Page 28 of Make You Love Me
Grant tosses me awhat-evslook and returns his attention to Josie and Sergeant. “Well, look at that.”
My eyes reluctantly follow his to find my sister’s head resting on Sergeant Montgomery’s chest and his hands intertwined on her back. A few measures of the ballad, playing over the loudspeaker, pass before she looks up at him and speaks. His brow pinches in the middle as he looks away in thought. She continues her speech and something she says has his gaze snapping back to her. He studies her before slowly responding with a nod. None of that exchange sits well in my gut. Doesn’t help that instead of going their separate ways after the one-sided conversation, he follows her through the crowded dance floor and out of sight.
“Hmm. Looks like Jo Jo agrees with me,” Grant says, spinning in his chair and sipping his drink. “Good for her.”
If I had more than one good arm, I’d strangle that smugness right off his pretty face. Jackson clears his throat and hides a grin behind his glass of water.
“He has a reputation, doesn’t he?” Grant asks Jackson, knowing I wouldn’t dare answer that question. “Strong, silent type. Good with his hands…and other appendages.”
Jackson chokes on his last sip and that’s what he gets for not taking my side.
Several minutes string into twenty before Josie and Sergeant emerge from the crowd. She heads our way, while he stops by the women’s table he abandoned to go with Josie.
“All hail Queen Josie,” Grant teases, and her pink cheeks flush red with a satisfied giggle.
“Queen?”
“You, my queen, successfully plucked the town’s most eligible prince from the ordinary townsfolk over there and showed them who’s in charge. You were magnificent before, but now…” He pretends to bow to her, and my temper surges, especially when he asks, “Where did you two run off?”
“We didn’t run anywhere. Why do you ask?”
“You had your hands all over each other and then you left together. In my book, that’s running off.”
Josie glances my way but doesn’t meet my gaze. “We both needed a break from the noise, and I stopped by the restroom.”
“Mmm hmm,” he hums. “Well, now you’ve gotten it out of your system, it’s Jordan’s turn. Truth or dare?”
Despite my eyes are shooting darts at him, daring him to say another word about Sergeant and Josie, he holds his ground. “Truth,” I answer.
“When was the last time you released that tension you’ve got bubbling inside your…” He waggles a finger at my lap, and myhand balls into a fist. There’s something else bubbling inside me now, and it’s about to boil over.
“Do you ever think about anything else?”
“Rarely.”
“Grant, leave him alone. He needs to keep his stress level down.”
“I’m not a child, Josie.”
“Of course you’re not,” she placates, and for the first time, it makes me sick.
“It’s my turn for a break. Jackson, would you mind taking me home?”
“Sure, buddy.” He drops a few bills from his wallet onto the table and takes hold of the wheelchair handles.
Josie rises to come with us. “Stay. I need some time alone.”
“Jordan,” she says in protest, but we’re already moving away from the table.
“What was that about?” Jackson asks after loading the chair into his truck bed and backing out of the parking space.
Giving myself time to cool down, I let out a long exhale, grateful to have someone other than Josie to talk to. “When Grant asked me that question, a vision of Nora and me flashed through my thoughts, and I don’t know what to make of it.”
“What was it? If you want to talk about it.”
I nod. “We were in bed, and she was upset. She looked terrified and determined to push me away. In that moment, I was beyond angry. More like destroyed. Like a piece of my heart had been ripped out of my chest.” What I saw in those few seconds brought on a pain so tangible, yet so unexpected, I’m still reeling with the aftermath.
“What do you think it means? Our brains can conjure up all kinds of things—I’ve been there countless times—but it doesn’t make what you see real.” He stops at a traffic light and looks my way. “What we’ve endured during our service, it messes withyou. Not to mention your accident. How was Nora when you saw her?” He takes off after the light turns green.
