Page 71 of Fighting Jacob

He smiles—finally.

I want to relish his grin for a few seconds longer, but the pleading look he's giving me rushes the process. "If you're talking about the douchebag out there,” I jerk my chin to the doors we walked through ten minutes ago, "that was Curtis—Callum's brother.”

Hank is confused by my reply, but Jacob knows exactly who I’m talking about.

While working his jaw side to side, he glances over his shoulder to lock his eyes with Hank. “Can you give us a minute?” Realizing Hank takes everything literally, he quickly adds on, "Or ten.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Jacob

Five months later…

* * *

“What’s a guy got to do to get a beer around here?” Maggie’s eyes missile to mine, prepping to rip me a new asshole until she spots my mischievous grin. “How the hell are you, Mags?”

I’ve gone from seeing Maggie once or twice a week at a minimum to only a handful of times the past six months. With Noah’s band no longer performing at Mavericks, I have fewer reasons to visit. That and the fact Lola takes up a lot of my spare time—thank fuck.

"Alive, unlike you if you call me Mags again.” After jogging around the bar to hug me, she guides me onto one of the many empty barstools. “It’s been so long, Jacob. You need to visit more often. The only gossip I’ve heard lately is from Daisy, and you know what she’s like...?” An unsophisticated eye roll ends her question. "Now come spill. I'm dying here."

Over the next hour, I update her on everything that has happened the past few months. How Rise Up hit the number one spot on the Billboard charts last weekend. The little blip Noah and Emily had. Jenni and Nick becoming parents, and how Noah’s mom tried to force contact with him through the media.

Maggie sits and absorbs every little detail. She already knows most of it, but she’s a good listener who’d never belittle someone for telling her gossip she already knows. Besides, she prefers hearing stories firsthand from the people involved instead of half-truths from those not in the know.

“And what about you, Jacob?” She peers up at me with her motherly eyes. “For the past hour, you updated me on everyone but yourself. What’s happening in your life? Surely it’s been just as exciting.”

My lips twist as I struggle to come up with something. “There’s not much to share. I’m still fighting.” She huffs before motioning for me to continue. “I found out a couple of months ago, the only person who has defeated me is Callum’s brother, Curtis.”

Maggie’s eyes widen as her mouth gapes open. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, you weren’t the only surprised. Lola had no clue he was a fighter. From what we can gather, he orchestrated our fight after he saw Lola and me together. That's why he cheated. He believed I had done his brother wrong. I’m still waiting for the opportunity to fix the injustice.”

I take a swig of my beer, hoping it will hide the annoyance in my tone. I’ve been hounding Isaac relentlessly to arrange the fight with Curtis. He keeps saying he’s working on it, but how long does it take? I get he has bureaucratic tape to cut through, but five months is a long time for revenge to fester. If I weren’t still on probation for my first tussle with a Parker man, I’d look at other options. Alas, I’m stuck with a criminal record while the real criminal walks free.

I chug down my beer more freely, hating the fucked up way life works sometimes. It pisses me off that Lola isn't at fault here, yet she's left looking over her shoulder every time we go out. Thank fuck she is as strong as she is stubborn. A lesser woman would have crumbled by now.

Like she can hear my thoughts, Maggie asks, “And you and Lola? How're things?”

I smile at the apprehension in her tone. “We’re good. Same as always...”

“Friends,” we say at the same time.

I bump her with my shoulder. “You know how stubborn she is. If she doesn’t want to do something, no one can force her to. That includes relationship statuses.”

Grinning, Maggie nods. The pure joy on her face prompts me as to why I’m visiting a bar in the middle of the afternoon. After digging out the envelope Emily gave me earlier, I hand it to Maggie. She peers at it curiously before carefully prying it open. The more she scans the elegantly gilded document inside, the wider her pupils become.

“They're getting married, and I’m invited!” She slaps her hand over her mouth in silent apology to every patron in Mavericks. She just pierced their eardrums. Her remorse is a forgotten memory when she scans the rest of the invitation. “They’re getting married next week—in Vegas!”

She sounds as shocked as I was when Emily told me her plans. “Yes, next weekend. Noah doesn’t know – it’s a secret. Emily wanted to give you your invitation herself, but since she has to plan a wedding in a week, I offered to deliver it. She wanted me to tell you they would be honored if you could attend, but they understand if it’s too short of notice.”

“I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it.” My eyes track her when she races to the side of the bar. “Ollie, I have to finish early.”

Ollie mumbles something back, but I don’t catch anything he says.

Once she has her jacket on, Maggie returns to my side of the bar. “Tell Emily I graciously accept her invitation.” With the giddy grin, she plants a kiss on my cheek before darting out of the bar like a woman on a mission. “I have a dress to buy!”

I’m still smirking over her excitement when "G'day, Jacob" sounds over my shoulder.

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