Page 23 of Love Me Back
I hadn’t wanted to accept that she might not have the same feelings for me that I’d had for her. But I realize now I had to let that shit go. Find a way to bury my feelings and get past them.
It wasn’t fair of me to harbor feelings of anger and resentment at her lack of emotion toward my situation when she hadn’t reciprocated my feelings before the accident.
I refused to be one of those men who got angry at a woman because she wasn’t interested. This was my fucking problem, not hers.
“This is delicious, Addie.”
“Thank you, Jessie. I love cooking. This was my grandmother’s pot roast recipe. I could give you the recipe if you like?”
Jessie smiled, and it was so beautiful I had to turn away from her.
“Oh no, I can’t cook. Maybe give it to Ellie though. Or Ryder. I think he’s a better cook than she is. Just don’t tell her I said that.”
She chuckled at her own words, and the corners of my mouth turned up slightly. I loved that she got along with my sister. Addie needed a friend. She spent so much time on the ranch and at school that she didn’t have anyone but her brothers.
“Or I can call you on the nights I make pot roast and you can come to dinner,” Addie offered.
“Maybe,” Jessie answered, and I knew she really wanted to sayno.
I had to give her something. Let her know I would stop being an asshole and let her help.
“What time will you be back in the morning, Jessie?” I asked.
She turned to me, and I saw the surprise on her face. I smiled at her, but my smile quickly dropped when Carson dropped his bomb.
Chapter Nine
Jessie
He didn’t know.
I knew they hadn’t told him ahead of time that I would be the one helping him. But they also hadn’t told him the details of what they had asked.
“She’s staying here.”
“What?” Grayson swung his head in Carson’s direction. “Staying where?”
“Here. At the house,” Addie answered, her eyes firmly on her plate.
I couldn’t look at Grayson. When he asked me what time I would be back in the morning, I wanted to take it for what it was. He was conceding. He had finally agreed to let me help him. But it was short-lived when Carson and Addie confirmed I wasn’t leaving at all.
“Where is she supposed to sleep?” Grayson demanded.
It was a good question. I knew where I wanted to sleep, but that was a can of worms I would not be opening.
“She can stay in Tyson’s room,” Hudson offered.
“What?”
“Where the hell would I sleep?”
“Fuck no!”
We all answered at the same time.
I sat on one side of the long table, between Grayson and Tyson. Addie sat across from me, between Hudson and Emerson. And Carson sat at one end while Pops sat at the other.
“Well, with Tyson staying at the clubhouse more often than not, his room is empty.” Hudson smirked at Tyson. “And with as pissed off as King is, I don’t see him letting you sleep here atnight. If you’re at the clubhouse, he can wake you up at two in the morning and make you scrub the toilets,” Hudson explained.
