Page 48 of Spyder
“Oh, I know. I just… I mean, I’m seeing somebody, and I’ve got plans with him tonight, so I don’t have the time to go for a cup of coffee tonight. I’m sorry, Jacob.”
He nods as if he expected nothing less. The way he’s looking at me tells me he’s used to being turned down. But behind his eyes, I see something more. Anger. He seems to be holding it back, doing his best to keep his frustration from boiling over and spilling out onto me. But his dark expression and the hard edge I see in his eyes tell me it’s a real struggle for him.
“The guy you’re seeing… he’s one of the bikers, huh? One of the Dark Pharaohs?” Jacob asks.
I cock my head, a curious expression on my face. “How do you know that?”
He shuffles his feet, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, his face hardening even more.
“I was out here the other night and saw you walking with a guy,” he replies, his voice low but as hard as his expression.
His words send a jolt through me and make me feel a little uncomfortable. It almost feels like he’s been watching me or something. I don’t know how he’d know that Derek is with the Pharaohs since he’s never worn his kutte when we’ve been out. Between that and him showing up at my school that day, it kind of feels a bit like he’s stalking me. Unconsciously, I take a step back from him and feel my stomach tighten. He offers me a small, apologetic smile.
“I recognize him from around town. I’ve seen him on his bike before,” he offers. “That’s how I know who he is.”
The explanation is plausible, but it still doesn’t do much to settle my nerves or make me feel any better. He’s probably not and I’m probably still being paranoid, but I still can’t help but feel like he’s been watching me. And it’s a feeling I don’t like. I don’t like it at all. It’s creepy.
I clear my throat. “Yes, he’s with the Pharaohs.”
“That’s surprising to me.”
“Why?”
He shrugs. “You just don’t seem like the kind of woman who’d date a guy like that. You seem smarter than that.”
“Smarter?”
“Yeah, I mean, they’re not good guys.”
Not wanting to get into it with him or cause a scene, I bite back my own anger. There are a thousand biting remarks that are on the tip of my tongue, but I won’t give voice to them. But I won’t let him go without telling him what I think of his opinion. Jacob needs to learn what he said isn’t all right.
“I don’t think it’s your place to be telling me what kind of a guy he is,” I snap. “That’s very offensive. And you shouldn’t believe everything you hear around town. If you don’t know him personally, you shouldn’t be speaking ill of him like that.”
He holds his hands up, palms facing me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend—”
“Then what exactly did you intend to do with a remark like that, Jacob? What was your intention when you said that?”
His mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water as he stammers, apparently trying to come up with something to say. He finally looks away for a moment, then runs a hand through his hair.
“I wasn’t thinkin’, I guess. I do that when I speak sometimes. I’m sorry if I offended you,” he said.
“Thank you,” I reply, my voice ice cold. “I really do need to go, though.”
“A-all right. I hope I see you again,” he says. “And again, sorry for letting my mouth run away with me.”
I give him a wooden smile before turning and heading for my car. I can feel Jacob’s eyes on me as I walk away. It’s as if his gaze has a tangible weight to it. Maybe I was a little too harsh and should have just let it go… but I couldn’t. I’m personally getting tired of people telling me who Derek is when I’m perfectly capable of making my own judgments of him and his character.
So far, I’ve seen nothing that would indicate he’s anything but the gentleman he’s been with me from day one. I just hope that after tonight, I can still say he’s somebody I’m seeing. I give myself a mental slap, pushing those thoughts out of my head once more. I don’t want to sabotage anything with my insecurities.
As I climb into my car, a new thought enters my head. It’s a thought that makes me feel even worse than the idea that Derek is going to dump me tonight… and that’s the thought that Jacob is watching me. It’s a thought that leaves me completely unsettled and not one I can push away so easily.
Chapter Twenty-One
Spyder
“That was amazing. Best steak I’ve had in a long time,” I tell her.
Bellamy smiles. “Thanks. When you called this morning, you sounded kind of stressed, so I thought I’d make you something special tonight.”
