4. “Friday I’m In Love” #4
The brothers locked eyes over her head. Soren’s jaw ticked. She had never seen him this angry before. Maybe this wasn’t about her. Wren had mentioned some tension between the brothers last week, but Jocelyn hadn’t imagined anything like this. He looked like he wanted to murder Logan.
But for what?
“Soren,” she said, taking a different approach and gently pressing a hand on his. She hoped to break through whatever haze of rage this was, but he flung her touch away and continued to glare at his brother.
Logan scoffed. “You’re acting like a total asshole.” Doing the mature thing, he stepped away.
“That’s what I thought,” Soren said, as if he’d somehow won.
“Nice,” Jocelyn snapped and rolled her eyes.
His glare dropped to her. “Busy tonight, huh?”
Her jaw gaped. How fucking dare he? “You have some nerve—”
Rather than own up to his bullshit, he spun away and retrieved his date. “Let’s go.”
“Yeah, you better run away,” she grumbled, shaking her head.
The second Soren’s taillights faded in the distance, Logan said, “What the fuck was that about?”
She honestly didn’t know. She never saw Soren act like that. “I have no clue.”
“Did he think we were together or something? And if so, why the hell would he care?” Logan looked at her when she didn’t answer. “Are you okay?”
“I need to sit down.” She limped to the sea wall and sat.
“Joce, you’re white as a ghost.” This time, he removed his sweater and draped it over her shoulders without asking. “Don’t let him bother you. He’s just being a drama queen, as usual.”
Her heart was racing, and she couldn’t catch her breath. She waved her hand in front of her chest, as if that might help her breathe easier. “I’m having some sort of attack or… I don’t know.”
“Shit. Should I call someone? Want me to get you some water?”
“I’d prefer vodka.”
He stilled. “Is this serious or not?”
“Sorry.” She drew in a shaky breath and blew it out in a rough exhale. “Joking is how I cope.” She finally drew in a deep breath. “I just need a second.”
“Take as much time as you need.” He paced, hands in his pockets, still grumbling about Soren. “Screw him and whatever that little hissy fit was about. He’s been in a mood for months. I’m fucking sick of it.”
Maybe she was the cause of his mood. Or maybe she was overthinking her significance in his life. Still, he’d never talked to her like that before.
They bickered, yes, but this was different. He wasn’t annoyed. He was angry. With her. “Did you see how he looked at me?”
“Who? Soren? I’m pretty sure this had nothing to do with you.”
He was wrong, but explaining that required too much brain power and truth. “And that woman he was with... She stared at me like I was dog shit on her designer shoes.”
“Uh, I didn’t catch any of that. Who is she?”
Jocelyn’s heart continued to hammer in her chest. “It doesn’t matter.”
This was what she wanted. She wanted to see him at this place, on his date, to make it real. She needed the jolt back to reality, but she never expected it to feel so… shattering.
Her hand rushed to her mouth as something woozy swished in her stomach. She needed to pull herself together. Out of sheer self-preservation, she hardened her heart and turned her upset to anger. “How fucking dare he?”
“I know. He acted like a total dick for no reason.”
He had a reason. But how dare he? How dare he get jealous of her while he was the one on a fucking date? The audacity!
She scoffed. This was good. Anything was better than paranoia and tears. She could use the anger. It was an excellent clarifier.
She should go key his car—
Nope. Too much. Dial it back.
“I gotta get home.” She stood, wincing when her ankle reminded her to take it slow. She limped towards home, and her stomach swooped with a horrible woozy wave every few steps.
Seeing the truth changed nothing. She’d known he’d been dating other women. She smelled them on his clothes and saw the patterns in his schedule. Seeing him date and imagining it were two different things.
Every painful step further anchored her in reality. Maybe Wren was right. Maybe there was no such thing as casual sex among friends, which was exactly why she had to cut off whatever this had become.
Their relationship—ugh, was that even the right term?
Whatever it was, it stopped being a one-night stand months ago. It was inevitably going to end, and maybe now was the time. Then she could finally move on.
Her head was spinning so fast it was making her nauseous.
Visions of Wren’s nursery collided with memories of the Great Dane, the blonde kissing Soren, Soren kissing her.
The last time they slept together. The time before that.
The note he left on her nightstand. The way he tried to do the right thing.
The way she kept pushing him out of her life, and how he kept showing back up.
The way he walked away tonight. The way he put his hand on the base of his date’s spine.
The way he opened her door. The way he never looked back.
And that was exactly what she needed to do. Close this chapter in her life and never look back.