‘Wait . . . you don’t?’ he said, shifting himself, the phone wobbling for a second. ‘Does that mean . . .’
‘Oh fuck, I don’t know,’ I whispered, rubbing my forehead as I closed my eyes, the weight of the past week weighing them down. ‘I don’t know anything any more. But I know . . . I feel like I’m fucking dying without you.’
He looked away at that, returning his gaze a few seconds later, his eyes glassy.
‘Honey, I meant every word I said to you before you left,’ he said, his voice unbearably raw. ‘It wasn’t just something to make you stay.’
‘I know,’ I murmured, drinking him in, willing myself to remember every detail of his face.
That’s when he shifted again, a different kind of pain flitting through his features. A flash of white on his right arm appeared.
‘What’s that?’ I asked, curiosity turning to concern as he bit his lip.
‘Um . . . I, uh . . .’ He exhaled, as if steeling himself. ‘I just had a bit of fall last weekend, it’s nothing.’
‘Jesse,’ I said, strength returning as my anxiety rose. ‘Fall from what?’
He held my gaze, not flinching, eyes pinched as he finally held up his right arm, a cast on his wrist visible, his sleeve rolled back.
‘I rode at Sunday’s rodeo. It got a bit rough.’ He cleared his throat as I put my hand to my mouth. ‘But I still won – just. Decent money, too,’ he added. ‘The next round is even bigger and I’ve qualified now.’
‘This is my fault, isn’t it?’ I said, remembering the way he’d folded in on himself as I left. ‘I distracted you and fucked it up by leaving like that, and now—’
‘No, honey – Hestia, sweetheart, stop,’ he clarified, shaking his head. ‘I was fine, I managed to concentrate. I just messed up the landing, that’s all. He was a big, crazy fucker, twisting every which way. It’s why my score was so good.’
‘You’re the crazy fucker,’ I swore, holding my finger under my eye to dab at the gathering wetness there.
He exhaled, his mouth parting into a smile.
‘God, I want to touch you,’ he admitted. ‘I can’t stop thinking about you. It’s driving the rest of them fucking insane.’
I smiled back, watching how he focused on my lips for a moment.
‘So, how are we going to solve this, Jessica?’ he breathed, his use of my nickname sending fire through every part of my body.
I shook my head, a hundred different thoughts colliding at once.
But before I had the chance to voice any of them, the door swung open behind me and Cal walked in, in full sight of Jesse.
‘Thought you might want these,’ he said, his tone suddenly icy as he dropped scraps of black lace onto my bed, vaguely recognizable as my underwear.
Only I couldn’t focus on the underwear, because this time, he was entirely naked – what little coverage the boxers had provided, gone.
In horror, stunned into silence, I didn’t even flinch as he stepped over, kissing me square on the mouth before strolling out again.
‘Oh – say hi to your friend for me,’ he called.
There was a deep, sickening silence as Jesse’s expression hardened.
‘I’ve got to go,’ he said, moving himself to the side of the bed.
‘Jesse, that was not what it—’
‘Hestia, I . . .’ He stopped himself, swearing under his breath.
‘Please, Jesse, listen t—’
‘Bye, Hestia,’ he choked, the screen returning to black as he disconnected the call.
