Chapter 17 #2
“I’m fine being seen with you, obviously.
” What she didn’t want was to be caught on camera doing something that was best enjoyed in private and wind up as the star of some viral TikTok.
“But I’m your fiancée, not some groupie you’ve picked up to fan your ego and discard after a quickie.
It matters to me how I’m perceived. It should matter to you.
I’m trying to make it as a children’s author. ”
He showed her far too many teeth as he snorted. “You’ve written one cat book that no bugger’s read, babe. You couldn’t even get a publishing deal for it. It’s only in print because—”
Because Rune’s family were in the printing business. Yes, she was a failure. He didn’t need to point it out.
“Bet it’d be a different story if Paul Reed was here begging you, wouldn’t it? Bet you wouldn’t hesitate in dropping to your knees for him. How do I know for sure that isn’t what you did last night? Got all starry-eyed and gobbled his prick like a proper groupie slut.”
He had not… He had not just said that.
Her mouth goldfished open and closed, while her brain tried to catch up with all the implications of his words.
“You entitled arse! If that were true, Nash, I’d have ridden his monster pierced cock to multiple orgasms last night, and I’d be at the side of that stage now,” –she made a jabbing motion in that direction— “watching him, instead of standing here with you being insulted. But maybe—maybe you’d actually prefer that.
Maybe you’d like to get rid of me, so then you could go screw whoever the fuck you wanted. ”
Tears welled as she snarled, but she rapidly blinked them away.
Scarlet heat flooded Nash’s pale cheeks, while anger glazed his eyes. “And how the fuck do you know he has monster fucking cock, pierced or otherwise?”
That—of all things—was what he fixated on. Not the fact he was acting like a prick. “Well, if you ever actually listened… He and I had a one-night stand years ago. I told you that, earlier.”
“And maybe I believe it only happened in the past, earlier.”
“I didn’t sleep with him last night, no matter what you think.” She shoved him again, but he held his ground, immovable, keeping her trapped against the van.
“Whatever.”
“I fucking didn’t.” Right now, she wished she had.
Her hands curled into tight fists. “Know why I didn’t, Nash?
Do you?” She thumped him hard in the centre of his chest again.
“It’s because I chose you. I fucking chose you.
You stood me up, Nash. You fucking stood me up, and you haven’t even apologised for it, not properly. ”
“Jo,” he soothed, apparently realising he’d hit a nerve. “Come on. I did.”
Jodi slapped his hands away. “Don’t you fucking touch me.”
“Jo-Jo.” He struck a conciliatory tone, addressed her softly, like she was child amidst a meltdown. “What are you getting yourself so worked up for and making such a scene? Honestly, all this ’cause I asked for a blowjob? It was just a fucking joke.”
Had it been?
“Calm the fuck down—”
“Back off.”
He shuffled back a pace. “—or you’re going to have security over here.”
That was what he was bothered about.
“Jeezus, what the fuck is up with you tonight? You’re being proper irrational.”
No, she wasn’t. She was pissed off. He was belittling.
.. demeaning her. “I know my book didn’t do very well, Nash, but I thought you at least had some faith in me.
” She’d been about to say she’d stood by him, cheered him on when the Ghost Boys started out, but it wasn’t a good comparison. They’d hit it big from the off.
“There you go, you’re just looking for reasons to be pissed off,” he said. “I do have faith in you. Of course I do. I helped with the launch, remember. And I’m the one who took you out and made everything better after no bugger turned up.”
A few people had. She’d even sold some copies.
“I’m the one who made sure you didn’t starve after you blew your savings, remember that?
I’m the one who’s always here for you. The person who looks out for you, when you forget to look after yourself.
I leave you unattended for a few hours and you wind up tripping your arse off and throwing yourself at some guy. ”
That wasn’t quite... She guessed it kinda had happened like that. She did often wind up in trouble when she was alone.
Nash lifted her chin with his fingertips. “A little appreciation of my efforts, eh?”
“Maybe.”
“So, can we stop arguing and enjoy the night?”
“Guess.”
He kissed her. Except within seconds, it had stopped being conciliatory and turned sexual.
“Nash.” She wriggled, trying to extract herself from his hold.
“Oh, come on, Jo-Jo. Please, be a doll, just this once. It’s a special night.”
“Nash, no.”
He gave a frustrated huff and raised his hands in surrender. “Why’d you have to be such a fucking prude?”
“I’m not. It’s just...” She’d already explained it. How did she make him understand? “It’s not like you’re going to get on your knees and get me off.”
“What the fuck?”
“You wouldn’t...You don’t.”
“Do.”
She shook her head. She could count on one hand the number of times he’d gone down on her since they got together. It wasn’t remotely comparable to the number of times she’d sucked him off.
“Well, you never ask me to.”
She had. Plenty of times.
“You never want anything in bed. I ask you what you want all the time. Fine. You want your pussy licking in exchange for a blowjob? I’ll do it now.”
That wasn’t what she’d been saying at all.
“Actually, I think I’d just like to go back to my tent.”
“The fuck,” he muttered. “Give a guy a break. You can’t throw this back in my face later. I offered, and you’ve snubbed me.”
“I just don’t think this is a good place or time.”
He stared at her so hard his eyes were in danger of bulging free of their sockets.
“Actually, I think I’d just like some me time.” She managed to extract herself from his hold by ducking beneath his arm. “I’m gonna go back to my tent.”
Nash followed her to the rear of the two parallel parked vehicles. “Seriously? You’re leaving? You better not have fucking well arranged to hook up with him.”
If only. The possibility of Rock Giant swaddling her in an all-encompassing hug and making all the ugly things in the world disappear was more appealing than it ought to have been.
“No. I have not arranged to meet him. I just told you, I’m going to my tent, because I need some quiet.”
“Right. And where the fuck am I supposed to go?”
“Your tour bus.”
“My bus. You mean, my bus on which my bandmates are screwing groupies, that one?”
“Like that fact actually bothers you, Nash.” She’d seen him earlier. Cock in hand, watching Balin. It was burned into her memory in a way she didn’t much like.
She got four paces before Nash snarled, “Maybe this time I won’t just watch,” at her back.
She froze, lead weights settling in her stomach. “If you do that, we’re done,” she said without turning.
“Whatever.”
He deliberately barged into her as he stormed past, jarring her shoulder.
Jodi flipped two fingers up at his back, then her knees gave out and she sank onto the grass into a pitiful heap.
“Shit!” she hissed into her clenched fist. How had everything fallen apart again so fast?
He wouldn’t really buddy up with the guys and fuck other women, would he?
Part of her wanted to stalk after him, peer in the tour bus windows and ensure his words were just shit thrown around for effect, but she wouldn’t demean herself in that way.
She’d take herself back to her tent, exactly as she’d said she’d do.
Back in those canvas quarters, she cried to her cats about it.
The two girls, Mel and Zar were about as comforting as a barbed wire elephant, but Flugwhump rubbed his black furry face against her cheek and licked away her tears with his rough kitty tongue.
The worst bit was she couldn’t figure out whose fault it all was. Hers, most likely. It usually was.