Page 64 of When We Were Reckless
He glanced at me, then returned his gaze to the road, his grip on the steering wheel so tight that I could see the whites of his knuckles. Even from my spot in the passenger seat, I could feel the tension rolling off him. But I got the feeling that he wanted to tell me, and maybe if he said the words aloud, he could start to let go of some of that anger he was hanging onto.
“I got fired because I beat up Nate Hutchins, and I falsely accused him of sexual assault.” He laughed harshly. “What kind of an idiot would do that?”
Oh my God.
All the missing pieces of his story slotted into place. My poor sweet baby Jesse.
No wonder he was so bitter and angry. No wonder he didn’t believe in true love anymore.
How could he, after what she’d done to him? She’d ruined him. Destroyed his career. She would have had to know that Jesse would have done anything for her. She’d known that, and she’d found a way to get back in his good graces. To cover her tracks and pretend that she hadn’t really cheated on him, she must have lied to him.
What kind of a person would lie about something like that? Had she really believed that would work, that she’d get away with it, and he wouldn’t confront Nate?
If she had ever believed that she didn’t know Jesse at all.
“There’s your truth, Sunshine Girl. I jeopardized my entire career because the woman I thought I loved lied to me. But guess what? Nate had texts and voice mail messages saved on his phone. Imagine the joy he took in showing them to me. Imagine the joy he got out of proving that it had been going on behind my back formonths,and I’d been none the wiser.” He laughed bitterly. “Things were going too well for Alessia and me, and she couldn’t trust that. So she thought she’d fuck it up by fucking me over and fucking another rider. Makes complete fucking sense, right?”
My hands curled into fists, and I gritted my teeth. “I hate her. I hate her so fucking much.”
“Join the club, baby. Join the fucking club.”
If I ever came face to face with Alessia, I wouldn’t hold back. I’d tell her exactly what I thought of her. I’d find a way to make her pay for hurting Jesse. For destroying his faith in love.
I would never forgive her for that.
But conjuring up all the things I’d say and do if I ever saw Alessia was pointless. I would never come face to face with her again.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Quinn
“I wantto suck your big, hard cock.”
Ugh. Would she really say that? I stared at my laptop screen, the words dancing before my eyes. I deleted the sentence and chewed on my lip. Then I typed it again. And deleted it. Again.
Outside, the music grew louder, thanks to DJ Declan. No wonder I couldn’t focus. I pushed my laptop aside and hopped off my bed, searching my room for my noise-canceling headphones.
Where had they gone?
After checking my dresser and bookcase, I slid open the top drawer of my bedside table and rummaged through it. No headphones. I opened the bottom drawer. Bingo. I grabbed them, ready to shut the drawer, when my eye caught on a glass jar lying on its side in the back. I stared at it for a moment before I pulled it out.
My childhood wishes. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d read these.
Sitting cross-legged on my bed, I unscrewed the lid and upended the jar. Folded-up pieces of sherbet-colored paper fluttered onto my blush pink comforter. I plucked one off the bed and unfolded the pink slip of paper.
Kiss a boy (J.J.) in the rain.
I grabbed another one. Orange.
Dance in the moonlight and sleep under the stars.
Refolding it and returning it to the jar, I selected a yellow one.
Travel the world and seek adventure. Be bold and daring. Always.
One by one, I unfolded each slip of paper and read all the things that my younger self had wished for and dreamed about.
Dive off the cliffs at the lake and show my brothers (and J.J.!!!) that I’m not a baby:(
