That’s what people kept telling him. But it didn’t feel true. Not to him.
When Jace didn’t answer, Eastern leaned forward. “Who knows about what happened?”
“Just my team and his family.”
“So, it’s one of them.”
“My team wouldn’t do this.”
Eastern frowned. “Give me Dean’s details and I’ll look into his family.”
Jace clenched his teeth. He didn’t want to think it could be any of them, either, but then, he didn’t know them. “Thanks.”
When Eastern continued to study him too closely, Jace bit back a curse. He knew what was coming.
“Are the texts all that are bothering you or is there more?” he finally asked.
Jace scrubbed a hand over his face.
“What happened?” Eastern asked when he didn’t respond.
“Elle walked into the bar last night and thought she saw Molly kiss me.”
Eastern raised a brow. “Did she?”
“No.Hellno. I wouldn’t have let that happen. I was distracted by the text, and she tugged my head down, but we didn’t kiss.”
“Did you tell Elle that?”
He could have laughed even though there was nothing remotely funny about this. “Of course I told her. She said it didn’t matter if another woman kissed me or not. She reminded me that I cut contact with her. And that before that, I dated other people over her.” A pulse beat in his temple at the memory of her words. At the pain in her eyes. The way she’d barely been able to look at him. “She said she’ll always care about me, but it has to be from afar.”
What the fuck did that even mean? They lived in the same small town. Worked at the same damn place.
Eastern frowned. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask, whydidyou lose contact with her?”
“Because I wantedmorefor her.” The words were out before he could stop them, like little explosions of truth detonating between him and his brother.
“Why didn’t you think you could give her more?”
So many fucking reasons. “I’m not like you, Eastern.”
“What does that mean?”
“I messed up a lot as a kid. I gave Dad hell. I wasn’t good at school. And people around me had a tendency to get hurt. So I stuck to relationships I knew wouldn’t last and had a plan to get out of here and make something of myself, like you and the rest of our family.”
“Jace. Dad was just as proud of you as he was of the rest of us. We wereallproud of you.”
He shook his head. “It didn’t feel that way. I felt like a fuckup. While Elle was…God, I don’t even know how to describe her. She was kind and generous and funny, even though she’d experienced both her parents walking away from her. I didn’t even feel like I deserved her as a friend some days.”
Eastern frowned. “And now?”
“Now, I still don’t feel deserving. But I also don’t feel capable of staying away. But I might have fucked it up too much to finallyhave her anyway. A part of me wouldn’t be surprised if I lost her completely. I seem to be really good at losing people. Mom. Dad. Lawson in high school, now Dean.”
“Hey. Stop talking about yourself like there’s something wrong with you. There isn’t, and Elle knows that. She just needs some faith that you’re in it for the long haul.Showher.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “It might be too late.”
“When the hell does Jace Walker say something’s too late and not pursue what he wants?” Eastern lifted a brow. “Go to her. Make it right. Make her see that you’re in this.”
