Page 58 of Fighting Jacob

I take a moment to contemplate her question. Noah’s life is finally working out the way he had hoped, so I don’t want to burden him with this, but Lola is Emily’s sister, so he’d want to know what’s happening so he can avoid the toxic people Callum could introduce to Emily’s life.

“Leave it to me. Once I figure out exactly what’s happening with Lola and Callum, I’ll talk to him.” I cock my brow. “But can I get that beer now? ‘Cause I’m real fucking thirsty.”

I came to Mavericks to have a quiet afternoon. Instead, I’m dealing with shit that shouldn’t be affecting me anymore. If only I could wash my hands of people who did me wrong as quickly as they do me. I loved Lola—I still do—so although she wants nothing to do with me, I’ll still look out for her when I think she’s making fucked-up decisions.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lola

Several eyes pop up from their meals when Callum and I enter Daisy’s. Daisy’s is a local burger and fries joint Callum and I frequented when we were dating. It’s a public place, but since it’s nearing 4 PM, it’s not overly crowded, making it an ideal location for us to continue our meet up without spectators.

My blood pressure is still sky-high from our near run-in with Jacob. I was certain he'd bust me hiding in the hallway the bathrooms are in. He most likely would have if Maggie hadn't distracted him. I loathe the spineless woman I'm portraying, but I've stepped too far into the shitstorm to back out now. Once Callum tells me what he has to say, I'll go back to the old Lola, the one who doesn't back down no matter what.

When we take our seats, Daisy, the owner, heads over to take our order. “My goodness, I haven’t seen you two in here for months. How is my favorite couple?”

Her eyes bounce between us as she flips open her notepad to jot down our order. She presses down her pencil so hard, the lead snaps when I mutter, “We’re not together anymore.”

With her eyes full of sympathy, they drift to Callum. “I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart.”

I roll my eyes, not stunned the blame for our failed relationship was placed on my shoulders. Strong, independent women are to blame for every bad event in the world, didn't you know?

When Daisy goes to gather our order of coffee and donuts, Callum glares at me. “Why did you tell her that?”

“Because it’s the truth. We aren’t together anymore.”

Callum’s fists clench so quickly, the dishware on our table rattles. His fast descent into anger is disturbing, but not enough for me to forget why we’re here. “Enough stalling. I only agreed to meet because you said you had something important to tell me.”

He waits for Daisy to fill our coffee cups before asking, “How well do you know Jacob?”

“Better than I knew you—”

“Quit the fuckin’ attitude, Lola. I said I was sorry.”

My eyes will get an intense workout this afternoon with how my times I’m rolling them. Just because he said he was sorry doesn’t mean I've forgiven him. I’m not that forgiving.

While serving the donuts we ordered, Daisy smiles, but not even her bright grin can stifle the tension bouncing between Callum and me. It’s so repulsive, the usually fragrant donuts smell like they’ve been dipped in arsenic.

Once Daisy is out of earshot, I return my focus to Callum. “I know Jacob. He’s a good guy.”

“So you know he’s a street fighter?” He talks around the chunk of donut he pops into his mouth.

I laugh at the absurdity of him thinking Jacob is a violent person. “Jacob doesn’t fight.”

He must be mistaken. There’s no way Jacob would compete in anything illegal, much less street fighting. The only time I’ve seen him angry was when he beat the living shit out of Callum, but he’s too kind and gentle to participate in a bloodthirsty sport.

Loving my stunned expression, Callum smirks. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You don’t know him at all, do you?”

“I know him. You’re the mistaken one." The confidence in my tone can’t be missed.

His tormented chuckle screeches through my ears. “I knew you’d say that.” He digs his hand into his pocket to pull out his phone. “That’s why I brought proof.”

After tapping on the screen, he hands his phone to me. There’s a video on the screen. Although the image is grainy since it’s paused, there’s no denying the physique of the man standing in the middle of the ring. It’s Jacob. I’m so confident, I’d put money on it. We were only friends, but I know every inch of his body, having studied it in depth at every given opportunity.

Callum shoves another chunk of donut into his mouth before instructing me to hit play. When I do, the air in my lungs leaves in a hurry. The video only goes for forty-five seconds, but in that short period of time, it shows Jacob knocking out his opponent.

I watch the video another three times before returning Callum's phone. He licks powdered sugar off his lips while returning it to his pocket. Once he has everything in place, he locks his smug eyes with mine. “He wasn’t who you thought he was, was he?”

Unable to speak through my dry, parched mouth, I shake my head.

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