Chapter 5
Chapter five
Jett
Sitting on the edge of the creek on the back of our property, I take in the serene scenery, relaxing as the water flows across my feet. Looking around, the flowers are in full bloom, and the butterflies are swarming.
She would love this. My body tenses at the thought.
Ugh. I hate that she even crosses my mind.
She's everywhere. In my thoughts, in everything I see and hear, and she's even managed to creep her way into my damn heart.
I don't soften to people other than my family easily, or ever. She's the exception.
I hate that I'm starting to love it.
I know her too well. She won't allow us to go further than this, no matter how badly she may want to. It's a lost battle before the war can even be declared.
It’s been months since the day I brought her here. Or, tried to. Months.
Hell, I even tried planning that picnic by the creek.
I worked hard on this fucking meadow, planting different species of wildflowers that bloom at different points throughout the years.
All attract butterflies throughout the year, too.
I wanted her to have a place to always be surrounded by the things she loved.
A place where she could always be happy.
I picked the perfect time, just like today, when the wildflowers were in full bloom, and the butterflies were swarming.
Izzy loves butterflies; she always has. Once, a few years back, she mentioned wanting to be free like a butterfly.
I wanted her to feel that freedom here, with me. Instead, she saw it, freaked, and left.
She just fucking left.
I should have been done with her then. I should have taken every damn hint she so easily gave, that this will never be anything more to her. However, for some reason, I can't.
I can't give up on what I know is meant to be mine.
We are meant to be.
Maybe not now, maybe not soon, but we are endgame. She knows it. She's just too fucking scared of anything that's real to see it.
I won't lie and say that, since that day, things have been easy for me when it comes to her. Because they haven't. She went ghost on me for a few weeks after that failed picnic, and I let her. It almost killed me, but I made no attempts to reach out to her. I was pissed, and needed time.
After three weeks, she finally texted me. Also, like I knew she would, she never explained, apologized, or mentioned that day at all. She picked up as if no time had passed between us.
I allowed it.
Everything’s on her terms.
I allow that too.
Truth be told, I'm fucking obsessed with this girl, and even a day of not hearing from her hurts. I can’t focus. Hell, at times I can’t breathe. So if keeping this on her terms keeps her around, I’ll have to fucking deal.
Since she reached back out, our texts quickly returned to phone calls, which evolved into visits. Visits are good. Visits I can work with.
For now.
I push to stand, making my way through the pathway in the flowers to get back to my horse, when my phone pings with a text. I fish it out of my back pocket and look to see who it is.
Izzy
Next time?
The attached image takes a second to load, but once it does, I can’t control the laughter that howls out of me.
It’s a picture of her holding up a men’s purple and white striped Speedo. “She’s lost her fucking mind,” I mutter to myself between laughs.
Jett
Keep dreaming, Beauty.
Her reply comes through instantly.
Izzy
Don’t worry, I will.
Jett
Oh, yeah? What happens in this dream?
Izzy
You. Me. The speedo, of course. Then, no speedo…
The very thought of feeling her body against mine has my dick hard in the matter of seconds. Fuck, this woman. I swear, years, not months, could go by and she’d still have the same effect on me.
Jett
You know where to find me.
Tucking my phone away, I'm met with the overwhelming hope she takes the bait. I want her here. Not just to make her scream my name, but just to have her here. With me.
To me, Izzy’s body is just a perk. The perk of the fucking century, but still just a perk. It’s her presence I crave. Her sharp, witty tongue. The way she challenges me in everything I do. The way she makes me want to challenge her.
I laugh to myself. She’s so fucking challenging, but I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge. In fact, I love them. I love her.
She makes me want to do better. To be better.
And I know she feels the same about me.
She may deny it. Fight me on it. Even make me want to send my fist through a goddamn wall when she pushes back.
But I know…
Izzy may only be willing to give me surface-level breadcrumbs, not even near what I want from her, but I'm willing to take it like the selfish asshole I am.
For now.