Page 28 of King of Jokers

“Hot Shot. Heard you were back in town. Surprised I haven’t seen your face around here sooner. Plenty of bathrooms with the goods you like.” He spat and I tensed. What the hell was his problem?

“Although, I can see where you’ve been hiding. Can’t say I blame you.” He overtly looked me up and down again, his intentions disgustingly obvious.

Aiden was a notorious womaniser, although he had never tried anything with me, preferring to ridicule and humiliate me instead. His constant snickering and bully tactics were one of the reasons I found school so difficult, the degree of harassment much more prominent on the days Jack left early for training.

I’d never necessarily known him to be aggressive though.

“Did you need something?” Jack gritted, ignoring the blatant attempt to make us both uncomfortable.

“Only to ask Win when she is going to have a drink with me?” Aiden had never once asked me out or shown any interest in me. If only his mother could see him now she would have more of an understanding as to why anyone she attempted to match him with, ran for the hills.

Shooting Jack an,I have thisface, I stood, turning to face Aiden.

My thumb spun my ring frantically but I pressed my shoulders back and raised my chin.

“I don’t drink –” I said, pausing as our waitress delivered our beverages, including the Anchor cocktail special which she placed in front of my seat, “With people I don’t trust.” I finished, watching as realisation dawned and he narrowed his eyes leaning into me.

“Relax Cyborg, I didn’t want to fuck you. Otherwise I already would have.” I stilled, the insult both expected but stinging all the same. I hadn’t been hit with the words since school, but the shame washed over me. Suddenly, I was thrust back to ninth grade, Aiden and his heinous friends surrounding me, their words like razors slicing my skin. I’d tried to ignore them, begged teachers to change classes, but nothing worked. They always found me. And before that day I never thought it would end. Until Jack unexpectedly arrived. They were always so strategic with their timing, knowing his training schedules perfectly to get me when I was alone. Only this day – he came back for me. And it ended in a suspension for Jack and a black eye for Aiden.

“Speak to her again and I will destroy you.” Jack’s voice from over my shoulder brought me back to the present. It was laced with fury and his hand snaked around to press firmly against my stomach, showing me I wasn’t alone, just like he did ten years ago.

Aiden followed the movement, laughing acidically. The stale scent of liquor oozed from his pores nearly making me gag. “She finally let you have the pussy you’ve pined after all these years, Grant. I’m sure she is as boring in the sack as you are on the field.” Returning his gaze to me he drawled, “Call me when he leaves you sad and alone again, I’ll give you a reboot.”

I felt Jack flinch and gripped his hand firmly, trying to keep him from losing his temper like he did the last time Aiden spoke to me like that in his presence.

Aiden scoffed before retreating and my shoulders relaxed a little. Jack was stiff behind me, unable to take his eyes from the man walking away from us and I tapped his hand softly.

I was okay, but when he didn’t release me, I knew he wasn’t.

“Give me a minute,” he spat but I reached for him again.

“Jack, it’s fine. Leave it.” I pleaded but I knew he wouldn’t. Knew he couldn’t, the same as if the roles were reversed, I would do everything I could to protect him. He stalked towards the entrance, fists clenched and I fumbled grabbing our belongings and throwing a few notes next to our untouched drinks. I walked through the restaurant as quickly as I could in these damn heels, careful not to show any emotion as I heard the waitstaff talking about Aiden’s card declining again. Guess he was still terrible with money as well as his manners. When I got out to the carpark, Jack stood with his back to me, his shoulders visibly rising and falling as Aiden’s tyres screeched in protest before he sped out of the parking lot.

“Jack,” I placed my hand on his shoulder and he swung around, his eyes immediately softening when he noticed me so close. “He has lost everything, let that be his consequence for tonight.” I said, knowing his mother would definitely hear about this now he’d caused a scene so publicly.

“We’re leaving,” his words brokered no argument, not that I would have objected given the multiple sets of eyes I could feel boring into my back. Linking my fingers with his outstretched hand, I followed him toward our car.

Neither of us spoke on the drive back to my parents place. I was still rattled by the childish insults I’d fought desperately to escape as well as knowing Jack felt compelled to fight for me again.

As he parked the car in the driveway, I tentatively reached over and turned his face towards my own. I leant over the console, tracing the top of his tattoo peaking from the collar of his shirt before moving up to smooth the crease between his brows.

“It’s okay, Jack and the Beanstalk,” I said softly. “I’m okay.”

He studied me with a forlornness and my heart ached.

“Please don’t let him take our time away from us,” I pleaded and he seemed to make a decision at that very moment, unbuckling his belt before coming around to again take me by the hand.

When I clipped the lock on the front door, Jack stalked towards me. Each step deliberate, a fluidity to his movements as though the house should be grateful to have him here.

I licked my lips, suddenly aware of every single cell inside me awakening just before his hands were in my hair, his lips on mine. The turmoil raging inside him was present in every flick of his tongue as he kissed me with aching need.

He stroked my face, caging my cheeks with his warm hands and tilted my head back a little to deepen our kiss.

It was all I could do not to drop to my knees and beg him to stay with me forever. Because there was nothing fictitious about these moments, this kiss, or us. This was from a place of simplicity. A familiarity that can only be found when your heart is so tightly entwined with another you can sense their needs as strongly as your own.

And it was with a solo tear falling down my cheek that I used my body to tell him everything I would never dare to say.

With the press of my tongue against his own I whispered the unspoken words –I need you.

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