Page 88 of The Jilted Lovers Club
“What do you mean,what?” Bec says. “Are you going to go after her?”
I laugh, then shake my head. “Why would I? I royally messed up, and it’s not like she seemed all that interested in talking things out. She’s so ready to go back home, and trying to make something out of this would be ridiculous.” But even as I say it, my heart is already chasing after her. I want to run to her, kiss her, tell her I was an idiot. Tell her I’m not ready to let her go, and I don’t think I ever will be.
But who am I to stand in the way of her future? She’s already had one guy jerk her around before dumping her for her cousin. I’m a small-town guy and she’s a big city girl. Our worlds are too far apart to make sense, and I don’t want to stand in her way.
Bec takes Lottie from my arms and gives me a gentle push. “I can see your mind working against you right now. You have that moody furrowed brow thing going on. Stop thinking so hard and go after her.”
“But—”
“No buts,” she says. “You’re crazy about that girl, and you’re only torturing yourself by not pursuing her. Go tell her how you feel, grovel if you have to. Do what it takes, but do not let her leave this town without knowing how much you care about her.”
I glance at Griffin, seeking some kind of sign from my closest friend in this town. He nods then juts his chin towards the door.
“She’s one of the good ones,” he says. “And I’ll personally kick your ass if you don’t go after her.”
I shake my head, but with a smile on my face. “I love you guys.”
Then I run from Charred, ready to tell Jordy everything, and possibly win her back.
But what I see outside the restaurant makes me stop. There’s Alexander, his back to me as he faces Jordy pressed against thewall of Timeless. At first, my heart sinks, believing I’m catching a romantic moment between them. But then I notice the tightness of her body, how she’s making herself small while he towers over her.
She’s afraid.
I don’t remember how I got there, but next thing I know, my hands are on the back of his jacket as I pull him off her. I have the element of surprise on my side, I also have the muscle to back it up. He might be taller than me, but I’ve spent more hours hoisting hay and lumber than any of his hours at the gym.
His face is furious as he whips around, but then relaxes into a political smile when he sees it’s me.
“Mr. Elliot, what a surprise! You know, I’m glad I caught you. I realized that Mr. Felix missed a whole packet of papers to sign when we finalized the deal last month. I was going to drop by the farm on my way out of town, but maybe you can get him to meet me here.”
“Are you okay?” I ask Jordy, ignoring him. She nods, moving to stand behind me.
“Mr. Elliot, I—” he starts, but I stop him with a glare.
“What were you telling Jordy?”
“Nothing.” Confusion washes over his face. “Just employee, employer stuff. Nothing for you to worry about. So, about those papers?”
“You can talk with our lawyer about it,” I say. His expression darkens, and he narrows his eyes.
“May I remind you that you came to us about this sale?” He smiles as he steps back and brushes off his coat. “And it was to your benefit. I paid more for this shop than it’s worth, all to help your family keep the farm.” He looks to Jordy. “It was a pleasure working with you. I’ll have my secretary send you everything we owe you, minus a few items we didn’t agree on.”
Then he turns and walks away.
Jordy looks like she’s going to cry. Her hands are trembling, and she shivers despite the warm morning. She starts to move away, but I take her into my arms. Her body stiffens, but then she relaxes, her shoulders shaking as she leans into me. I hold her, rubbing her back as she cries. I’ll stay here all day if she needs me to.
She pushes back after a few moments, her nose red from crying, her eye makeup completely messed up, her face blotchy and fallen—and she’s the most beautiful woman I know.
“What did he say?”
She shakes her head, then looks over her shoulder. I wrap an arm around her and guide her back to the hotel. She leads the way to her room, using her keycard to get inside. On the other side of the door, her luggage is stacked, her bed made. All she has to do is grab her luggage and go, leaving me forever.
Instead, she sits on the bed. I join her, taking her hand.
“He said he couldn’t trust me. He thought we had a good partnership, and he was ready to tell everyone he knew to work with me. It’s all I’ve been wanting since I moved to New York. I thought he could open doors for my business. I wanted to make a name for myself. Instead, he told me that if I didn’t continue working with him here in Lahoma, he was going to ruin me. He said that after he was done with me, no one in the whole country would hire me.”
She looks at me then, her mouth trembling. “So I told him to do his worst, because I wouldn’t work for a fuckhead like him if my life depended on it.” Then she buries her head in her hands, a sob racking through her.
I place my hand gently on her back, my heart breaking for her even as anger simmers just below the surface. This is her dream—something she’s poured herself into, something she’s damn good at—and because Alexander can’t control her, he’s trying to take it all away.
