Chapter 5 #3
I raised my eyebrows and watched him across the table like he was lacking something. Which he was. “Well, if you need me to tell you that, then there’s something clearly wrong.”
Storm cut in. “Please, both of you. Reed, it doesn’t matter; it’s fine. I would have ordered the espresso anyway.”
My eyes narrowed, and my lip curled as I drilled her with a look. “Really, you always hated that heavy shit.”
Dickhead then piped up. “It just goes to show, Reed. If you don’t mind me being so informal.”
I cut him a look that could have melted glass. “Not at all, Jasper. It just goes to show what?” The gloves were off.
“That people change,” he said smugly, wiping his mouth with his napkin when he hadn’t eaten anything for ages. Fucking jerk-off, he was such a wiseass. I tried to mask my annoyance as I imagined my fingers wrapping around the spineless prick’s windpipe.
I knew it was madness and she would kill me, but I couldn’t help myself. I shot Jasper, a lopsided smile as I rasped with a clear sexual undertone, “I suppose they do. But tell me, does she still hold her breath when she’s excited?”
“Reed! I think that’s enough,” Storm gasped, almost knocking her drink over.
Her voice had dropped to that chilly temperature that used to make most boys on the team at high school run for cover.
Jasper, however, didn’t blink an eyelid, but Nix filled the awkward moment by choking with beer dribbling down his chin.
And it was then that my suspicions were confirmed. Jasper did know about Storm and me. That’s why he had disliked me on sight. But how and what? Had she told him everything? I didn’t like the thought of that.
Nix’s hard hand on my shoulder broke the death stare I was giving the man sitting next to my woman. “Hey, man. I suggest we ask for the bill.”
Shrugging his hand off my shoulder, I pushed to my feet and threw my napkin down.
“I’ll get it. As an apology for stepping out of line,” I stated with a glance at Storm.
Her face was white as a sheet, and I felt like an unspeakable bastard.
What I was doing had caused her immense discomfort, and I realized that it didn’t feel as good as I thought it would.
She kept her eyes on the mess I’d helped her cause. Look at me! I wanted to shout. Jasper was helping her mop some of the spilled water off the table. That should have been me, not him.
I fucking hated this guy. I prayed for patience, willing myself not to walk around the table and punch him in the dick.
Jealousy, hot and aggressive, pumped through my chest and into my fists, and my jaw started to tick. Every bone in my body was ready to attack.
Storm still didn’t look at me.
I could feel Phoenix looming at my side as I reached into my pocket and withdrew my wallet.
Keeping my eyes on Jasper, hating him with every breath I took, I pulled out four crisp one-hundred-dollar bills and dropped them on the table, right in front of him.
“Here. That should cover it,” I rasped with a flick of my head towards the crisp notes.
Storm looked flustered and started to rise to her feet, but Jasper held out a hand, motioning for her to stay put. Again, telling her what to do. “Reed, it’s fine. That’s far too much. My father will get the bill when he comes back.”
“No, I insist. My treat. Thank your father for the game for me, please, Storm.” She nodded without looking at me, misery pouring off her drooped shoulders.
Clearing his throat, Jasper said with a sanctimonious expression.
“Well, thank you, Reed. Good game, today.” He pushed to his feet and held his hand out for me to shake across the table.
“I’ll make sure you get your change back.
” I wanted to knock his flawless teeth out and ruffle that perfectly tousled hair.
I glanced down at his palm like it was covered in something nasty, giving him a taste of his own medicine and ignoring it.
Instead, I walked around the table and gave his shoulder an aggressive pat.
“Why don’t you keep it. You already have something else of mine.
” My eyes locked briefly with Storm’s before I looked away.
And with that parting shot, I left, before I did any more damage, pocketing my wallet with angry, shaking fingers. I could hear Nix making some lame-ass apology behind me. I didn’t give a fuck; I just needed to get out of there before I made even more of a scene.
As I left, I was almost mowed down by a couple of kids asking for autographs, and I complied, signing the napkins they waved at me.
As more people got in the way of my determined journey towards my car, Nix appeared and took control, acting like the bodyguard I had once asked him to be.
I had forgotten what a big bastard he was.
On the field, they called him Brutal. The size of his hands then caused people to call him Wreck-It, Ralph in college.
Not to his face, obviously: that shit would be suicide.
I watched as he carefully moved people to one side.
I’d been on the business end of one of those fists; shit, all the Sawyer brothers had, and it was not an experience you wanted to have more than once.
“OK, people. Give the man some room, no more pictures, please,” Phoenix ordered in a firm but polite tone as he steered people out of the way and made a pathway for me. I knew cell phones were going off and pictures were being taken, capturing my fury, but I didn’t care.
I could feel Nix trailing behind me, rolling his eyes. “Want to talk about it?” Phoenix questioned.
I stopped by my car and turned back. “No. It’s simple. Dick pissed me off.”
“The world seems to piss you off these days,” Phoenix grunted dryly.
“I just fucking hate that guy.”
“Shocker,” he harumphed unhelpfully, but I ignored his snarky tone. “So, the Gala. Harper is at the movies with Ma that night. You wanna be my plus one?”
“Wild horses couldn’t drag me away,” I shot back at light speed. As soon as Jasper had made his sly comment about me not being able to go, my mind was made up. I’d pull strings to be there; shit, I’d even donate something for their crummy cause.
With an annoying pat on my shoulder and a mouth twitch, Phoenix added, “That’s what I thought, brother.”
As Nix, a.k.a. my acting bodyguard, assisted me into the driving seat of my car, I realized that the only person I needed protection from was myself.