He rolls onto his side and drags his tongue along my shoulder, lazy and possessive, like a lion marking its mate. “I love you. I know you’re scared, but this is it. You’re the one. You’re my missus. I’m your bloke, and we’re gonna have a long, happy life together.”
Heat rises in my chest so fast it feels like he’s choking me again. I bury my face in the pillow so he can’t see me smile. “I’m not being Mrs.Graves-Holland. Like, Icannothave that name.”
“No worries. I like calling you Renaldo. Beach wedding? Mountains? Courthouse?”
“You’re getting way out over your skis here, bud.”
“We’ll see.” His hand settles on my hip. “Speaking of which, look at me?”
I turn my head and find Jake smirking back at me. “Whatever Betty finds. I think we should head to the reunion together tomorrow night.”
I jolt upright, slapping away his hand. “What? Dude, why?”
“Why not?” He props himself up on an elbow. “No one’s gonna fuck with you if I’m there, and it seems like we’ve both got some axes to grind.”
“I know IsaidI wanted fistfights, but in light of everything, I’ve decided I don’t actually wanna watch you manslaughter our graduating class.”
“I can do more than just punch people, y’know?”
“Like?”
He leans in and whispers in my ear. By the time he pulls back, my mouth is agape. “That’s diabolical, Graves-Holland.”
“Sure. But what do you actually think? Wanna do it?”
“I think... I think you’re on,” I say slowly. “As long as you let me handle Tristan. At least at first.”
“Fair’s fair.”
I flop onto the pillow beside him, dizzy with hormones and a brand new revenge plan. “So, this reunion’s gonna be cooked, hey?”
“Sure will,” Jake says. “I can’t wait until this is over and we can just be a normal couple and do everything together.”
“Sap,” I say, though I hardly mean it.
“I’m proud to be a sap, if it means never being away from you again.”
My smile falters. “But what if things change? What if I don’t turn out to be who you thought I was?”
Jake’s thumb brushes my lips, his touch light but firm. Seconds pass, and I start to get worried. Then he kisses me, soft and then harder, like he’s answering his own question. He pulls away and looksat me with that coal-black gaze that made my knees weak the night I agreed to go home with him at Stabbies.
“I’ll always love you,” he says. “Whoever you become, I’ll love them too. It’s you and me, baby. Forever. Sorry.”
“Hmm, well, at least you said sorry.” I roll onto his naked body to conceal the fact that I’ve started crying again. “I guess, worse thingshavehappened to me.”
“Damn right they have.” Jake gathers my hair in his fist. “They’re about to happen to your pussy, Renaldo.”
I climb onto Jake and prepare to guide him inside me when his phone buzzes. I break away to reach for it, and he grabs at my hand.
“No chance.”
“What if it’s Betty? It might be important.”
Jake leans over to look at his screen. “It’s just Davis.”
“It still might be important! Answer it!”
“I’ll call him back later. He’s probably just freaking out ’cos Cece’s still MIA. Now…” He pushes my head downward. “Why isn’t your mouth around my cock?”
