3. Three
Three
Tessa
“ Y ou have got to be kidding me,” Jake mutters the second he swings the door wide and notices me standing on his porch.
It’s taken me a couple of days to work up the courage to make my move.
I know it’s risky, showing up unannounced—again.
But his standoffish behavior toward me these past few weeks has left me with little to no choice.
Blowing out an exasperated breath, he flicks his gaze to the heavens before hitting me with a dark glower. “You don’t take a hint, do you?”
Holding up my hands, I give him my most brilliant smile.
“Don’t jump down my throat. I come in peace,” I say and watch as suspicion crawls across his face.
He doesn’t trust my intentions, and he’s right not to.
I came here to corrupt the man, after all.
“Just give me ten minutes of your time,” I plead, tamping down my excitement when his iron will seems to waver.
“I won’t stop coming for you until you talk to me. ”
He arches a brow. “You know, I’m not sure how the law works over in Cali, but here in Texas, we call this harassment. Don’t force me to take out a restraining order.”
I snort, lips twitching with amusement. “Is Payton still acting Sheriff? Because I’m pretty sure he’d laugh in your face and tell you to grow a pair if you came to him with that ridiculous request.”
That finally seems to cut through the tension, earning me the faintest hint of a smile.
Jake runs his fingers through his thick, tousled curls and sends a heavy exhale through his nose before reluctantly stepping out of the house and pulling the door shut behind him.
It’s not an invitation into his home, but I’ll take it as a win.
He flicks a hand at the porch swing and takes up shop by the railing, resting his powerful thighs against the wooden structure and folding his arms across his chest. It seems to be his go-to stance whenever he’s feeling vulnerable.
I don’t waste time planting my butt down, afraid he’ll change his mind and tell me to take a hike if I let myself hesitate even for a second too long.
Rubbing my sweaty palms on my pants, I take a moment to gather my thoughts, and I must take too long, for when I glance at Jake once more, he’s looking at me in a way that tells me to get on with it already .
“Right. I’ll just cut to the chase, then.
I know you’re busy,” I grumble. I’m not sure whether I’m growing irritated with him for being so difficult or because I find myself unable to stop staring.
I can’t help but appreciate the sight of him despite my growing frustration.
The golden glow of the early morning sun against his back illuminates his large frame, making him look almost otherworldly.
Like a Greek god, a king regarding me with a regal expression while he decides whether or not I’m worthy of his forgiveness. Well, we’ll soon find out.
“I know you’re disappointed and angry with me, and you have every right to be.
But I’m going to be here for a while, and I really feel like we need to get rid of all this resentment between us if we're going to co-exist in this town. Megan and Carter invited me to their BBQ this weekend, and I know you and Alicia will be there. I don’t know about you, but I’d hate for people to feel uncomfortable around this cloud of hostility surrounding you whenever we’re in the same vicinity.
” The subtle clench of his jaw is the only reaction he’s willing to give me, and for some reason, his lack of emotion bothers me.
So, I do something that’s never failed to coax a genuine reaction out of him.
I poke the bear. I may not have spoken to him in years, but there was a time when I knew him better than myself and that Jake is still in there somewhere.
It’s time for him to come out of hibernation and meet me on an even playing field.
“Besides, I don’t think you’re being fair.
You act like I’m the only one who’s made mistakes when we both know better.
I hurt you, and I take full responsibility for that.
It was wrong of me to deprive us of a chance to work through our issues, but I was just so mad at you—”
“Now, hold on a damn minute,” Jake interrupts, tilting his head to the side like he can’t quite figure out what I’m on about.
“You mentioned you were angry with me the last time you paid me one of your impromptu visits, and I’ll admit you had me curious.
You see, what I can’t seem to figure out is what reason you could possibly have to be pissed at me.
The only thing I can think of is that you’re still mad that my carelessness and overindulgence made it easy for Jessica to manipulate me, and if that’s the case, then okay.
I get it. I fucked up, and I’ve apologized more than once.
Christ, I was literally kneeling in the dirt at your feet, begging for your forgiveness.
But the fact is, I didn’t sleep with anyone.
” The heat creeping up his throat is as concerning as it is satisfying and I lift my chin, letting him know I’m no longer afraid to take whatever he’s about to dish out.
His eyes flash with the challenge, and his lip curls into a cruel smile before he goes on.
“But even if I did, I wouldn’t have been a willing participant.
I was fucking drugged, Teresa. You, on the other hand, had full use of your senses when you took Shane to bed.
And then you got the hell out of dodge, so you didn’t have to deal with the consequences of your actions.
” He scoffs, eyes glittering with anger.
“You didn’t even give me time to wrap my head around it.
To let it all sink in and come to terms with the fact that the girl I loved sought comfort in the arms of my enemy because I failed to provide that for you.
You didn’t even give us a fighting chance.
So, I guess I’m having a hard time understanding why you’d be upset. ”
Even though every harshly delivered word chips away at the hardened exterior surrounding my heart, it’s not enough to fully disperse the lingering ache in my chest. I was hurt, too, dammit and it’s time for him to acknowledge that he’s not the only victim here.
“Alright, let me enlighten you,” I say, folding my arms across my chest to match his hostile body language.
That my new position just so happens to push my boobs together in a favorable way, causing his gaze to land on my cleavage, doesn’t go unnoticed.
Men . No matter how much they might despise the very sight of you, flash them a little skin and they simply can’t help themselves.
“You might not have slept with Jessica that night, but you certainly didn’t keep it in your pants long, did you? ”
Jake rears back, eyes round as he stares at me like I’ve suddenly sprouted a second head. “What the hell are you talking about? ”
“I came back for you. Four weeks after I left, I booked a flight home because I couldn’t stand the way we left things.
It may have taken me a month to grow a backbone, but I needed some distance to clear my head.
I also thought it would be in our best interests to give you some time to cool off.
You were so damn angry the last time we spoke. You told me I was dead to you, Jake.”
He rolls his eyes like I’m being utterly ridiculous.
“My girlfriend just told me she slept with the guy I despised most in the world. How did you think I’d react?
I was fucking livid, Tessa. I said things in the heat of the moment.
You have no idea the sheer relief I felt when I found out I didn’t cheat on you.
I went from thinking you’d throw yourself into my arms, that everything would be right with my world again, to you dropping the mother of all nuclear bombs into my lap.
I didn’t know how to cope. I was eighteen years old.
A struggling, beaten-down excuse of a man, and you tore my heart to shreds.
I said things I shouldn’t have, and for that I truly am sorry.
But goddammit, Tessa. You should’ve known I didn’t mean it. ”
“I did know that. Which is why I came home intending to make things right. Imagine my surprise when I pulled up in front of your house, and none other than Jessica Cartwright struts out your front door like she owned the damn place. ”
“You’re joking, right?” Jake laughs, pinching the bridge of his nose as if to stave off an oncoming headache.
“I wish I was.” Even after all this time, I still tear up thinking about that particular morning and how I felt at the sight of her.
Utterly wrecked, a bone-deep sense of betrayal ripping through me as I watched the person responsible for the end of my relationship exit the house of the boy I loved in the early morning hours.
“She spotted me sitting in my car and strolled right on over, flashing me that evil smirk that still haunts my dreams. I rolled down my window, and she didn’t hesitate to tell me that not only had you forgiven her for the role she’s played in our falling out, but you’d also accepted her generous offer to help you get over me.
Said you were in the shower washing off the evidence of your little fuckfest as we spoke. ”
For some reason, Jake seems to find my admission funny. I kid you not; he looks up at the sky, and I can only watch, wide-eyed and fuming, as an honest-to-God belly laugh escapes him while I relay the single most painful and humiliating moment of my life.
“That’s fucking rich,” he rumbles, just before he gets a hold of himself and meets my furious glare. I’m about two seconds away from slapping the misplaced grin off his face when I notice the underlying hurt he tries so hard to hide. “And you believed her?”
“What was I supposed to believe? ”