He told me that once and all the time we were together, I never broke it. But I’m going to break it now and he can’t stop me.
“Fine.” He throws me a short nod of his own. “You can eat your fucking cupcake in my car.”
So I finally get inside his car and open the box of cupcakes. When he closes the door, I hear him mutter,That rule was never for you anyway.
Again, I try not to dwell on those nearly silent words. I try not to let any warmth invade my chest.
But as I said, on nights like this, it becomes hard.
It becomes hard to ignore that for all his asshole ways, he did get me off the hook and he did apologize to me.
And one Thursday, a week later, it becomes almost impossible to ignore.
Because first, he comes to pick me up at midnight, wearing a suit.
A legit suit with a tie.
His jacket is off, but he’s wearing a dress shirt that stretches really nicely over his chest, and a loosened tie.
For a few seconds I can only watch him with wide eyes. Because he looks so… dashing. So freaking handsome and gorgeous and worldly.
Like the rich, arrogant boy he is.
A man actually.
And the second thing happens when I get inside his Mustang and my eyes fall on some papers and files scattered on his backseat. It’s not the files themselves that trip me up, it’s the black logo on them,Jackson Builders.
His dad’s company.
The company that Reed has sworn never to work at even though that’s what his dad has always wanted for him.
That’s what pushes me over the edge.
That file and his suit.
That’s what makes me break the pact. The pact that I’d made with Tempest of no brothers and no seeking out information about Reed.
About the last two years.
About what really happened and what he did to get me free.
He’s waitingfor me by his car.
Like he always does.
Leaning against it, his arms crossed over his chest, his ankles crossed as well.
I can see him through the woods, his tall form, his dark jeans.
Tonight there’s no light in him, no softness. Nothing to sand down the beautiful, reckless edges.
Because tonight he’s forgone his hoodie that he usually wears. He doesn’t have his suit on either, which I only saw for the first time last Thursday, which made him look all old and mature and so experienced.
Tonight, he has that leather jacket on.
The one that I hate because he wore it when he broke my heart, looking so gorgeous while doing it.
I watch him in that without making my presence known.
