It’s the closest thing to a surrender I've ever received.Not that I’m entirely surprised.You don’t get away with stealing a multi-million dollar company without learning how to read people…and odds.And the odds of him walking away if he decided to push shit were less than zero.Or at least, it’s what I’d like to tell myself.Truth is, I’ve never hit him back before.I’ve never even been close to hitting him back.Why?Why can’t I hit him back?It’s a question I’ve asked myself a million times.One I’ve yet to find the answer to, despite the many nights of tossing and turning and replaying conversations and abuse like I’m on a carousel with no exit strategy.
And none of those times, not one, has pushed me so close to the edge as when my father referenced June.
“I said, get out of my sight,” my father demands.
With a slow nod, I step away and turn on my heel, giving the bastard my back.I could take him.I could beat the ever-loving shit out of him.Maybe one day I will.And if he has the audacity to bring up June again, it’ll be a hell of a lot sooner rather than later.
But not today.Today, I’m done.
22
JUNE
“Thanks for the invite,” Bryan says.He shakes Jagger’s hand.
Jagger smiles, though I can’t be the only one who feels it’s lack of authenticity.“Don’t mention it.”
I have a feeling Jagger means it in a very literal sense.I also have a feeling that the only reason Bryan received an invitation tonight is because he’s with me.And the only reason I received one is because I’m friends with Jagger’s girlfriend.I exchange a quick look with Violet as she hides her amusement, pressing her hand against her mouth.Yup.I’m definitely not the only one who can see how Jagger’s clearly less than enthused by Bryan’s presence this evening.
“Good to see you again, Bryan,” Violet tells him.She opens Jagger’s front door the rest of the way and steps aside.“Come on in.”
“Good to see you, too, Violet,” he returns as he looks around the quiet house.After ditching me one too many times over the last week, Violet insisted we have a double date, if you can call it that.She invited Lexie to come hang out, too, but Lexie declined after finding out the hanging out would be at Jagger’s house, saying she had to work.Seeing how controlling Ethan is with her, I kind of doubt it, but it isn’t my place to call her out.
Now it’s just me and Bryan with Jagger and Violet, and no one to break up the awkwardness.
Yeah, I’m really missing Lexie right about now.It’s not that Bryan doesn’t fit in with Violet.It's just…okay, he kind of sticks out like a sore thumb with Jagger.It isn’t his fault, though.What do these two have in common?Bryan’s tight on cash.Jagger was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.Bryan works full-time.Jagger’s finishing his master’s degree in Economics in the spring.Bryan and I are still feeling things out, and Jagger’s all in with my best friend.Add in the gorgeous castle of a home, along with Bryan just getting off work for 24 consecutive hours, and of course, his head is swimming, you know?
Shrugging off his coat, Bryan asks, “So, what’s a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?”
Violet laughs and points toward the kitchen at the back of the house.“Help yourself.”
“Awesome, thanks.”Turning to me, Bryan asks, “You want anything, babe?”
There it is again.Babe.
I ignore Violet’s stare burning a hole in the side of my head and give Bryan a nod.“Vodka Sprite, please.”
“Be right back.”
As he disappears into the kitchen, Violet says, “Babe, huh?”
Gah.How did I know she was going to bring this up?Thankfully, she’s smart enough to keep her voice quiet so it doesn’t travel through the massive house where Bryan might overhear us.Even so, I peek around her, confirming Bryan’s out of earshot.
Satisfied, I reply, “I know.”I barely keep my grimace in check.“Is it weird?”
“Not unless it’s weird for you,” she offers.
If only I knew the answer to that.It’s not that I hate the nickname.It's just that I kind of feel like we should be officially dating before terms of endearment are incorporated into the relationship, you know what I mean?Or maybe I’m overthinking things.It wouldn’t be the first time.Besides, I’m the one who asked him to come hang out with my friends.If that isn’t a positive sign that I like where things are headed with us, I don’t know what is.So why does the nickname feel so…wrong?
I shake off the feeling and give Jagger a smile because I refuse to analyze my relationship with Fireman Bryan in front of my friends.“Thanks for the invite, Jagger,” I tell him.“For real.”
“Not a problem,” he replies.“Besides, it’s a bit of a two birds, one stone, kind of thing, so I’m not complaining.”
Two birds, one stone?What’s he talking about?“How so?”I ask.
Crinkles of amusement form at the edge of Violet’s coffee-colored eyes as she loops her arm through her boyfriend’s.“Jagger wants my friends, aka you and Lexie—if she’d decided to show—to like him.”
“And I get to piss off one of my brothers in the process.”Jagger shrugs.“It’s a win-win.”
