Page 42 of Fighting for His Life

“You don’t deserve to spend your life alone and miserable, Jay. You know she wanted you to be happy.”

“Then she should’ve stayed,” I say harshly while dragging a hand down my face. “I won’t stop loving her, Zee. In fifty years, I’ll still love her. Tell me what’s going on. Please.”

“Maddox called me,” he finally says wearily.

My spine straightens at that revelation. Maddox knows where Zoey is? The realization that he’s always known sends a jolt of fury through me. My hands clench the kitchen counter I’m standing at.

“I’m going to New York, and I probably won’t be back for a few days.”

“I’m meeting you at the airport,” I say without hesitation.

“No. You’re going to stay here and live your life.”

I chuckle darkly. “You think you can fucking stop me?”

“Jax,” he starts again but I cut him off. “No. Don’t Jax me. I’m going, and I will figure out where the hell she is with or without you.”

With a huff of frustration, he relents. “Fine. Flight leaves at eight.”

I stand hunched over the counter for a minute. I look at my phone seeing nothing really. I absently open my message, and my breathing picks up. I have four messages from an unknown number.

My heart begins to pound as dread pools in my gut. I open my call log and see a call from the same number as the text about an hour before. But the call shows answered.

As much as I want to, I don’t have time to think too hard on this. I march back into my room. Haley is in the shower, and all I can think is good. I’m not sure what I’m going to say to her just yet.

I grab my duffle from the closet. I quickly grab a few things and begin throwing them into the bag. I set the bag on the bed as I pull my phone out to book the flight.

Haley walks into the bedroom wrapped in a towel, but I don’t look up. I stare at the messages on my phone. Once again, tears that don’t happen often fall over Zoey. I’m nauseous as I think about what the last message means.

“Everything okay?” I hear Haley asks.

“Tell me something,” I say through clenched teeth. “Did you answer my phone earlier?”

“Yeah. You were gone to the store,” she says casually, clearly not understanding the gravity of my tone. “It was an unknown number. Probably spam since no one said anything.”

My jaw tics. I force myself to remain sitting on the bed. I force myself to look anywhere but at her. But I can’t manage to control the tone of my voice. “Why the fuck would you think it’s okay to answer my phone?”

She sucks in an audible breath. “I didn’t see the big deal, Jax. I’m sorry if I did something wrong.”

I stand from the bed. I make it to her in two long strides. The fear she has of me at this moment is palpable. I almost feel bad.

But I don’t. She has no fucking idea how much damage she has caused. I shove the phone in her face with the messages on the screen. “Is this the number that you answered?” I say even though I know the answer.

She looks at the messages and tears begin to form. She brings a hand to her mouth as a whimper escapes her.

“Answer me dammit! Is this the number you fucking answered?”

She nods. “Who is that, Jax?”

My fist clench at my side as I force myself to remember that she didn’t know. She doesn’t know anything about me except the little generic things I’ve shared and a whole lot of faking it. I’m hurting her right now, and I’m trying hard to care.

It’s not working. “That number you answered, the messages – the girl that sent them is everything. She’s my fucking everything. She’s why I’m still breathing right now, and if she stops so will I.”

Her tears begin to fall. “I just told you I love you, Jax.”

“And I was going to tell you this morning that I don’t love you,” I say cruelly even knowing she doesn’t deserve this. “I was never going to love you. Every part of my soul and heart belong to someone else.”

Hurt then anger flits through her eyes. She straightens her back and raises her chin. “I knew about Zoey, Jax. It’s public knowledge that she dumped you. She left you. Why does she get to have your heart when she clearly doesn’t want it?”

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