Page 123 of Puck and Prejudice

“Really?”

I throw an arm around her shoulders and kiss the side of her head. “A part of me still fears you’ll run away again.”

Her brows furrow. “Jackson…”

“It’s okay. I understand why you did.” I shake my head, breaking eye contact. I don’t want her to think I’m a simp. “It’ll be fun to witness everyone’s reaction when they see us together.”

“Yeah.”

When we cross the gate into the pool area, it’s still deserted. Or so we think. A woman’s giggle comes from one of the cabanas.

“Oh… other people decided to be naughty tonight too,” I whisper.

“Hmm… who could they be? Ten bucks it’s Jane and Chad.”

My brows arch. “You want to bet on it?”

“Why not?”

“You’re on. I think it’s Frederico and one of the bridesmaids,” I say.

“Well… we can peek. If it’s not Chad and Jane, we leave the lovebirds be. If it’s them… it won’t be the first time we’ve caught them in the act.”

I shake my head. “You’re so bad. I love it.”

We approach the cabana on soft feet, but when we’re near enough, another voice makes my blood run cold. “You’re so much prettier than your sisters.”

Izzie and I look at each other, and I read the horror in her eyes. She recognized the voice too. Wickham.

Fucking hell.

I step in front of the cabana and see him and Lydia, lying on a lounge chair with him half on top of her. “You son of a bitch. I’m going to kill you!”

Lydia gasps while Wickham jumps to his feet, fixing his disheveled clothes. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Izzie walks around me and reaches for her sister. “What did he to do you?”

“He didn’t do anything. We were just talking!”

“Exactly,” Wickham adds. “You’re jum?—”

My self-control snaps, and the next thing I know, Lydia is screaming, Wickham is on the floor, clutching his nose, and my hand is throbbing. I’d probably jump on him and keep punching, but Izzie’s and Lydia’s presence prevents me from going berserk.

“What the hell!” he shouts. “You’re gonna regret that, Darcy.”

The noise must have carried inside the restaurant, because a moment later, we have company. Wickham attempts to get up, but I tell him, “Stay where you are, or I’ll knock you down again, asshole.”

“Jackson, what’s going on?” Chad comes running.

“What have you done to my boyfriend?” Caroline shrieks as she joins us.

“We caught your boyfriend making out with my sister,” Izzie grits out while Lydia hides her face against her chest. “She’s only sixteen!”

Caroline’s eyes turn as round as saucers. “What? You’re lying.”

“Sheislying, babe. I wasn’t doing anything,” Wickham interjects. “Tell her, Lydia.”

Lydia’s expression falls. Maybe she’s realized Wickham is a worthless piece of shit. Damn it. This is partly my fault. If I had told Izzie the truth about Wickham’s past, maybe we could have prevented this.

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