Page 127 of A Little Crush
With a groan, I rest my forehead against her shoulder, blindly reach around her back, and find my vibrating cell onthe edge of my desk. When I read the name shining back at me, I groan all over again. “It’s Iris.”
“Does she usually call when she has Poppy?”
“Sometimes.”
“Answer it,” Rory pushes.
And even though I don’t love Iris cock blocking me, the fact that Rory understands the position I’m in and why I’ll always answer my ex’s calls even if it kills me only makes me fall for her more. I lean in for one more kiss, then slide my thumb across my screen.
Bringing it to my ear, I mutter, “Hey, Iris.”
“Oh, Jax,” she cries.
My spine turns into a steel rod. “What’s going on? Is Poppy all right?”
“Poppy’s fine.” She sniffs, and my body sags.
“Fuck, Iris. Don’t do that to me?—”
“I’m so sorry, Jaxon. I’m so, so sorry.”
“What?” I shift my cell to my opposite ear. “Why are you apologizing?”
“Because…because I screwed up.”
I can feel Rory’s gaze on the side of my face, so I lift my forefinger, silently requesting she give me a minute. Her nod is immediate, and I say into my cell, “Iris, are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay.” She hiccups.
“What happened?”
“He cheated on me.” Another sob echoes through my cell. “He cheated on me, Jaxon. Can you believe it?”
He. As in, Chris. Chris cheated on her. The same guy she cheated on me with. And now she’s calling me to chat about it? The irony isn’t lost on me. I could rub her nose in it. Remind her how karma’s a bitch, and what goes around, comes around and all that. But instead of feeling any kind of humor or elation at the situation, all I feel is pity. With a sigh, I mutter, “I’m really sorry to hear that, Iris.”
She sniffs again. “Thank you.”
Silence follows, and I glance at Rory, mouthing, sorry.
“I saw the game,” Iris adds. “You did great, baby.”
My brows tug downward.
Baby? Why the fuck is she calling me baby?
“Uh, thanks?” I clear my throat. “You’re sure Poppy’s okay?”
“Yes, Poppy’s fine. She’s sucking on the little stuffed bunny you got her. That was really sweet of you, by the way.”
Sweet? Since when am I sweet?
Scrubbing my hand over my face, I grumble, “I’m glad she likes it. I’ll, uh, I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Wait.”
My head falls forward, but I dig deep, searching for patience. Not because she deserves it, but because she’s the mother of my baby, and my life is a hell of a lot easier when I’m not on her shit list, which apparently I’m not anymore? Because she caught Chris cheating on her? Seriously, the woman is delusional.
“What is it, Iris?”
