Chapter 25 #2
“And who are you to tell me with who and what I can discuss?” He’s quiet, so I add, “Hmm?”
“I told you, you are mine,” he growls.
“Your what?” He doesn’t respond. “Your what, Justin?” The only sound in the car is his clenching jaw. “That’s what I thought. Can you drive me to the diner, please?”
The whole way to the diner, a thick silence looms over us.
Justin’s simmering, and I’m pissed. I didn’t wait twenty-five years for my V card to be given away to a barbaric asshole with no boundaries.
Didn’t we, though? The submissive part of me whispers tenderly into my ear while the demoness on my shoulder sharpens a knife with an evil smirk.
The latter still remembers how he handled figuring out I was a virgin, when he plunged into my fortress, and that part may or may not want to chop his balls off.
But the other part is very happy with the actions that happened after.
Both parts are, to be honest. And his kisses after.
And all his ‘babys.’ But when I actually asked him the question, nothing happened, as I expected. A tiger doesn’t change its stripes.
And besides that, it’s not like I’d run headfirst into forgiving him for treating me like shit.
I understand his motive, I do, but it doesn’t change the fact that he and his brother have made my life miserable.
I can’t imagine forgetting him calling me ‘trailer trash’ every time he touches me, not remembering him looking at me like I’m the dirt under his Timberlands, or causing me pain with that fucking hot coffee on purpose.
I wonder if Alicia knows about what went down that night.
Justin parks the truck in front of the diner and gets out .
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Getting lunch. What does it look like?”
“Justin.” I walk around the car and stand in front of him. “Stop. You are being unreasonable. And quite frankly, I have no idea what you’re even doing. What do you want, honestly?”
He watches my face, his jaw set. “I just want lunch. Is that something I can do in this fine establishment?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose in annoyance.
“Fine. But don’t come to me complaining if Marina poisons you.
” I turn and walk inside, where Archie is already waiting for me at the best seat in the house, the booth in the corner.
And also the most private. I briefly glance back and see that Justin takes the bar seat and grabs the menu.
He hasn’t been here for years besides grabbing that coffee and picking Freya up once, so he doesn’t know our funny menu that I put together myself.
I take a deep breath, erasing Justin from my memory just for the next few minutes, and walk to Archie, who’s smiling like a cat who just ate the canary. He looks like such a bad-boy pirate with his tats, dark eyes, and tossed hair, that I can’t help but smile in return.
JUSTIN
I sit at the bar and try to focus on the menu, but my eyes drift to Kayla and that sleazy fucker. I guess our morning chat didn’t bring any results. No worries, I’ll repeat it later. It’s not like I came off like an asshole, asking him nicely not to see her again. I was very reasonable.
Is he wearing eyeliner? Yes, the fucker is wearing eyeliner. I think? Who does that? He has a piercing in his ear, tattoos all over his body; he fuckin’ matches her.
Kayla says something, leaning closer to him. He smiles and gives her a kiss on the cheek. If it had been on the lips, his hands would be broken by now.
I think I accidentally growl, because Marina, a woman I genuinely fear (she was one of the reasons I never tormented Kayla here), laughs and walks toward me. “What do you need?”
“Can I get lunch?” I try to sound timid.
“Depends.” She crosses her arms over her chest, making it pop. I can see why one of my guys, Paul Rogers, has been sniffing around her.
“On what?” I squint my eyes suspiciously.
“On your answer.” She quirks a brow.
“Alright.” I put the menu aside and fold my arms to match her.
I expected this conversation sooner or later, and I suspect the only reason Marina hasn’t cut my balls off was Kayla restraining her.
But now, when everything has shifted, and it can be sensed in the air, she has free rein.
Knowing Kayla has no blood family here, Marina is it for her, so I’ll listen to what she has to say. “Shoot.”
“I just might.” She glances briefly under the bar where she keeps her famous shotgun, and I shift nervously.
She senses the blood like a shark and goes for the kill.
“I know you two fucked.” I choke on my tongue.
Did Kayla say something to her already? There is no way our small town knows about that already.
She sees my confusion and adds, “I’ve known this girl since she was a child, and I know when something has changed in her.
Listen here, Justin,” she leans closer, and I gulp, “I don’t like you, I never liked you, and I never will.
You don’t deserve her, and only God knows why she gave you the time of day.
But listen here, very closely, I watch a lot of true crime, boy, and I know how to use a shovel and lye. You hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I never let people talk to me like that, but she can. I deserve everything she’s saying.
“You have no idea how many times she’s cried over you and your brother. Especially you. I’ll never forget it, and I doubt she will, either, so think hard about if you even want to go down that road with her. I’ll get you your lunch.” She walks away, and I stay silent.
I suspected she took all my jabs at her personally because that’s how they were meant to be, but now, I can think of how they actually felt to her.
She doesn’t have a family besides Marina, and to think of it, I don’t think she had friends before Freya.
Jake absolutely destroyed her during those three years and made sure to make everything miserable for her. Why did she stay in Little Hope then?
I hear Kayla’s loud laughter and turn to watch her. The fucker’s hand is on hers, and she’s laughing like he just told the funniest joke. I’ve never heard her laugh like that. Ever. It’s loud, clear, and carefree. He flips her hand and moves his thumb over her wrist.
I’ve had enough of it. I’m about to jump from the chair, but someone grabs my hand and presses it to the table. I look up and see Marina’s steady gaze.
“Drink. Your food will be ready soon.” She pushes a cup of coffee toward me with her other hand. I try to pull away from her grip, but she presses harder. “Drink.” Her voice is firm, but then she adds, softer, “Trust me.”
I glance at Kayla again and see her big wide eyes trained on me. I look at Marina as she nods, and I try to relax. Maybe she knows something I don’t .
KAYLA
Marina’s talking to Justin. It can’t be good.
“Relax,” Archie chuckles, noticing me glancing at Justin ever since I sat at the table. “He’s right where he should be.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I say as I begin shuffling through the menu.
“Sure you don’t.” I hear a smirk in his voice. “Was it good? Tell me so I can live through you. It’s not like I can get some game going on here.” He pouts, and it looks ridiculous with the ring in his lower lip.
“You’re here for only a couple of days. You’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know my appetite.” His wink is impossible not to laugh at.
“You’re really sneaky, you know that, right?”
“Oh, I do. I so do.” His smile turns devious, and he grabs my hands, turning them over, and presses a thumb over my little moon tattoo.
“And I’m about to be sneakier.” He begins moving his thumb.
“Did you know that ninety percent of people with wrist tattoos are very ticklish when you tickle them in the same spot?” He quickly switches his fingers, and he’s tickling me.
I begin to laugh like a maniac. My wrists are indeed sensitive, but I’m not sure it’s because of the tats.
Then I feel the hot stare burning a hole in my back, and I turn to find Justin looking at our joined hands, a crazed expression on his face.
Archie tickles me one more time before pulling his hand away, and I turn to him.
“You, sneaky bastard!”
“Told ya.” He leans on his chair with a self-satisfied look and says, “Let’s talk business, Kay-baby. ”
Right, business. We wanted to discuss it yesterday, but the time got away from us. Plus, it was kind of difficult with all those death glares from half the people at the damn barbeque. We will have a chat with Freya about that.
The thing is, I decided to take Archie up on his offer. It’s time for me to move on and do something with my life.
When I told TJ, I had never seen him so happy in my life; the guy usually only contacts me over texts, and rarely did we meet in person, but that day he video-called me. I almost fell from my chair.
“Are you ready to partner up?” Archie appears more excited than the butterflies of anxiety flying into the walls of my stomach.
“Yes, sir!” I answer eagerly, causing Archie to growl.
“Oh, Kay-baby, don’t say stuff like that to me.” He taps on his forehead with his fist.
“Shit, I forgot that you are kinky.”
He shoots me a megawatt smile. I roll my eyes as I move some hair out of my face.
“You have no idea.” But there, just for a moment, I can see his face darken. In the blink of an eye, he is all rainbows and sunshine again. “So, what are we doing about him?” Archie nods toward where Justin’s sitting. “Do I get the story on that sometime since the tables have clearly turned?”
“Not unless you have a whole week to spare to listen to the bullshit in between.” I can hear the bitterness of my tone, and I take a sip of water. “And some of it isn’t even my story to tell.”
“Ouch, well, you could always give me bits and pieces later. So what do you think about our partnership?” Archie sits forward .
“I’m in.” The words come out, and I feel a weight being lifted from my shoulders.