Page 15 of Playing For Keeps

“So-what if I was?” she stated boldly. “It doesn’t change anything now.”

“Doesn’t it?” he asked.

“No, it doesn’t. Jake we’ve both changed, you can’t deny that,” she said. “Yes, sexually we’re still very compatible, but I want what Emma and Miles have, I want someone who will be with me forever.”

“Yet you won’t give anyone a chance,” he stated making her laugh.

“Oh my god, what am I supposed to do? Go out with every guy who asks me hundreds of times before knowing that he’s not the person I want to be with? A guy dates girl after girl and he’s a stud, but a woman who cuts relationships short is labeled cold or a heartbreaker.”

“Double standards suck, don’t they?” he smiled. “But tell me this, if you’ve dated so many guys since we split, why haven’t you slept with any of them?”

“None of your business,” she glared at him.

“Why not? I told you that I haven’t slept with anyone in a year.”

“So that’s supposed to make me spill everything about the past eight years? I don’t think so. I’m not going to explain why I have or haven’t done something, or why I hid parts of my past from the people I met here.”

“No? Well then why don’t I explain why I didn’t show up at the church that day?”

“Huh?” Stacey muttered more confused about his quick changes than anything. “Jake, I know why you didn’t. I was the one who gave you the ultimatum in the first place.”

“But you don’t know that I was there,” he said shocking her through.

“Sorry?”

“I snuck in the side and made my way to the back door to your dressing room but when I pushed the door open you were sitting there looking so sad that I knew I couldn’t go through with it. I thought I could convince you we could have it all, our marriageandmy career, but when I saw you something inside told me you were serious that you wouldn’t change your mind no matter what I did or said. You’d hate me for that eventually, so I took the cowards’ way out, sneaking back home and writing you that letter.”

“I didn’t know that,” she said softly.

“You weren’t supposed to, but I meant what I said in it.”

Stacey looked off, not sure of what he meant; she hadn’t read the letter then and it was still sealed in the bottom of her box of memories from Georgia.

“You didn’t read it, did you?” he asked sensing her withdrawal.

“Maybe,” she giggled with a smirk.

“I’m sorry,” he said seriously.

“It’s not just your fault,” she said, “but it doesn’t change anything. We can’t go back, and honestly, I don’t think either of us wants to.”

“We can go forward though,” he smiled with a hungry glance, “but first we need some food.”

“You never give up do you?”

“You couldn’t have forgotten that now, could you?”

“I still don’t think we should do this,” she answered.

“Why? What are you still scared of?”

“Nothing,” she stated frustrated. “We didn’t work before what makes you think we’ll work now, or are you simply interested in sex?”

“You’ve got to admit, the sex between us has always been great.”

“So that’s all you’re looking for, is it?” she said her heart dropping into the pit of her stomach, she had prepared herself for it, but it still hurt.

“It’s a place to start,” he admitted before covering her mouth with his.

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