I didn’t pull my gaze from Jett’s, even as the vulnerability of being denied what I wanted so badly took up residence in my whole body.
His eyes were indecisive, want and fear battling in his mesmerizing gaze. Jett shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.
“I better go to my place.” He said the words, but there wasn’t much conviction in his tone, and a little part of me thought he might change his mind if coaxed.
“We are married. It wouldn’t be unheard of for us to spend time alone.” I smiled. “We used to camp out in the living room and fall asleep watching movies together all the time.”
It was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head when he responded, “I can’t, Patience.”
No Roo or sweetheart, no soft whispers—no, his voice was firm and left no room for argument.
What happened to the man who just gave me a ring and told me that it was always meant for me and that he was the lucky one? The same one who growled and ripped Chaz a new one in my defense?
I tried reaching out, sensing he was struggling with something and was scared, but he backed away.
The hurt pierced my soul, and I knew it was written all over my face. I could see it bothered him, but it didn’t change anything.
“I’m sorry. Goodnight.” And with that, he walked away.
A few doors down, he entered his condo without a backward glance.
My heart felt heavy and broke a bit at the weight of the thought that Jett may never be able to embrace me and him as anus.Would he ever take his shot?
I sure hope so.
Chapter Sixteen
JETT
I was constantly fucking up.
She wore my ring and was my wife, and I couldn’t get my shit together to even kiss her at the end of what was basically a date.
This whole thing started out wrong, but for a good reason. The thing was, it was exactly what I wanted. And in the next moment, I told myself I didn’t deserve any of it. I fisted my hair in my hands and pulled at the strands in frustration.
I’d managed to get to my place, shower, and pull on a pair of clean boxers, but after sliding into bed, all I could see was the look of sadness on her face when I turned her down. She was right; we had many nights where we’d fallen asleep near each other.
God, I had slept so contentedly just being near her.
What I’d give for sleep like that now.
But it wasn’t possible.
Her eyes, so full of sorrow, flashed in my mind again, and I thought I was going to come unglued. I couldn’t unsee it and wanted to do something that made her happy. An ideabegan to form—something we’d done before she came to live with us in high school, but also when we had been in our rooms at Gramps’s just down the hall.
I pulled out my phone and shot off a text, not wanting to call in case she had managed to fall asleep, but hoping the little ping of a text was something she would hear if she was still awake like me.
Me:Want to sit on the phone and talk like we used to, but hang up when we feel like we can fall asleep?
Many times we accidentally fell asleep while talking and then woke up with our phones still connected, but I couldn’t let that happen now. Hopefully, what I was offering would put a bit of a smile on her face and settle us both.
That smile came in the form of an emoji just a second later.
Patience:I’d love to.
I dialed her number, and when she answered, I could hear that smile in just her simple hello.
The happiness I also heard in her voice shot straight through me, and I felt my body instantly relax.
