27. The Past is the Past
twenty-seven
Jack
It’s only been a day and a half since I’ve seen Liz, and already, I’m Jonesing to kiss her again. Hell, I’ve been feeling that way since the moment she left my place.
We texted a little this morning, and I told her I would stop by after work. Maybe we can go get some dinner.
Or maybe we can do dessert first.
I walk toward the inn with her keys in my pocket. I managed to finish her car today, so she can finally have a way to get around again.
Last night, I asked if she wanted to go running this morning, but she said her sister was in town and staying the night, so she was going to try to suck up all the time with her that she could. But she did tell me she wanted to talk to me about something tonight.
I figure it’s going to be a conversation about where we go after our fun night the other night. Although I don’t have all the answers, I know that I don’t want to stop seeing her.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
I walk into the inn and see her sitting at the front desk.
“Hey, you,” she says with a smile.
“Hey, beautiful.”
She comes around from behind the desk and gives me a kiss.
“What do you want to do tonight?” I ask.
She wiggles her eyebrows. “Well, I have some ideas, but I wanted to ask you something first.”
“Alright, I’m all ears.”
She grabs her phone off the desk and hands it to me. “Is this you?”
I look down and see a photo of myself from what feels like a million years ago.
“How did you find this?” I ask.
“Does it matter?” She asks. “Why wouldn’t you tell me?”
“It’s not something I like to talk about.”
It takes no time at all for my mind to start racing.
How long has she known? Did she know who I was when she got into my bed?
Maybe it’s a long leap to take for some, but for me, it’s not far at all. Pretty much every woman I got with in Miami was with me for one reason and one reason only.
“Did you know about this when you came over the other night?”
“What? No. What does that matter?”
“It matters,” I snap.
“Hey, why are you getting mad?” She asks. “You’re the one who is basically lying about your identity? I mean, is your name really Jack or Jackson?”
“I’m Jack,” I say. “Jackson happened a long time ago.”
“What happened to make you move all the way across the country?”
Man, she is full of questions.
“Same reason you did. Life fell apart, so I left.” I feel myself raising my voice, although I’m not meaning to.
“No, Jack, it’s not the same thing. My life wasn’t salvageable. I’m sure you still had some money you made from fighting, and you probably could have gotten a job as an announcer or something. Everybody loves a good comeback story.”
I stop her because hearing her mention money is enough to push me over the edge. “Liz, you don’t know anything about me or my situation.”
“And whose fault is that? You didn’t tell me.”
“Because before two nights ago, we did nothing but argue. Then, we fucked. When during that time was I supposed to squeeze it into conversation?”
She looks shocked at my tone. “Why are you so mad?”
“Because you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then, enlighten me!”
“This was a mistake,” I mutter under my breath. I pull her keys out of my pocket and set them on the desk. “Your car is done. You can pick it up whenever.”
Without giving her a chance to say another word, I walk out the front door.
My feet carry me around town with no real destination. I didn’t mean to freak out on her like I did, but I feel stupid for letting myself start to fall for her. She’s just like all the other women I’ve dated. She only cares about my name and status…and money.
But I’ve got news for her. I’m not loaded. Not by any means.
I turn the corner and apparently need to watch where I’m going because I run right into someone. I turn to see who it is, and I see that it’s Veronica Lawson.
Great. Another Lawson. Just what I need right now.
“Oh, hi, Jack,” she greets with a smile.
“Hi, Veronica.”
“Please call me Ronnie. You’re fucking my sister. I think we can skip the formalities.”
Everyone was right. This woman doesn’t have much of a filter.
She says, “Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be over there right now? I told her my flight was earlier than it was so that you two could have some time together.”
“Uh, yeah. I just left.”
She looks me up and down. “She said you were the best she ever had. Didn’t figure you to be this quick.”
No filter at all.
“We didn’t. It’s…complicated.”
“Did she ask you about the whole UFC thing?”
Does everyone know?
“She told you that?” I ask, feeling myself getting even angrier.
“No, I told her that.” She answers, confused. “I’m the one who saw a picture of you when I was in Miami. I just told Liz about it last night.”
“So, she didn’t know before then?”
“No. I can say with certainty that the look on her face was one of complete shock.”
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, knowing I royally fucked up.
“Let me guess. You both jumped to some conclusions?”
“Something like that.”
She adjusts her shopping bags from one hand to the other. “Jack, did Liz tell you about what happened to her in LA?”
I nod.
“She doesn’t tell anybody that. The fact that she opened up to you after what the last guy she trusted did to her means a whole hell of a lot. She gave you the benefit of the doubt. Did you do the same for her?”
Fuck.