“It means exactly what I said. He’s the ghost. He’ll always haunt me.” Mark tips his head back and chugs the rest of his whiskey.
“Are you safe?” I don’t know what else to ask or say here. I’m out of my depth. Never have I dealt with shit like this, and I sure don’t know how to handle it.
Mark forcibly laughs, and the sound stiffens my spine. “Yeah, Jett.” He shakes his head, as if clearing a thought. “I’m good.”
I want to force him to tell me everything, but it’s clear this is all I’m going to get out of him. By the looks of it, Mark is terrified of Tony. I don’t want to push for more than he’s willing to give. Atsome point, a man has to deal with his past on his own—confront his own demons. But if he’s in danger, I hope he knows he can come to me.
He’s my family now. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to help him.
Chapter five
Jett
April 2017
Sitting on the edge of the creek on the back of our property, I take in the serene scenery, relaxing as the water flows across my feet. Looking around, the flowers are in full bloom, and the butterflies are swarming.
She would love this.My body tenses at the thought.
Ugh. I hate that she even crosses my mind.
She's everywhere. In my thoughts, in everything I see and hear, and she's even managed to creep her way into my damn heart.
I don't soften to people other than my family easily, or ever. She's the exception.
I hate that I'm starting to love it.
I know her too well. She won't allow us to go further thanthis,no matter how badly she may want to. It's a lost battle before the war can even be declared.
It’s been months since the day I brought her here. Or, tried to.Months.
Hell, I even tried planning that picnic by the creek. I worked hard on this fucking meadow, planting different species of wildflowers that bloom at different points throughout the years. All attract butterflies throughout the year, too. I wanted her to have a place to always be surrounded by the things she loved.A place where she could always be happy.
I picked the perfect time, just like today, when the wildflowers were in full bloom, and the butterflies were swarming. Izzy loves butterflies; she always has. Once, a few years back, she mentioned wanting to be free like a butterfly. I wanted her to feel that freedom here, with me. Instead, she saw it, freaked, and left.
She just fucking left.
I should have been done with her then. I should have taken every damn hint she so easily gave, that this will never be anything more to her. However, for some reason,I can't.
I can't give up on what I know is meant to bemine.
We are meant to be.
Maybe not now, maybe not soon, but we are endgame. She knows it. She's just too fucking scared of anything that'srealto see it.
I won't lie and say that, since that day, things have been easy for me when it comes to her. Because they haven't. She went ghost on me for a few weeks after that failed picnic, and I let her. It almost killed me, but I made no attempts to reach out to her. I was pissed, and needed time.
After three weeks, she finally texted me. Also, like I knew she would, she never explained, apologized, or mentioned that day at all. She picked up as if no time had passed between us.
I allowed it.
Everything’s on her terms.
I allow that too.
Truth be told, I'm fucking obsessed with this girl, and even a day of not hearing from herhurts. I can’t focus. Hell, at times Ican’t breathe. So if keepingthison her terms keeps her around, I’ll have to fucking deal.
Since she reached back out, our texts quickly returned to phone calls, which evolved into visits. Visits are good. Visits I can work with.
