Page 53 of Pieces of Us

It has been three days since I spoke with him. He didn’t reach out immediately, but the next morning he hit me up with his usual good morning flattery, indicating whatever relationship we had left was far from over.

I didn’t bother replying. What else was there to say? He had lied to me about his history with Billie. If he had just told me instead of her blindsiding me, at least I could have had a bit more time to process.

It makes me sick to my stomach to think how a significant part of my history was altered because of his choices. And it makes me equally nauseous to think he made a child with her. Knowing their…passion was strong enough to create another human is excruciating.

‘So what now?’ Rome asks. He’s always the logical one out of the three, while Lily takes the cake for being my over-the-top ride or die, and Jagger is filled with testosterone and is fiercely protective over me.

‘I don’t know. Nothing? Maybe we could be friends. I get the feeling he has no real ones.’ I pummel the pillow, exerting all these jittery feelings. I’ve been stuffing my face with everything and anything that’s disgustingly fattening for the better part of seventy-two hours, and I’m pretty sure I’m hyped up on sugar.

‘Seriously? The fucker just admitted he knocked up your enemy, and you want to let him back in?’ Jagger says bluntly in between lifting weights. God, he is sexy. Both Lily and I are ogling his ripped muscles that have a faint sheen of sweat. The light is hitting all the right ridges.

‘I guess? I don’t want to feel so lethargic when I’m around him anymore, just a shell of who I was. I want to try, for the sake of my sanity, to be at least civil.’ I prop my chin on my hand as I watch Jagger work those weights.

‘Am I an idiot?’

‘Yes,’ all three of them say in unison.

Jagger and Rome smirk at me while Lily pleads with her eyes to not let the devil back in.

‘He’s made a shitload of bad choices, but he’s not a cunt,’ Rome says.

I look at Jagger to hear his perspective.

‘I don’t know the bro. You’ll always be my main concern…but if you think this is best, I’ll support you, baby girl.’ He winks as he starts his crunches. Shirtless. It’s a salivating distraction.

‘Hey, Jagger?’ Lily pipes up.

‘Yeah, Lil?’ he grunts.

‘Aim the camera a little lower. Wanna see what you’re packing.’

Rome chokes as Jagger winks and laughs at her audaciousness. They are friendly flirts, but that’s it.

‘What do you think, Lily?’

Lincoln had tried numerous times to reach out to Lily and Rome, and while they listened to his apologies, they never rekindled what they had.

‘If this is what you really want—and it won’t jeopardise your progress or your career—I’ll always back you.’ She holds my hand in solidarity.

‘What I still don’t get is why he lied to me about pretty significant life events.’ I gave him every opportunity to come clean.

‘He already lost you once. I reckon he thought this would be a sure fire way to lose you forever.’ Rome comes through with the logic again.

I stretch my neck, accepting that he’s probably right.

‘So, are you going to chat to him again?’ I snort at Lily’s sass, knowing she’s fed up with the back and forth.

‘Who the fuck knows. Probably. Just don’t know when.’ I shrug, trying to hide how fast my heart palpitates at the thought. Reaching over the bedside table, I grab the last Tim Tam in the pack and shove it in my mouth. The chocolatey goodness coats my teeth and tongue, reminding me of how damn decadent this quintessential Aussie treat is.

‘Would it help if I came to see you?’ Jagger sits up on his gym mat.

‘What?’

‘We’re knocked out of the NFL finals, so really there’s nothing else to do here until pre-season starts. I miss my girl. Let me come to Australia and make everything better,’ he croons.

‘Lincoln. Would. Die,’ Lily squeals, flattening her back on the bed and kicking her feet as if she’s a kid.

‘You’d hate it down under. It’s so slow compared to LA.’ I don’t know if it’s a good idea to have him here, but I sure do miss him. He brings the fun wherever he goes.

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