29. Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Twenty-Nine
K ade pulls into Jess's driveway and parks next to Landry's SUV. What the hell?
Jumping out, he simultaneously unties the knots from his stomach and sprints to the front door, opening it to find Landry standing in the entryway while Jess stands in her robe, holding it closed at the top. She looks shocked, and Kade knows instantly she had no idea Landry planned to be here.
"This isn't a good time, Landry," Jess says as Landry whips around and sees Kade stepping into the house.
Side-stepping him, Kade walks into the living room, and Jess follows suit as though they stand together and want the intruding visitor out.
Landry sneers at him. "I suppose interrupting your night would be payback for the night you did it to us and completely blew up our relationship."
" You blew up your relationship," Kade says, his body on high alert. Remembering how Jess flinched in the pickup when she asked him questions about Sam makes Kade less confident this man isn't the type to lash out at a woman than Jess is. "She said it's not a good time, so why don't you just leave?"
Jess turns to Kade, her eyes wide. "I didn't invite him."
"I know," Kade says and kisses her temple.
"Since you came in here professing your feelings for her the night I was invited over, I guess now's as good of time as any," Landry says and looks at Jess. "I was wrong. I should have fought for you instead of giving you space."
Her eyebrows lift, causing the crease on her forehead Kade loves to appear. "I don't think you fully understood the reasons we're not dating anymore."
"I do. And if I would've fought for you instead of just gotten angry, it would be me here tonight, about to climb into bed with you, instead of him."
The way he says it and glances at Kade makes Kade's skin crawl. This is a game to him. "Screw you, Landry."
Jess seems to notice, too, and she shakes her head. "It's still about getting into my pants, isn't it?"
"Jess, you're missing the point."
"No, I think you are. The fact you gave me space and didn't fight pales in comparison to the real reason we ended things. One of those things being that poor girl you used in an attempt to hurt me. What about her?"
"Admittedly, that wasn't one of my finer moments."
She tilts her head. "How's Holly, Landry?"
"She didn't handle everything like I'd hoped. She was up for it being a game, but it turns out, taking her home changed the rules. She wanted more, but she just isn't what I’m looking for."
"You've been sleeping with her for a little while now, haven't you?"
"I was kind of dumped and left brokenhearted when you decided to push me away, so yeah, I have. But I'm here now, and I want you."
Kade laughs. This man has lost his damn mind. "No, I want to be with her. And I've shown up and keep showing up. You're just missing the best woman either of us has ever met, but you messed up."
"That's rich coming from the playboy who already broke her heart and came back with his tail between his legs."
"That's how I know what you're aiming at here. I made a mistake," Kade said. "A few of them, and I'm not denying that, but we've talked about it. There's still some work to do, but we've come to terms with it."
"Come to terms with it? The infidelity? That sounds healthy."
His fists clench, but he doesn't want to hit him. The last thing he needs is Jess deciding whether or not to pay his bail. "Healthier than seeking out someone to purposely hurt her. I may have done damage, but it was never intentional. Not like you did."
"You slept with another woman and literally got caught with your pants down!" Landry shouts.
"Jess walking in and seeing that was never intentional!" he shouts back. "I would never do something like that because I know how much it would hurt. And the last thing I ever want to do is hurt this woman."
Landry just nods his head and sneers at him. "Likely story."
"He didn't know I would show up that night," Jess says. "And I kind of broke in by using the spare key he had hidden."
"Why do you keep defending him?" he asks her, his eyes narrow and hard. "He broke your heart. Made you put me on a sixty-day no-sex probation because he's the asshat who didn't realize what he had when he had you, and you can't stop defending him. That's almost sick."
Kade's hands shake as his nostrils flare, staring at the man in front of him. "You're pissed she made you wait two months before hopping into bed with her."
The way this man seems to think waiting to jump her bones was the worst thing in the world she could have done makes him angry. He's known some women who won't go to bed for at least three months, sometimes longer. If the woman's worth it like he claims Jess is, it shouldn’t matter how long it takes to get her naked. A real man would put in the work to show her she won't be making an epic mistake no matter how long that takes.
"I'm pissed I got punished for what you did."
"Two months... you're pissed about two months? Do you hear yourself right now? You're the asshat here, not me," Kade says and steps backwards. If the man comes within arm's length, he's knocking him on his ass.
He's sure it sucks having to earn trust Landry didn't break, but at the end of the day, it's her body. She decides what she does with it and who she does. For him to be angry about two damn months shows the type of person he really is. And whether Jess tells Kade to take a hike or not, he's just glad she won't end up with Landry.
"If I'm the asshat, what does that make you? Because I can come up with plenty of names for you that aren't suitable to say in front of Jess."
Jess shakes her head. "Stop it. Both of you."
"No, Jess, you need to open your eyes. He's nothing but a playboy who's out to break your heart once he's tired of getting laid by only you. He'll go out looking for more women to fulfill the needs you can’t. He’s done it before."
"Screw you!" Kade shouts. "You don't have a damn clue what you're talking about. You don't know the first thing about how I feel for this woman, and you don't know what my intentions are. Stop pretending like you know me or us when you don't know shit."
"I know you're going to hurt her again. Hell, you'll probably talk Lena back into your bed and arrange for Jess to walk in on you. Lena's the type to jump at the chance," Landry says. "Just another whore."
Jess's jaw drops, and Kade sees red. "Don't you dare talk about Lena like that. Regardless of what she and I had or did, she's a good person. Good enough that she and Jess became friends after what went down because she defended Jess. And I'm glad she did."
"Landry, you're crossing all the lines right now," Jess says and holds a hand up. "You don't know anything about Lena if you think that's what she'd do. And I think Joe would be upset to learn someone he considers a friend talks about his girlfriend that way."
"That man's as blind as you are if he thinks she's anywhere near worthy of him. She's going to screw him over just like Kade will you. And neither one of you will take responsibility for your part in the situation that will have you crying like damned babies."
The way Landry speaks to Jess, as well as about his friend, really makes Kade wish he'd already hit him to shut him up. He only hopes Jess tells Lena about this little confrontation.
"Responsibility? You really want to talk about responsibility, Landry? Or, better yet, let's talk about accountability. You don't have any of either," Jess says, her hand still clamping the robe under her chin. "If this is how you've always acted, it's no wonder you haven't been married and why women don't want to settle down with you. You are a very angry man deep in your core, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why. I've tried. Lord, have I tried, but there is something inside that's broken. Until you fix that, you won't find what you're looking for. You'll just keep losing people in your life."
His eyes widen. "Excuse me? You're trying to talk about my relationship with my ex now? You don't know the first thing about that relationship."
"No, I don't. And not for lack of trying, either. But I do know about your relationship with me. And in a way, you kept punishing me for her decision just like you seem upset about me making you wait two months before sleeping with you. It's a little hypocritical, don't you think?"
"You know what?" Landry says, his hands pointing between the two of them. "You two deserve each other."
"Good, then leave," Kade says.
Landry doesn't move for the door. Instead, he steps into the living room and stands directly in front of Jess. "You deserve everything he puts you through. Remember that when you're sobbing on the bathroom floor, wishing you would've chosen me."
"Whether or not he leaves me sobbing on the bathroom floor, I will never wish I chose you, Landry. This person seems to be the real you, and I don't like him. No matter what, walking away from you was the best decision I ever made."
"You're going to regret that thought one day, baby," he says, getting closer still.
Kade can't take it any longer, and he steps in, pushing the man back. "Back off. Or better yet, get the hell out."
"Don't touch me again, man. If you do, it's not going to end well for you," Landry says.
"You weren't invited here, and you're not with her anymore. It's obvious why she wants to be free of you, and she is. Just accept it and walk away like a man."
"A man? You're telling me how to be a man?"
Clenching his fists again, Kade glares at him. "I'm not going to keep warning you. Either you walk away, or you get carried away."
"Is that right?"
"You crossed a line getting in her face like that. You may be able to intimidate a woman half a foot shorter than you, but you can't intimidate me. Your actions have her flinching like someone might hit her, and that's never okay. You can be mad all you want, but the moment you make a woman question whether or not your anger will get physical with her, you've gone too far."
"You think she's scared of me? No, she's scared of you."
He can see Jess looking between them in his peripheral vision, but Kade never takes his eyes off Landry. Landry, however, breaks eye contact to look at Jess.
"If he scares you, Jess, you don't have to be afraid. I'll kick his ass for you."
"And what would you expect to be the reward?" she asks. "I'm not scared of Kade. And, for the most part, I'm not scared of you. But when you get angry, there's no telling what you'll do. You need to get some help, Landry, because one day, you're going to snap, and my worry for you is that it's going to be something you can't easily come back from."
"You're worried about me? I'm worried I should go to the clinic to get tested for whatever it is you may have passed along from him or any other sleazeball you were seeing. I just pray it's curable with medication."
Jess nods and looks at the floor. "Okay, Landry."
"That's all you have to say? Is that your way of saying you gave me something? Were you out whoring around the entire time we were together?"
"Back off-"
Jess puts her hand on Kade's bicep. "I'm done engaging with you, Landry. You obviously want a fight, and I don't want to be part of it. You need to leave."
"And you need to pull your head out of your ass and see he's playing you for a fool!" Landry shouts. "Or maybe that's what you want. Maybe you get off on the pain of being cheated on."
"If that were the case, she'd still be with you," Kade says. "She told you to leave, so you need to get the hell out of here."
Landry laughs. "She deserves a man like you. The playboy and the na?ve princess, who will live nothing but a life of misery and pain."
"Then let us live it," Jess says. "For the love of God, just leave."
"God, I can't believe how I missed it before."
Kade cracks his knuckles. If this man doesn't get out of Jess's house in the next thirty seconds, he may not be fully in control of his actions. Knocking his ass out will feel great.
"Great. Door. There. Use it," Jess says.
"You're just a bitch who strung me along like he strung you along. And you get away with it because you're pretty, but the truth is, you're not that pretty. The fact you have perky tits and keep the goodies under lock and key makes you seem more attractive than you are, but your personality makes you ugly. You used to be a solid six on a good night, but now I can see you're nothing more than a three. I'm a solid nine, and while naked, you're at least a seven, it's not worth it anymore."
His words have the intended effect because Jess lets out a silent chuckle, and her face can't hide the pain.
"Coming from the man who told me she was an emerald in a sea of diamonds? You're just trying to hurt her now," Kade says. "And that's over the line. You have thirty seconds to get out of here."
"I was trying to rub it in your face that I got the girl you can't have anymore. She's a dime a dozen, and she's not worth the spit it takes to lube her up."
All Kade sees is red, and the next thing he knows, Landry lies on the floor, blood on the corner of his mouth.
"Holy shit," Jess whispers from behind Kade.
Landry jumps up, and Kade shifts to make sure Jess stays blocked from him. "You made a mistake, Kade."
"No, you did. Talk whatever shit you want about me, but you crossed a line I won't let you come back from. That woman is a solid ten, and you know it. You're just butt hurt because you're nowhere near the nine you believe yourself to be, and the only one with an ugly personality in this room is you. Once you come to terms with the fact that you are the reason you can't get women to stay, maybe you'll find what you're looking for."
"You're just as pathetic as she is."
"Insult her one more time. I dare you," Kade says. "And your reward will be taking a long nap on the floor."
Landry takes a swing, but Kade dodges it and lands a solid right jab to his left side, making him stagger backwards. "You're going down."
Kade braces himself as Landry charges him, but he grabs him, places him in a headlock and swings him around until they're at the door. "She told you to leave. Don't ever come back here," Kade says, releasing him and punching once more in the face.
Landry falls backwards onto the yard, but he's still conscious. Kade made sure not to knock him out to avoid needing an ambulance. Plus, the charges may be lesser if he didn't cause the need for medical intervention.
"You can both go to hell," Landry says, standing up and wiping his mouth before staggering to his car.
Kade walks back into the house, shuts the door, and stares at Jess. What did he just do?