Page 169 of The Bet
Chapter 48
He’d waited weeks, and if he wasn’t careful the coming weeks would stretch into months, and he couldn’t sit around doing nothing.
He was going to have it out with her, especially since he knew exactly where she was going to be and with whom—courtesy of Savannah. He’d been surprised when his sister-in-law had called him earlier, telling him that it had been admirable, him taking the hit about the twins’ news leaking out. That in itself had surprised him but he had been even more amazed to learn that Izzy had been the one who had told her.
“Leave it with me,” Savannah had said, “I’ll make sure that Tobias knows he owes you an apology.” And right after that she’d let slip exactly how Jacob was spending the day, from the movie he was going to watch, to the new burger place he liked to go to.
It might be his only chance to get a hold of Izzy and try to apologize. He wasn’t going to give up until she’d heard his side of the story. And, even as bad as it looked, she should give him a chance to explain.
Of course, knowing the right people at the burger place had its advantages, and a bodyguard walking in with a woman and a young child, were easy enough to notice.
He was at NYB about five minutes after Izzy and Jacob arrived there.
“Well, look who it isn’t?” he said, trying to look surprised as he walked past their table.
“Xavier!” Jacob lifted his hand and got ready for Xavier’s high-five. “You missed the movie!”
“Was it any good?” he asked.
“It was awesome!”
“I obviously need to see it.”
“You should have come with us,” Jacob cried.
“I didn’t know you were going.” His attention moved over to Izzy and he could see that his sudden appearance had left her shell-shocked. “Hey,” he said softly.
“Hi.”
“We’re having burgers,” Jacob informed him. “Can you have lunch with us?”
Xavier waited to see the reaction on Izzy’s face. Stone cold. She looked uncomfortable. Perhaps this hadn’t been as great an idea as he’d initially thought. Not that he had exactly decided on his plan of attack. He had simply seen it as his one opportunity to get to Izzy, and having Jacob be there seemed like a plus.
“I’m not sure, kid. I don’t think it’s a good idea. I don’t think Izzy wants me to.”
She scowled at him, understandably so, given that he’d made her out to be the bad cop.
“Don’t you have other plans?” she asked. “Surely you didn’t walk in here for no reason?”
“I come here for lunch sometimes.” It was true, he occasionally did.
Her face seemed to harden, as she surveyed the menu.
“Izzy, can we talk?” He sat down next to her, and noted that she moved away.
“About what?” she replied, as sharply as she dared.
Out of the corner of his eye he could feel Jacob staring at him. He’d been counting on this, on having Jacob there, so that it would be difficult for her to walk away. So that she might be forced to stay put and hear him out.
“Aboutthings.”
“I think we’re done with all of that. Do you know what you’re having, Jacob?” She smiled as she said it, but the tone of her voice didn’t match her bright smile.
“I’m not sure,” Jacob replied, looking slightly uneasy, as he started to look through the menu.
“Izzy, please.” He was begging. It was something he never did, but he could, for her. He would beg until she listened.
She let out a breath and turned to him in irritation. “We’ve got nothing to say to one another,” she hissed, keeping her voice low. He could see her jaw tighten, could imagine her grounding down on those molars, getting into another one of her pissy moods.
