Page 60 of Come Back to Me

Jack looks shocked, then livid, when he realizes what is happening.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he yells at Joel, trying to charge toward him. Fitz holds him back.

“I’m getting her out of here, asshole. Because, unlike you, I care about her,” Joel snarks back. Then he very obviously puts his hand on the small of my back and guides me toward the passenger side of his car, placing his body between me and Jack.

I shouldn’t, but I can’t stop myself from glancing back once more.

Jack’s eyes are wide, his gazing rapidly shifting between Joel and me, his breathing quick and shallow. He turns his attention back to me.

“Annie, please don’t get into that car with him. Please let me explain. Please, baby, I love you,” he begs.

“You don’t get a say about what I do anymore, Jack.” I turn away, then whip around and face him again, not able to leave it at that.

“I didn’t want any of this,” I say, practically whispering now, gesturing between us.

“What?” he asks quietly, looking stunned and having the gall to look hurt.

“I didn’t want this. You made me want it. You promised you would not hurt me like Jason did, but you did worse. You pushed me to give you a chance. You made me love you and then you did this. You broke your promise,” I say, unable to stop the flood of words coming out of my mouth now.

My vision blurs and I realize I’m crying and now I’m even more pissed because he’s seeing my tears. I roughly wipethem away before finishing the last thing I ever need to say to Jack Donley.

“This is over. We are over… I’m… I’m calling it,” I say in a flat voice. I move to get into the car, pulling the door shut behind me and locking it. Joel makes his way around to the driver’s door and gets in.

Jack releases an anguish filled howl and it slams into my heart despite the barrier of the closed door and window. Still, I refuse to look back over at him.

“No, Annie! No!” he screams, sounding in agony.

I don’t turn back to look at him, but I can’t stop myself and I watch through the mirror as he tries to charge toward the car. Fitz, and now another firefighter I recognize, hold him back.

After we pull away, we drive in silence for several minutes, except for the few directions I give Joel on the way back to my house.

“Why don’t we stop somewhere along the way for a drink, Annie? You look like you shouldn’t be alone right now,” Joel says, putting his hand on my shoulder.

“No, I really want to go home, please,” I answer. I scoot myself as discreetly as possible toward the door so his hand falls off me.

“Come on, Annie. You deserve better than this. I told you I’d be waiting when he screwed up, and here I am. Don’t let him keep you from being happy?—”

“Stop the car,” I say. He ignores me.

“Stop the damn car now, Joel!” I raise my voice, not caring that I’m yelling at him.

“What the hell, Annie? Let me at least take you home. I’m just trying to be a good friend.”

“Stop. The. Car. Now. You’re not being a friend. You just saw me get my heart crushed and you’re trying to convince me, once again, to give you a chance. Stop the car!” I yell.

“Jesus, fine!” he says, pulling over. “Let’s talk.”

“Go to hell, Joel,” I hiss at him. I open my door and jump out of the car and then walk back in the other direction.

He tries to call out to me, but I just flip him off and keep walking. With shaking hands, I pull out my phone and open my contacts, before pressing call when I find the person I need.

“Hello?” a sleepy voice asks.

“Janie”—I say between sobs—“can you come get me?”

CHAPTER 27

ANNIE

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