14. Cherry
It’s a week later and I’m still vibrating with the anger and shock of seeing Jake. I always imagined that if I ever saw him again it would be when I was looking glamorous and put together, my confidence and success like a shield around me. Instead, I’d been caught completely unprepared at a time when I was worried sick and filled with guilt over everything that had happened with my best friend.
It didn’t help that the selfish jerk had gotten more devastatingly handsome in the last ten years. Was it too much to ask that he’d developed warts on his face, or perhaps a beer belly and receding hairline? But, of course, his suit fit him like a second skin, his broad shoulders filling out the custom fabric, his biceps visible when he moved his hand to rub the spot where I punched him. Of course, the letter I got in the mail this morning doesn’t exactly help my pissy mood.
“Hey, sorry I’m late.”
Glancing up, I tip my head for Frankie’s kiss and note the bruises on his face are almost gone. Lexi’s asshole ex had beaten him and left him for dead for no other reason than he was a fucking sociopath. Nobody had known just how deranged and dangerous Dean was until it was too late. I ’d known he was manipulative and borderline abusive since the day he hit on me while dating Lexi, and then blackmailed me over it, saying he’d tell Lexi it was all me.
Still dealing with my shattered heart after what Jake had done, I’d kept quiet and never said a word. It’s something I’ll regret until my dying day and one more thing in the ‘why we hate Jake Marshall’ column.
“It’s fine. I just got here. I ordered us Mojitos.”
Frankie bats his eyelashes dramatically, and I thank God he hadn’t had his light dimmed by that asshole.
“Girl, you read my mind. I just had my last doctor’s visit and that nurse I was telling you about was there, and I found out he has a boyfriend.”
“Aww, I’m sorry, honey. I know you liked him.”
“It’s fine,” He waves it off as he takes a huge sip of the mojito, his eyes closing before he grins. “He’s old news. I saw one of the peds doctors and asked him out instead. We have a date on Friday.”
“Wow, good for you.”
“Damn right, good for me. I’m not gonna let that homophobic bastard ruin my sex life.”
Even as he said it, I see a shadow of pain move over his face. Dean hadn’t just hurt Frankie, he’d beaten Lexi unconscious, almost strangling her to death. He was the worst human being alive, with Jake the devil a close second.
Any man who can hurt a pregnant woman should be shot in my book, but unfortunately, he can’t be found anywhere. Police had put out an APB, but until then, we’re all on edge and watching our backs. Luckily Hunter is back and he and Lexi seem to be working things out. Another thing Dean had tried to destroy, but I really hope he’d failed. I was team Hunter all the way. I see the way he looks at my friend like she invented the wheel. I swear if she wanted the moon framed in her living room, he’d get it for her. I’m happy for her, but seeing Jake again reminds me of how, once upon a time, I’d thought I had that too .
“Uh oh, someone looks glum.”
“I’m fine, just tired.”
I think I’ve gotten away with my deflection when the waitress comes to take our order, but Frankie is tenacious as hell and as soon as she leaves he pins me with a probing look. “Spill.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Cherry pie, do not make me break out my ABBA routine here in the middle of this fine restaurant.”
I squint at my friend, giving him a look that scares most people away, but he just rolls his eyes and begins to stand. He’d do it too. He has no shame and I love him for it.
“Okay, sit down.” I shoot him a look full of annoyance.
“Oh, please. I’ve been perfecting the bitch face since I was fifteen, and yours doesn’t scare me.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re annoying?”
“Yes, but not today, so thank you for the compliment. I do try not to hide all this greatness under a bushel.”
My lips twitch with a smile; it’s impossible to be angry with Frankie. I sigh and bang my head on the table and the cutlery jingles from the impact of my despair. Looking up, I see a server looking our way, but he just shakes his head and goes about his business. We’re regulars here at The Atlas, a fresh restaurant that serves food from all over the world. Each week we come here, sometimes with Lexi and my mom, but mostly just me and Frankie, and try a different dish.
“Do you think we’ll like the French Onion soup this week?”
Frankie bangs the table and lifts one perfectly plucked brow. “Stop stalling and start talking.”
“Urgh, fine. Do you remember when I told you about that guy who broke my heart and lost me my place at Harvard?”
“Yes. You were as drunk as a skunk and told me he framed you for stealing exam papers after telling you he loved you. But he was still the best lay you’ve ever had, and ruined you for all men.”
My nose wrinkles at my irritation over his memory of that night being so good. “Yes, well, the asshole is back. ”
I watch with some satisfaction as Frankie’s eyes go wide. “No, he is not.”
“Yep, and what’s worse, he’s Hunter’s best friend, so there’s no way I can avoid him.”
“Is he cute?”
My scowl deepens. “Oh my God, is that what you took from that?”
“It’s a valid question.”
“Frankie, focus. He broke my heart and betrayed me. He ruined my life.”
Frankie takes my hand in his across the table. “Do you want me to hunt him down and put itching powder in his pants? Set up a Tinder profile and list some weird kinks he’s into? Maybe go to his office and tell everyone he gave me syphilis?”
“Of course not, although the image of Jake jumping up and down with itching powder around his junk is tempting. Then see how hot he looks with his balls red and scabby.”
“So, he is handsome?”
“Disgustingly so,” I admit with a sigh.
“So like an eight or a nine?”
“More like an eleven or a twelve,” I admit grudgingly, “but his personality puts him at a two.”
“What’s his surname? They have two Jakes at Lungo.”
Frankie is tapping away on his phone and I reach across to swipe it from him. There on the screen is Jake Marshall, my nemesis, and the boy who I’d once thought was the love of my life. He looks good, powerful, and confident with a slightly dangerous air that he hadn’t had ten years ago.
“That’s him.”
Frankie swipes the phone back and smirks. “Oh, yeah, I’d definitely let him get all up in my business.”
“Yeah, well, unlucky for you, he’s straight.”
“Shame.”
“Frankie, what am I going to do? ”
My whiney tone must have convinced Frankie how dire my plight is because he sobers, placing his phone on the table face down. “What did, Lexi say?”
“She doesn’t know. I never even told my college roommate, I just left the same day and cut ties with everyone.”
“Why not tell Lexi? I can understand you losing touch with your roommate, she’s a reminder of everything, but Lexi is your ride-or-die. She must know why you came back from Harvard after putting so much work into getting in in the first place.”
I shake my head, wondering why I haven’t told her and knowing deep down it’s because I’m ashamed for falling for his lies. “She thinks I was homesick. She knows nothing about Jake. Only you and my mom know the truth.”
“What happened when you saw him again?”
I toy with a loose thread on the napkin in front of me as I let the memory of seeing him again flood through me. “Lexi had just fainted on the floor of the Lungo office building and I wasn’t expecting to see him. To be fair, he seemed a little surprised too, but then he started to push my buttons with his bullshit so I punched him in the face.”
I flex my fingers as I speak, my hand still aching from making contact with that rock-hard jawline.
“O. M. G. I’d pay good money to see that. I bet it was hot. What did he do?”
Frankie lives for the drama, and he’s practically bouncing in his seat now, clapping his hands in front of him. “Nothing. He just rubbed his jaw and watched me leave with a stupid smirk on his face. Honestly, I walked away from our encounter feeling like he had the upper hand and it doesn’t sit well with me.”
Frankie frowns, confused. “And Lex didn’t ask about it?”
“She did, but I put her off. Told her we’d talk when she felt better, but that was before Hunter came back. Now they’re going to end up married and living a perfect life and I want that so badly for her, she deserves that. ”
“But having that means you have to face Jake over and over again.”
“Exactly. I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Now you listen to me, girlie. You’re fierce, you’re strong, and you can do anything you put your mind to. You’ll face him and you’ll make him regret ever even thinking he could treat you like he did. You’ll have that man crawling on his hands and knees begging you to take him back and forgive his fine ass before the summer is out.”
I wish I could agree, but Jake is the one man who made me feel cherished, who made me feel like I could be myself without judgment. He’d been the calm to my storm, but now things are different, he’s different. I hadn’t seen the boy who broke me when I looked at him. I’d seen the man who has ice in his veins, who calculates every single detail and knows the end result before the game is even played.
His power had dominated the room, and I’d fought to stop the feelings he evoked from overpowering me. But I can’t let him. No matter how attractive he is, or how much my body remembers and craves his touch, he’s the enemy now. One I won’t let come between me and my friend.
“I’m gonna downplay it for Lexi. She doesn’t need the drama. Fuck knows she’s had enough already and I don’t want her in the middle of this. I’m a grown woman and I can handle it. I’ll be polite and cordial and avoid the jerk as much as possible.”
“Sounds boring, Cherry Blossom.”
My back snaps straight at the sound of that deep, sexy baritone. Shooting daggers at Frankie for not warning me about his presence, I turn and look up at the man who is now haunting my waking hours as well as my nightmares.
Goddamn, he looks good in a suit. Deep navy and custom-made for his fine form, a crisp white shirt, which probably cost more than my house, and a bright blue tie that brings out the green in his eyes. Even his tan brown shoes look good, making him look untouchable. His jawline holds no evidence of the right hook I’d inflicted, only a light stubble that makes me squirm in my seat as the ghost of feeling it evokes between my thighs assaults me.
I give him a cool withering glare that doesn’t match my inner feelings. “Well, a Neanderthal like you would find politeness and cordiality boring.”
Jake bends close, his lips so near I can smell the mint on his breath as his cologne floods my senses with memories. Goosebumps spot my skin, and I use every acting skill I possess to portray how unaffected I am by him.
“If I remember correctly, you quite liked my primitive side.”
How dare that asshole throw our past in my face after what he did to me. My insides quiver with anger as I fight to keep control. “Honestly, Jake, I barely recall anything about you. You’re just a distant mistake from my youth. I’ve moved on and so should you.”
His eyes crinkle as he places one hand on the back of my chair and the other on the table in front of us, pinning me in place with his dominance.
“Who said I hadn’t moved on, Blossom?”
My heart is pounding in my chest so loud I’m sure he can hear it. His words sting, in a way they have no right to. This is what I want. For us to pretend that at one time my heart hadn’t only beaten for him.
I wave my hand at him. “This little display of yours.”
He chuckles as he slowly steps back, giving me some space to catch my breath. “So I take it you’ve moved on then? There’s a man taking care of you?”
“Really, Jake, it’s none of your business and I’ve never needed a man to take care of me, and especially not one like you.”
“Meaning?”
I watch his jaw feather as he grits his teeth and almost smile knowing that my barb landed. “What we had was a lie. I was a pawn in a game I didn’t know the rules of. You won. Move on and leave me alone.”
“Three things. One, you’ll always be my business, little Cherry Blossom. Two, you were n ever a game to me. What we had was the most real thing I’ve ever had, and three,” he lets his gaze run over me and does nothing to hide the hunger he feels, “I’ll never leave you alone.”
I stamp my foot as I jump from my seat to face him, my head barely hitting his chin. “Do not call me that. I am not your Blossom or anything else. You say we were never a game but the evidence suggests something different. Leave me the hell alone or I’ll make sure everyone knows what an asshole you are.”
“Wrong. You’ll always be my business and you’ll definitely always be my Cherry Blossom. Do your worst, I don’t care what people think of me. Let them believe I’m an asshole. I am to most people, but never to you, Blossom. I never intentionally hurt you.” His hand lifts as if he means to skim my cheek, but I step out of his reach, not sure I can cope if he touches me with tenderness. The softness in his voice on that last line almost undid me.
“You’re insufferable.”
“And you’re a liar.”
My temper flares white hot at his accusation. “How dare you.” My hand swings out towards his face before I can even consider what I’m doing, but he catches it in a firm grip, just inches from his cheek.
Heat flashes between us as everything else in the room falls away. Sound becomes muted as I glare at him, my breath heaving in and out like I’ve run a marathon. His thumb caresses the pulse in my wrist and it’s like a brand of pain followed by the most exquisite pleasure.
I lick my dry lips, and Jake’s gaze follows my movements, his eyes darkening with heat and desire. God, whatever we’d had still burns between us in some fucked up muscle memory.
“You get one free pass, Blossom. Next time you throw hands at me, be prepared for me to redden that sweet ass of yours.”
Visions of me bent over his knee as he spanks my delicate flesh make heat and need flood my pussy. I try to school my reaction but even now he knows my body and reads me too well.
“I see you like that idea.” He cocks his head, bending so his lips skim my neck near my ear and I shiver uncontrollably. His thumb continues to rub slow circles on the skin of my inner wrist as if he’s soothing me at the same time as torturing me.
“Tell me, Blossom, does your pussy miss my cock?”
His words are what I need to break this spell he’s woven around me. I yank my arm from his hold and step back, my butt bumping the table. “Stay the hell away from me, Jake.”
He shakes his head slowly. “Not until you let me explain.”
God, his words are like knives in my chest, the pain so fresh I expect to see blood pouring down my blouse. “Nothing you can say will excuse what you did.”
“And what is it you think I did, Blossom?”
“Do not make me say it, Jake,” I beg, hoping he’ll leave me in peace to shore up the defenses around my heart. “You already tried to break me once, Jake. Don’t think I’ll let you have the chance to do it again. Just stay away from me.”
“No can do. Hunter loves Lexi, and Hunter is my best friend, and you’re hers. I think that means we’re going to be seeing much more of each other so get used to it.”
With that he spins on his expensive heel and walks away, his back straight, head held high and proud. He commands the room effortlessly. Every eye is on him as he leaves, including mine.
My legs give out as I realize every person in the room has been caught up in our interaction. Sinking into my chair, I grab the alcohol and chug it down like it’s my job. Before I can summon the waiter, Frankie has already done it, ordering us two more cocktails and the check and telling them we’d be in the bar.
“We’re gonna need shots for this, not food.”
He gets me, my friend gets me, so I follow him into the bar area, where we find a spot in the back corner.
“I’m not sure all the liquor in the world is gonna help this situation, Frankie.”
“Well, not with that attitude it won’t. You gotta put some effort into it, girl. So down the hatch and when you’re good and drunk, we’re gonna discuss what the hell just happened between you and sexy suit.”
“Can we skip that bit, please?”
“Oh, there is no chance on this earth we’re skipping that. I almost orgasmed on the spot from the sexual energy buzzing off him.”
“Eugh, Frankie. Don’t be gross.”
“Oh, please, don’t tell me it didn’t get your lady garden all of a flourish with his dominance. I’m pretty sure he turned half the straight men in here, he was so hot. Seriously, tell me, is he the sex god I think he is?”
As the shots hit, my lips and brain give up the fight and blab all the details. “Better, even ten years ago he could make me come so hard I almost blacked out, and that was before he put his hand around my throat and choked me.”
Frankie squeals so loud we start to get annoyed looks from others in the bar.
“I just knew a man who looked like him would be a freak in the sheets.”
“That’s the problem though, Frankie. He ruined me for other men. He used me, played games with my heart and body, and left me with nothing.”
Frankie grips my hand tight as the weight of my words fall around us. “You’re not ruined. He may have banged your heart up a little, but you’re the strongest person I know.”
“I don’t feel like it right now. Lexi could have died, Jake is back, and I got this in the mail this morning.”
I sober up fast as I pull my bag close and dig through to find the letter I’d been doing everything in my power to ignore since I opened it. I hand it over to Frankie and watch as his eyes widen before his head lifts and he looks at me.
“What are you going to do?”
“Hire a lawyer I guess, but I can’t imagine me winning a compulsory purchase order against a company like them.”
“Does your mom know? ”
“No, and I don’t want her to, either. The salon is in my name, and I’m going to handle it on my own.”
“You know I hate to say it but Jake is a lawyer.”
“Absolutely not. I’d rather lie down in the street and let the bulldozer roll over me than ask him for help. I’ll find a lawyer who can help me. There has to be someone willing to take this on.”
Frankie doesn’t look convinced but I am. I have to be, I won’t let Jake break me, not again and I sure as hell won’t let a company like KLM Holdings take my mother’s livelihood. It’s time to pull up my big girl panties and go to war.