Chapter 29
Twenty-Nine
GIA
Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out—that’s when life throws you a curveball. A giant fuck you from the universe to keep you on your toes so you never get too comfortable. Or worse—be happy. God forbid she find happiness for even a single moment.
Nope, her past had to come barreling in like a damn freight train to wreck the new life she’d built for herself, right when she started thinking she deserved to live a life of peace.
This day of reckoning was inevitable. What she hadn’t expected was how—or, more necessarily, who—would knock down her house of cards.
The last few weeks played like a movie in slow motion as she reexamined every interaction, every moment, and every emotion she’d experienced. The whirlwind of it all crashed over her. Her heart pounded against her ribs, a frantic beat mirroring the overwhelming sensations coursing through her.
When she was first forced to return to Willowbrook, it felt like a nail in her coffin, signaling the end of her promising career—but instead of finding shame, she found redemption. Turns out her family didn’t hate her after all.
And Jake.
Sweet Jake, who had been trying to tell her since the moment she arrived how much he loved her in so many ways. She was too stubborn to see it until it was too late. She never got the chance to tell him how she felt.
What if this time they had truly broken things between them?
It doesn’t matter.
This time, she was ready to fight for what she wanted—Jake. A place at his side for the rest of her life. Gia would be the person he saw in her.
As if thinking about him had conjured his presence, Jake appeared before her.
Jake!
She reached for him desperately, but every time she thought she had Jake within her grasp, he slipped farther and farther away.
She wept and fought to get to him, but each step felt like she was sinking into quicksand.
With every desperate attempt, she sank farther into the cold, dark pit.
Every movement was a struggle as the sludge pulled at her limbs, pinning her in place.
That voice—the same one that had haunted her for as long as she could remember—whispered in her ear to let go. It was so tempting. So easy to listen to it. The promise of oblivion tugged at her, but then Jake’s voice cut through the dark thoughts, reminding her she was not a mistake.
I was never a mistake.
Her jaw clenched as she shut down the voice, a furious fire igniting within her.
So, she fought like hell to get back to Jake.
There was a tiny man trying to drill a hole through her skull. Groaning, Gia pried her eyes open. It took much more effort than it should have. Bright light pierced her, causing her to regret it instantly as the pounding became almost unbearable. She slammed her eyes shut with a whimper.
What happened?
“Oh, Gia. You’re awake!” an excited female voice sounded from her side. Something warm touched her forehead briefly before disappearing. “Here, drink some water.”
Gia squinted at the glass of water attached to the outstretched hand. She made a move to sit up but couldn’t even lift her head off the pillow.
“Here, let me help you,” the woman said, placing the cup on the bedside table before leaning over her.
With a grunt, Gia’s gravity shifted. The room spun around her even as she squeezed her eyes closed. Her stomach turned, threatening to empty its contents all over this poor woman who was only trying to help her.
“Easy… deep breaths.” Her voice sounded familiar, calming Gia’s nerves.
After a few rounds of being coached through breathing exercises that should have been second nature to her, the room finally stopped spinning, and her stomach settled into neutral territory.
Forcing one eye open, she looked into Quynh’s bright brown eyes, pinched with concern. “How are you feeling, Gia?”
“Like a semitruck ran me over, then backed up and did it again.” She accepted the glass of water with shaky hands.
“Thank you,” she croaked. The cup shook as she brought the glass to her lips, but it did not spill.
The cool liquid soothed her dry mouth, but before she could finish the cup, Quynh gently pried it out of her hands.
“Careful. You don’t want to drink too fast and get sick again.”
Her brows pinched together. When was I sick? “Again?”
“Yes, unfortunately.” Quynh turned to place the cup back on the bedside table before sitting down next to Gia on the bed. She realized she wasn’t in her bed at her parents’ house, but in Jake’s.
“Where’s Jake?” She dragged her gaze around the otherwise empty room, heart dropping when she didn’t find him.
Quynh placed a warm hand over hers. “He’s downstairs giving his statement to the sheriff.”
“The sheriff? What happened?” Feeling her eyelids getting heavy, she leaned back against the headboard, too tired to keep herself upright.
Quynh squeezed her hand. “I know you have a lot of questions, but Jake will be up shortly, and I think it’s best he tells you.” She leaned forward, eyes glistening as she whispered, “I’m so sorry. I wish I had been able to stop him.”
“Stop who?” What the hell is she talking about?
Quynh shook her head as if she’d said too much. “Is it okay if I give you a hug?”
Dumbfounded by the request, Gia could only nod as Quynh leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Gia.
When she pulled away with a sniffle, Quynh wiped her tears away with a hand. “Let me tell Jake you’re awake. He’s been so worried about you.”
What the hell was going on, and why couldn’t she remember anything from the past twenty-four hours? The last thing she remembered was waking up in Jake’s bed in this exact spot.
Soft footsteps were the only warning she had before a large presence made itself known. Her eyelids fluttered open; she hadn’t realized she’d shut them.
She sighed breathily at the newcomer. “Jake.”
The bed dipped as Jake sat beside her. Lines bracketed his lips as his worried gaze scanned her face. “How are you feeling, Kitten?”
She opened her mouth, ready to tell him she was fine—but that was a lie, and she was done lying to him. “Like crap, honestly.”
Jake nodded as if he suspected nothing else. “Yeah, I bet you do.”
“What’s wrong, Jake?” His silence worried her. “What happened?”
“Can I hold you first?” His voice cracked on the last word.
“Of course,” she said, even as a wave of panic surged through her.
He bent over her, carefully wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest. She melted, the hint of sandalwood instantly calming her anxiety. “Jake, you’re scaring me.” Her voice muffled against his white shirt.
“I’m sorry, Kitten.” He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. She got the sense he was apologizing for more than the obvious. “I need to tell you something.”
He pulled back, hands squeezing her arms gently. “What’s the matter, Jake?”
His eyes reflected concern and regret. As he described the events that had brought her there, she watched him intently. He explained how he had raced there after receiving a message from Clay, but by the time he arrived, it was too late.
Jake told her that when he’d realized something was wrong, he punched Alex.
Then, after he got her back to his house, how Quynh and Emily helped him take care of her throughout the night as she got sick, taking turns to check in on her.
He reassured her the women got her cleaned up, which explained why she felt so queasy.
At the end, he apologized for not having been there to protect her.
She listened with rapt attention. Disgust washed over her in waves, followed by the crushing weight of betrayal.
Nothing compared to the red-hot anger—at Alex, but mainly at herself for putting herself in another unsafe situation.
How could I have been so stupid as to trust him after everything he put me through?
It defied logic. She even entertained the thought of seeing Alex again, but self-doubt crept in, making her feel unworthy of Jake’s attention. The icy grip of disbelief struck her like a physical blow. Here she was blaming herself, and Jake felt responsible for what happened.
It had been her decision to meet up with Alex. She couldn’t let Jake think he had a hand in her decisions. All he did was love her, and she was a fool for not seeing it. It pained her that her self-doubt hurt Jake.
“None of this is your fault.” Her voice cut Jake off as he was recounting what he’d told the sheriff a moment ago.
His chest expanded as he took a deep breath, like he was waiting for her to pop his bubble.
“Jake.” She gripped his face in both of her hands, staring into the ice-blue eyes she loved so much. “This was not your fault.” She watched with horror as tears welled in his eyes, slipping down the corners.
Stirred into action, she wrestled with the blankets until she was free, climbing onto his lap to straddle him. Resting her forehead on his, she said it more firmly. “None of this was your fault. Do you hear me?”
He sniffed, nodding his head before squeezing her to his chest and burying his nose in the crook of her neck.
She held him as his body shook. Her heart broke, their tears mingling as she whispered reassurances into his hair.
The scent of his cologne filled her senses while her hands moved in circles down his back.
They fell asleep clinging to each other.
The next time she woke up, she no longer felt like death. Even more, she was cozy and held securely against the warm body behind her.
Jake.
She wiggled nearer, trying to get as close as humanly possible.
Jake’s arms tightened around her, warning her that her movements had woken him. “Mmm, that’s one way to wake up.” The deep tenor of his voice sent shivers down her spine.
A smile spread across her face as something hard pressed between her cheeks. Her core clenched with need, heat pooling low. She ignored it and turned around until she lay face-to-face with Jake.
Though his eyes were closed, his furrowed brows revealed he knew she was studying him.
With one hand under her cheek, she traced the curves of his face, smiling when he turned his cheek to nuzzle her palm. His beard, which was longer than usual, scraped against her palm. His eyes popped open. In the early light, they looked more like the deep navy blue of the ocean.
“Your house.” She watched as Jake’s forehead creased, his dark brows coming together, forming a V. She knew the answer but wanted to hear him say the words, needed him to make her feel like she wasn’t going crazy reading between the lines. “Who did you build your house for?”
Jake’s face relaxed, the lines fading as if they’d never been there, but in his eyes she saw understanding. Still, he didn’t say a word, waiting for her to voice her thoughts. He had always been waiting for her, hadn’t he?
Her mouth felt dry. She tried to swallow, but the knot of emotion in her throat made it hard.
Licking her dry lips, she finally said, “Was it for me? It’s everything I told you that night…
” She paused, taking in a stuttering breath.
“It’s exactly like the house I described the night before Thao died. ”
His eyes held so much emotion as they scanned her face, trying to gauge her reaction. A muscle in his jaw bounced. She wished he’d answer her already.
Finally, after what felt like hours, he simply dipped his chin. Gia let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. The tension melted away as the truth sat between them.
All those years apart, and he had never forgotten her. Not once. He had been holding a place for her in his heart and in his life, even when she’d abandoned him to chase after a dream that ended up burning her, leaving her an empty shell, barely able to keep her nose above water.
She could finally see why it had been so easy for her to leave.
She was running away from what it meant to be with Jake.
To be loved by Jake. Until now, she’d never felt worthy of his attention.
She knew he was all in. He loved with his entire being, and until she learned to love herself, she hadn’t wanted him to be stuck with her, either.
Through self-preservation and fear, she’d let go of the one good thing she had in her life.
And now she was staring at the man who built her dream house with her in mind, never knowing if she would live in it with him, or even see it. He did it because he had unfailing faith in her. She still didn’t think she deserved such devotion, but goddammit, she didn’t even care anymore.
Tears welled in her eyes. Her heart felt like it was mending itself together.
“Jake.” She didn’t know what else she could say. How did she tell the man she’d hurt over and over again that she finally understood what he had been trying to tell her?
No, not tell her.
Show her.
Words hadn’t been enough.
“Kiss me,” she gasped desperately.
His eyes bounced between hers, seeing the determined glint in her eyes. “I thought you’d never ask.”
She sighed when his hand gripped the back of her head, fingers tangling in her soft hair, while the other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her in closer. She met his lips in a frantic kiss.
Thunder boomed in the distance, but it was nothing compared to the pounding of her heart as his soft lips slid over hers, possessing her.
Claiming her.
In one smooth motion, he had her on her back.
His chest and hips pinned her in place as their legs intertwined.
He tipped her head back and angled her jaw, using his slick tongue to coax her lips open.
The groan he let loose sent a wildfire to the pit of her stomach, making her core feel molten and needy.
She had been kissed before, but it was never like this. Her nerve endings were on fire. Her hands clutched at his shoulders as she tried to get closer, one leg wrapped around his hips.
She wanted to crawl under his skin. Needed to be embedded inside of him like he was in hers.
Jake broke the kiss, ripping his lips away, and she let out a whine.
“Fuck, Gia.” He rested his forehead on hers, his hands cupping her face in a firm grasp. His breath came out in pants. “Fuck.”
She turned her face into a palm, rubbing herself against his calloused hand, like a cat marking its territory.
“Jake, please,” she begged.
“Please what, Kitten?” He pulled away until his eyes met hers again. The blue in his eyes was nearly gone, eclipsed by his desire. “I need to hear you say it.”
She licked her lips, pleased when his eyes tracked the movement. She knew he was on a razor’s edge of self-control. He held himself together so she would feel safe with him.
What Jake didn’t know was she had never felt anything but safe with him, and for once, she wanted to see him lose control.
With trembling hands, she gripped his forearm and stared directly into his eyes. “I need you.”
Jake didn’t move a muscle, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. Then, the corner of his lip turned up in a smug smile.
“What my kitten wants, my kitten gets.”