Page 49 of Love Lies Bleeding

“I know nothing.”

Jake doesn’t respond but grabs my laptop before I can stop him. He holds it above my head as I fight the desire to stomp my foot and demand it back.

“Don’t be a dick. Just give it back.”

“Tell me what has you so twisted up for half the morning and I will.”

“I’m not twisted up. I’m just concentrating on what I’m doing.”

Jake lifts his hand and skims his thumb over my bottom lip. “Bullshit, your lip is all pink and pouty from the abuse you’ve given it.”

I swear I see heat in his gaze before he blinks and I’m faced with the hardass again. Shrugging off his touch, I turn away, not wanting him to see the lie. “I’m just trying to organize some stuff for Lexi’s baby shower.” That isn’t a complete lie, the cake maker isn’t answering my messages and I still have to pick up the bunting and talk to the caterers about the food.

“Can I help?”

“I’ve got it.”

“Come on, Blossom, let me help. Hunter is my best friend and I have a lot to do to gain his and Lexi’s forgiveness for the stunt I pulled.”

The snort leaves me before I can stop it. “You don’t deserve it from either of them.”

“Maybe not, but I did what I did to protect Hunter. He was hurting and I thought she’d fucked him over. You can’t say you wouldn’t have done the same thing.”

I want to. I want to tell him that I’m a bigger person than he is, but I would’ve done that and worse. My blood boils at the thought of all the terrible things I want to do to Dean. Never in my life have I wanted blood more than his. So yes, I can relate to Jake in that but that doesn’t mean I owe him my help.

“Please, Cherry. It guts me to know I made her pain worse. I might be the worst man on the planet in your eyes after what happened, but you know deep down I’d never hurt a woman for no reason.”

A part of me wanted to argue with him, to tell him he’d do exactly that, he’d done it to me, after all, but I heard through Lexi how much it gutted Hunter to be at odds with his best friend and I want them to find peace and happiness through all this even if I have to suck it up and help Jake do it.

“Fine, you can help but I’m doing this for Lexi and Hunter, not you.”

“Absolutely.”

“Now give me my laptop back.”

I thought I’d need to argue more but he hands it over just as my belly rumbles.

“You want me to go grab lunch?”

“Yes, that sounds good. Let me grab my purse.” Anything to get him out of the shop for half an hour and give me some space to get my hormones wrangled back under control.

“I got it, Blossom.”

“No, Jake, I pay for my own lunch. And stop calling me Blossom.”

Jake bends close to me and my heart beats faster. “Nope and nope. Seems like you’ve forgotten how things are between us, Blossom. We eat, I pay. We travel, I drive or ride. And you’ll always be Blossom.”

My mind skitters to being on the back of his bike and I close my eyes. It’s been an age since I’d ridden. His bike was the last because I just couldn’t face being with anyone else after him.

“There isn’t anything between us, Jake, and I don’t ride.”

Jake frowns. “Why not? You love bikes.”

I don’t want to tell him that all the joy had been stolen from me because of him, that because of him every time I so much as looked at a bike now it just reminds me of what it feels like to be cuddled up to his back with the wind in my hair and his warm, hard body protecting me.

“Grew up, I guess.”

“Hmm.”

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