Page 33 of Jay

“He walked?” I nod my head. Jay lifts his hand and swipes away the tears that I didn’t even know were falling. “He will never, and I meannever,touch you again. You are mine now. And us Castle men take care of what is ours. We protect them with our lives.” He leans in and gives me a gentle kiss on mywaterylips.

“I’m falling, too,” he whispers. I jerk my head back deeper into the pillow. Did I hear him correctly? He chuckles and kisses me again. This time deepening the kiss, and we get lost in the moment. It feels more this time, like our emotions are being poured into this one sensual kiss. Like we are starting to stitch ourselves back together. I tense up as a wave of pain hits me. Talking to Jay was a good distraction, but not enough to completely take thepainaway.

“Lay on your back, babe.” I do as I’m told, and Jay slowly lifts my pajama top. He gives me a cocky grin, and I smile back. He nods in the direction of the TV remote. “Turn the TV on, put something Christmassy on. It is Christmas Day, after all.” He winks at me. I turn the TV on and put ‘Christmas Do-over’ on; I love this movie. I settle into the softness of my mattress as Jay slowly rubs circles over my belly, soothing the pain there. There goes another piece of that stupid brick wall. Damn him and his superhero powers. Every woman should have a man like Jay Castle, but the original isallMINE!

We watch the movie for a little, before Jay’s voice startles me. "My turn, Isuppose."

“Jay, you don’t have to.” I wince in pain, and roll on my side to face him, trying to get my back in a more comfortable position. My back feels like it is breaking in two. Jay’s hand slides over my hip and around to the small of my back, adding gentle pressurethere.

“Addy gets back pain as well. I assumed that's why you turned over?” I nod my head and snuggle in close.Myhero.

“Dex and me were raised by our parents, Donna and Allen Castle. We were the typical British family. You know, went on holidays, did the whole Birthday parties and Christmas together. Dad worked his arse off for us, while Mum stayed at home and took care of us. There was always dinner on the table for us when we got home from school. I was twelve and Dex was fourteen when we had the visit from the police. We were staying at a friend’s house, when the police came and told us that our parents had been killed in a fire. They were sleeping when the house caught fire. They died of smoke inhalation.” He sighs, like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. I can gather that Jay doesn’t talk about his parents’deathmuch.

“We were put into the system, into foster care, but it was shit. We were always being hit across the head by the men of the house. One day, Dex hit back, and he got kicked out. They separated us for awhile.

“Dex and me loved to draw. We were always doodling on any scrap piece of paper. Our school bags were always full of them. Anyway, after Dex was kicked out of the home we were in, he found a part-time job at a tattoo parlor. He started by just cleaning the place up, after closing, but Bull, the owner, saw his drawings one day and loved them. From that day on he started to train Dex in becoming a tattoo artist. It took two years to be completely trained and licensed. Bull said he was a fast learner. Over that time, I stayed at the tattoo shop more and more. Bull and his wife, Annette, took us in. I would stay the night, and my foster parents didn’t know I was gone halfthetime.”

“That’s bad, Jay. That’s bloody awful. How could they be cleared to be foster parents but not give a damn about the kids theytakein?”

“That’s the system for you, babe. But hey, it all worked out in the end. The four of us were as thick as thieves, until shit happened and Dex got together withFiona.”

“Four?”Iask.

“Yeah. Me, Dex, Addy,andLiam.”

“Oh okay. I know their story. They both talked to me when I was having my thigh tattoo done. Their story is amazing. I’m glad they got their happy everafter.”

“Yeah, babe. Me too.” I snuggle in closer and Jay runs a hand down my back. My painkillers are easing the pain, but I think it’s Jay more than anything that is helping with it. His scent fills my senses and I relax into him. I feel safe with Jay. It has been way too long since I have felt safe with a man that isn’t my father or bestfriend.

Jay Castle is stitching me back together, while taking down my wall, one brick atatime.

cassie

It isa few days into January and the weather has turned nasty. It is colder than Silver Surfer’s surfboard. Frost covers almost every surface. It’s freezing, but looks so pretty. However, I am more of a summer girl. Christmas was one of the best I have ever had. Having Jay with me made it all that much better, despite Mother Nature putting a halt to any further activities we may have wanted to do. Jay says he is happy to wait, but he’s only human. A red-blooded male. I did have a mass panic over New Year’s Eve. We had already both committed to plans that we couldn’t getoutof.

Iam attending my parents’annual New Year's Eve party, and Jay is not here. He had already told a friend of his that he would go to his house party, and he couldn’t go back on a promise, because he had missed the party the year before. I am not going to be that type of demanding girlfriend, so Jay went, and I am here. It sucks, but that’s just the way it goes. I am laughing at something my cousin says when my mum shouts that it is almost midnight and we’re going to start the countdown. I quickly take my phone out of a hidden pocket and call Jay. We both said that one of us will call as the clock rings in thenewyear.

I scroll and find his name, then hit the ‘call’ button. It rings and rings, but he doesn’t answer. I hang up and try again. It rings a few times before Jay answers the phone sounding breathless. My stomach sinks at the thought of what may be causing him to be breathless. Is he with another girl? Orgirls?

“Hey, babe.” He slurs his words. He is drunk. It is New Year’s Eve, so it’sunderstandable.

“Hey. They are about to do the countdown, are you ready to count in the new yearwithme?”

I hear giggles and Jay whispers, “Shhhh, my girl is on thephone.”

“She’s not here, though, soooo...” My heart stops, waiting for Jay’s reply to me, or her. Jay laughs and speaks his slurred words again. My speech is stuck in mythroat.

“But I will know,” he answers. “Baby, are you there? Shit, I think she’s gone. Oh well, more shots, bartender,” Jay yells, and hangs up thephone.

That was three days ago,and I am still not talking to Jay. I know it may seem childish, but for him to hang up on me, minutes away from midnight on New Year’s Eve… OurfirstNew Year’s Eve as a couple. Well, that just buggered me off. Yes, I get that he was drunk, but he knew I was there. And he only asked once… He could have checked the connection or something -anything.

He came over to see me the next day, but Chris told him that he’d upset me and should give me space. Chris told him what he had done. Jay had no idea I had phone him, until he checked his phone in front of Chris. He came over because I wouldn’t answer his calls or texts. He wanted to know why I hadn't phoned him at midnight. The bell above the door at the salon breaks my miniheartbreak.

“Hey, Peaches.” My head snaps up and my heart forces its way into mythroat.

“D-Dale, what are you doing here?” I can feel the bitterness seep into my body, the colour draining frommyface.

“I thought it was time to catch up. I miss you, baby.” He steps up to the front desk. I push back in my chair, silently wishing I hadn’t let Chris go home early. Bollocks. I quickly look around for my phone. I need tophone…Who?

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