Chapter 32 #2
“Hot dang, Lucy. Y’all are absolute fire!” Lainey fans her face, plastered with a huge grin of approval.
I take my phone back with a quizzical look. “What are you talking about?”
Oh. Hot dang is … accurate.
I pulled Jude in for a kiss while he was taking selfies last night. My hands on his cheeks and the intensity in his eyes leave no room for misinterpretation in the picture he just sent.
Lainey’s face shifts back to concern. “Nathan was angry, Lucy. I don’t know what he would’ve done if you’d been here. I told Dave I didn’t trust him because he was nice sometimes, then went nuts screaming at you that night and everyone acted like nothing happened.”
“What did Dave say to that?”
“He told me to mind my own business.” She frowns. “What will you do if he comes back?”
“I don’t know yet. I need another job, and so do you. This place isn’t safe the way Dave runs it. If Nathan comes back or a situation gets heated for any reason, promise me you’ll leave. Just walk out. You don’t need anyone’s permission. I should’ve put a stop to this sooner.”
“Will DC be outside tonight just in case?” she asks.
“He’s out of town,” I admit quietly, careful not to let the information travel.
“Oh,” she mouths. “Anyone else?”
“I think we’ll be okay. Nathan should be at work tonight. We’ll walk out together.”
Before I leave, I try to ask Dave about Nathan, but I can’t make him understand why I need to know if he’ll be on the premises.
“How’s he abusive if you cheated on him and broke up?” He crosses his arms, scowling.
It's so hard to explain, which is why it took so long to walk away. I couldn't even explain it to myself in way that made sense.
“Dave, I didn’t cheat on him. Nathan ignored me.
He wouldn’t even answer when I called half the time.
I learned who I could count on, and it wasn’t him.
He doesn’t want anything to do with me except to tell me what I’m doing wrong or that I’m not good enough, and he—he screams at me.
He calls me names and accuses me of things. ”
“Like things you actually did?” He laughs. “So sad.”
“He gets violent, Dave. I don’t want him near me or Lainey.”
Dave narrows his eyes, challenging me. “Has he hit you?”
“Not exactly. He backs me into walls or throws things sort of at me. It’s intimidation.” I try to make him understand, but he’s already chosen a side.
“Then why didn’t you just break up?” He laughs at me, shaking his head. “If he’s so terrible, then why did you stick around?”
“I—I don’t know. I thought he loved me and was just going through a hard time. And I was scared—”
“Of someone who doesn’t hit you. Got it.” Dave rolls his eyes.
“You don’t have to believe me, but we’re done and he’s still sending hateful messages. I won’t be around him.” I hold my head up and attempt to stand my ground. “I’m not going to be yelled at or humiliated anymore.”
“Well, it’s a free country,” Dave says with annoyance. “If he wants to stop by and say hi or pick up a shift, it has nothing to do with you. Maybe you should stop causing drama everywhere you go.”
Our village is quiet other than the hum of the street lights when I park snugly between Jace’s truck and Sammy’s car. Jace is still sitting in his, probably waiting for me.
I appreciate it, but I’m a little nervous to hear his special brand of commentary regarding the weekend events.
He exits his vehicle as I do and falls into step beside me, his snark uncharacteristically mild and eyes weary as he takes my backpack. “I heard you pissed someone off this weekend,” he says, beeping the lock on his truck. “Nice work, Cupcake. It’s about time.”
“Guess I did. Nathan was looking for me at the diner yesterday. Well, I assume he was looking for me. He was there, and I’m afraid he’ll come back.”
“Time to get a new job, you little troublemaker.” Jace lightly tugs my ponytail but doesn’t look at me. “You don’t need to go back there. Make sure you tell Danny. None of that I don’t want to worry him stuff,” he says in a high-pitched whine. “We always want to know.”
Does he expect me to quit my job? I’ll look for a new one, but it takes time.
I examine my favorite frenemy. He’s dragging. “Are you okay?”
I know he’s tired, but something’s off.
“Long day.” He keeps talking to change the subject. “Let’s check the house. I circled the parking lot twice. Nothing unusual out here.”
“You miss Annie?” I ask, taunting him to lean into our typical snark.
“I work at a hospital, sweetheart. I see things that aren’t pretty.” He runs a hand through thick black hair that looks even more perfect when it’s messy, then drops a heavy arm over my shoulders.
“Oh. I’m sorry, Jacey. You wanna talk about it?” I offer, knowing I’m not his first choice.
“Nah, I’m fine. Just tired.”
“Why didn’t you send Sam so you can rest?” I press.
“Because I’ll rest easier once I see for myself that everyone’s home and safe.”
“You’re almost tolerable sometimes, you know that?” I say with a half hug as I unlock the door.
Jace warily squeezes my shoulder and pats my back. “Shhhh. No one needs to know.”
He trots up the stairs and looks around Annie’s room and bathroom, then comes back to make sure the sliding glass doors are locked and my bathroom and bedroom are all clear. His safety protocol seems like overkill, but if it makes him feel better, it’s fine with me.
“Was your room this clean when you left, Spice Cake?”
I peek around him with my phone in my hand, already texting Jude to let him know we’re both home. “Oh, wow. It wasn’t this clean.”
He smirks, shaking his head.
There’s not a wrinkle to be found on my perfectly made bed, and every throw pillow is neatly arranged.
My shoes are all back in the closet, and the tangled ball of twinkle lights is missing from my floor.
A plastic tote of books next to my desk was replaced by a small three-shelf bookcase.
It’s nothing fancy, but it’s the perfect size for my small room, and it looks so much better.
Jude isn’t obsessively neat, but he has his moments, and those moments are a lot more frequent than mine.
Jace picks up a small remote off my dresser and presses a button illuminating my room, now bordered in hundreds of tiny sparkling soft white lights.
“Did you do this?” I gasp out the question, but I know who did it. My gut instinct is confirmed when Jace rolls his eyes.
His eyes narrow to a glare, shaking his head. “I swear, if you aren’t good to him …”
“I will be,” I promise timidly.
“I know.” Jace pats my head. “Same goes for him.” He swipes a guitar pick from my dresser and lifts my guitar from its stand.
“Are you okay by yourself, or do you want Sam to stay here? Or you can have Danny’s room since you’re comfortable there.
” A flash of mischief sparks in his blue eyes.
“But I’d suggest not leaving flaming-red checkered shoes in the hallway if you’re trying to stay incognito. ”
I press my lips together and try not to laugh. Busted.
“So that’s why you’ve been such a butt. It’s been nearly two months, Jace! Why didn’t you just ask why I was in his room all night? You ask me inappropriate questions all the time. Why stop now?”
“Seemed like a straightforward observation. You might be bad at math, Spice Cake, but I’m not.” He plops on the edge of the bed with my guitar, absentmindedly running through dexterity exercises from pure muscle memory.
“But you know me. And instead of asking, I bet you were a passive-aggressive horse’s behind until Daniel confronted you about your attitude.”
“That doesn’t really sound like me, now does it?” He scrunches one side of his face while scrubbing his hand through his hair again. I glare at him until he continues. “You don’t need to hide things from me. If something happens and you or Annie don’t feel safe, I want to know.”
“And normally, I’d tell you, but I was too upset to talk. By the time you came in, we were exhausted, and I’m sure you were too. I wasn’t in the mood to be interrogated.”
I sink into my desk chair, eyes catching on a page marked in my notebook. I force my attention back to Jace so he doesn’t notice my confusion.
“And you had your safe person. I hear you.” He continues to strum.
“I don’t mind telling you most things, but I need you to respect me either way. Who I am as a person didn’t change just because you didn’t know why I was in his room. I didn’t want to talk that night, and you would’ve been relentless.”
“You’re right,” he resigns. “I’m sorry, Cupcake.”
“You know, Jace, as much as you annoy me, you’ve got two things going for you.”
“Yep. I’ve got amazing hair, and I can make a guitar wail,” he quips with a yawn.
I roll my eyes. “You watch out for your family, and you apologize when you’re wrong. Even if it’s stupid-often.”
He looks away and nods once. “So … want me to send Sam?”
“I’ll be fine. Tell him to flash the light when you get home.”
He moves to place my guitar back on the stand. “All right, then. Porch light stays on. Deadbolt stays locked.” He wanders through the kitchen, snagging a pizza from the freezer on his way to the door.
I tug on the sleeve of his scrubs, stopping him before he’s gone. “Go call Annie. You’ll feel better.”
He gives me a wary look but no rebuttal. “Temporarily bump me up on your emergency contact list, okay?”
“You’re third.”
“You put the guy with cymbals attached to his dashboard ahead of me?” he huffs.
“No, the girl who can bench my body weight.”
“Ah.” He cocks his head to the side. “Right. Same.”
Was that a confession? I’m not saying a word.
“Thanks, Jace.”
As soon as I lock the door, I call Jude.