was said and done he still didn’t want me? Well, I had already made decisions about my future and what was best for me and Logan. Jack could be a part of it, or not, but Logan and I were going to be just fine regardless.

He shook his head and frowned, just a little bit. “I can’t. But I suggest you keep your eye on the news later this week.” He flashed me a wink and walked to the door. “Shit’s gonna get fun.”

I jerked my head back just as Logan came out of his room, backpack in hand, filled with clothes to stay at his dad’s for the night.

I pulled him into a hug and gave him a slobbery kiss on the cheek as he tried to wiggle his way out of my arms. “Not a chance, Logan. I’m never letting you go.”

He laughed with me, and then kissed me back. “I love you mommy.”

I set him down on his feet and kissed him again. “I love you, too. Have fun tonight.”

They both waved to me as they walked out the door, leaving me alone to try to figure out what Marcus said.

I was finally sick and tired of watching the news almost twenty-four hours a day. The only thing I saw were reports on hurricanes hitting the south, earthquakes in India killing thousands of people, the economic collapse causing the highest unemployment rates in history, and dictators killing hundreds of children and women in Uganda.

None of that shit sounded fun.

Listening to the depressing stories of things going on in the world, made me happy that the worst thing I was dealing with was the fact that Jack still hadn’t called.

Whatever was going on, he’d decided not to let me in. I hated it.

But I had cried the last tears I would over him. We were together for just a couple of short months and I refused any longer to sit at home, drinking wine alone after Logan’s bedtime, and staring at the news ticker waiting for whatever was supposed to happen; happen.

Whatever Marcus alluded to the week before didn’t happen, and it was time for me to move on.

Which is how I reluctantly found myself in a bar, connected to one of McMillan Holdings hotels, frowning into my long island ice tea with Dean while we watched Macy and Tate practically copulate on the dance floor. The only bright side was that The Nadas were back in town for one last summer show and I was finally getting a chance to see them for the first time in years.

“Have they always been like this?” Dean asked with a scrunched up looking face while we both stared at them. It was gross, and I’m sure neither one of us wanted to be staring at them making out on the dance floor, but there we stood. Rubbernecking like you just have to do when you pass a car accident on the highway. We just couldn’t look away.

“Yep,” I replied and took a large gulp of my drink. “It’s too bad you weren’t around when they first started dating. Most nights I felt like I should just join in their fun since Tate was always in our dorm room anyway.” I turned to him and winked. “Do you have any idea how small the dorm rooms are at DePaul?”

Dean’s eyes went wide. “Did you…join in?”

I laughed. It was the first genuine time I’d laughed in weeks and I wished in that second, that I could look at Dean and see the hotness right in front of me, instead of a pseudo-brother. I wiggled my eyebrows and smiled coyly, “I will never tell.”

Dean shook his head while laughing. “That’s just wrong, and hot, all at the same time. I’m not sure what to do with that information.”

“You can get me another drink.” I waved my empty glass in front of him and turned back to the dance floor and the folk rock band on the stage while Dean took his cue. You couldn’t watch The Nadas live and not have a smile on your face and your feet tapping out the beat. I loved them.

Several songs later, Macy and Tate were finally taking a break, waiting their turn in line at the bar, when Dean returned with my drink and awkwardly draped his arm across my shoulder. He pulled me closer into his neck and when I turned toward him, he looked down at me and lightly kissed my temple.

“Jack’s here. Want me to play the new boyfriend and make him jealous all over again like the night of our first date?” His mouth was pressed so close to my ear, I’m sure it looked like he was kissing me to the casual observer.

At least this explained his sudden affection toward me. I debated for a split second before I smiled up at him and kissed his cheek.

“You don’t have to do this. I need to get over him.”

“He doesn’t look like he wants to get over you anytime soon.” He nodded and slowly relaxed his hold on me and I followed his nod in the direction he indicated.

Jack stood several tables away. Dozens of people were crushed in between us and I heard the music playing on the stage to my far right. I think I even vaguely remembered that Dean was still next to me, holding me like we were together.

He leaned forward and whispered in my ear again, “Come on, tell me it won’t be fun to play with him just a little bit more. The man still clearly wants you.”

Dean was right. Even from the distance that separated us, I could see the tension in Jack’s shoulders. His eyes pierced into me so completely, it felt like he was standing right in front of me.

Dean’s hand tightened on my shoulder and he pulled me closer to him. And when he did, I watched Jack’s lips pull together and his eyes darken. He noticed the gesture, even from the distance and I almost wondered if steam was going to come out of his nose he looked so angry. Like a bull ready to charge the matador, and Dean was the red cape.

I smirked at him and then turned around and back into Dean’s embrace just as Macy and Tate joined our table.

“You two look cozy,” Macy sang teasingly as I sipped my drink.

“Jack’s here. Dean’s trying to make him jealous on my behalf, and before your head spins around; he’s behind us.”

“You trying to get your ass kicked like Marcus did?” Tate asked.

Dean smiled and kissed the top of my head. “Nah. Just thought I’d help her out. And if it has the added bonus of making
the
Jack McMillan feel like shit,” he shrugged and continued, “I’m all for it, man.”

“Your funeral.” He set down his beer and grabbed Macy’s hand, an unspoken invitation to get back out on the dance floor apparently. Macy clearly understood because she giggled like we were twelve and let Tate lead the way.

“They’re good together,” Dean observed once they walked away. “You know he asked me to be his best man?”

“You going to walk down the aisle with me, then?” I asked while wiggling my eyebrows.

“The fuck he is.” A very familiar, and completely pissed off Jack spoke from right behind me.

I turned to Dean, momentarily widening my eyes, and saw his twinkling with mischief. I loved that he was willing to play this game for me. But Tate was right, we took it too far and Dean could possibly die.

At the very least, be incapacitated for a while.

Neither option sounded good to me so I slowly turned to Jack, while allowing Dean to wrap his arms around me just a little bit tighter.

“You need to leave.” Jack bit it out as a command and I instantly felt my heels dig into the floor. I took a deep breath trying to calm myself down because when Jack was in front of me, even when I wanted to be pissed at him for hurting me, all I could think was how sexy he was and how much I loved him.

It made me feel all sorts of warm and tingly all over as his eyes roamed up and down my body, taking in every inch of my high heeled brown leather boots, short frayed denim skirt and tightly fitted one shoulder tank top.

Seeing Jack’s eyes fill with lust as he finally reached my long curly locks that fell down over my breasts and then my eyes…made me so glad I was dressed the way I was. I could practically see him thinking of all the things he wanted to do to me in those boots and my lower stomach warmed. My legs pressed together, not even remembering that Dean’s hand was still wrapped around me and he could feel it.

“Calm down,” he whispered into my ear and I felt my cheeks turn pink from embarrassment.

“You need to leave. Now,” Jack repeated.

I smiled and turned my head toward the stage. It went against every instinct I had in me to play this Dean’s way. I wanted to curl up against Jack. I wanted to breathe him in, touch the ripples of his chest and feel him move against me. Instead, I forced myself to lean back to Dean.

And then I shook my head. “No. I like this band.”

Jack’s fist clenched and I saw the tendon in his neck pop out a little bit. I bit my lip to keep from my smiling when I saw his eyes flash a feral anger in Dean’s direction who, if I was correct, had stiffened slightly under Jack’s furious gaze. His eyes held a realm of fury I had never seen before and never knew existed.

A lesser man would have shrunk back, or run away, under that kind of stare. I watched Jack glare at Dean for several minutes, and I swore, even though the music was loud, that a low growl actually escaped his lips.

It was then that Dean leaned towards my ear and whispered, “I’m going to go before we push this too far and he kills me. Plus, I think you’ve proven your point.”

“I’ll give you two a few minutes,” he said, nodded at Jack before heading out to the dance floor with Macy and Tate.