Page 114 of Burn With Me

The entire time we’ve been together, he’s known that I work at the club and that I believed another man was the stranger. Our entire relationship, short as it may be, Jacksonhas known that I willingly let another man touch me and then went home to be with him.

Jackson has endured so much for me, and he had to sit there and listen while I toldthe other manI couldn’t choose.

“We’re here, Miss,” the cab driver says.

Looking out my window, I see that we are in front of Jackson’s building. Remembering I left my purse at the restaurant, I’m thankful my phone is in my back pocket and use the Curb app to pay quickly before heading inside.

My nerves are shot as the elevator pings slowly as it takes me up to the top level of Jackson’s building. Turmoil surges inside me, guilt and anger warring between my stomach and chest.

A million big emotions play musical chairs inside me. Waiting for the music to stop as the doors open to Jackson’s place. Waiting to see which one won’t have a seat and will need an outlet.

Jackson is in the living room. One arm braced against the window as he looks out at the city below. P-Kitty is on the sill next to him, his patchy tail swishing back and forth as his head turns to me, and he lets out a soft meow in greeting.

“I told you I didn’t want to talk to you right now,” he says without turning around. He sounds like he’s been crying, his voice tired and thick with despair.

For a moment, I’m puzzled how he knows it’s me, but then I see my reflection in the window as I walk closer. He still doesn’t turn, but I can see his lip curl in anger from where I stand.

“You’re just a glutton for punishment, aren’t you, Red?”

The music in my head stops. All the emotions I’ve been feeling for the past twenty minutes taking their seat, leaving only one standing.

“Don’t you meanLittle Ember?”

His head whips around, surprise sprawled across his handsome face. My anger may have won out, but I know inmy heart that when it’s all said and done, I still love him. However, here, in this moment, knowing that fuels my rage.

“How did you find out?” he asks quietly, pushing away from the window to face me.

“How did I find out?” I let out a laugh and cross my arms over my chest. “How aboutI’m sorry I lied and manipulated you?”

His jaw clenches as he swallows thickly. “I’m not sorry.”

My eyes widen, my hostile expression morphing into one of disbelief. “Excuse me?”

Jackson takes a step closer. “You heard me, Ginny. I’mnotsorry. Because everything that happened at Désirer led us here!”

“Youtrickedme, Jackson! How on earth do you think that’s okay?” I understand what he’s saying, but I need to hear him tell me he’s sorry for lying. I need him to acknowledge that it’s a giant betrayal of my trust, and we’re already on a fine line with that as it is.

“I’m not saying it’s okay, Ginny. I know it was wrong. But you wouldn’t give me the time of day. And when I saw you there that night, I acted impulsively. Then you said everything you did, and I…I just had to have you. Simple as that. I wanted you. I was going to have you.”

My cheeks grow warm, remembering how eager I was to divulge information about my lack of sexual experience that first night. “What was the plan, then? Fuck me and leave me, then move on to the next girl at the club? You told me it was your first night there, too. Was that another lie?”

Thoughts of him fucking the other Angels swim through my mind. What if he’s slept with Carmela during one of her rare appearances? Or worse, what if he fucked Lenni?

Tears line my eyes, and I let them fall, not bothering to hide how upset I am.

“No, that wasn’t a lie. Itwasmy first night. The only woman I’ve been with in there is you.” He’s eerily calm, whereas I’m a wrathful storm inside.

“So,whatwas your plan?” I ask again.

“Honestly, Ginny? I did want to fuck you and leave you. You had such a smart little mouth on you, and I wanted to make you my next conquest. Dating was never on the table. It wasn’t a thing that I did, you know that. When you made your proposal and said you’d go on a date with me if I could last thirty days without sex with another woman, I readily accepted because I thought of how fun it would be to have you both in the club and outside of it, and you’d never know. Itwasa game.”

His words are like a red-hot spear to my heart. I’m under no delusions that it was love at first sight. I hated him when I first met him. But hearing him say it out loud hurts all the same.

“Until it wasn’t,” he continues. “And I’ll admit right now that I started to fall for you pretty fucking quickly. Everything you did, I was in awe of. The more time we spent together, the more you began to occupy my thoughts, and then it was like I couldn’t have a good day unless you were in it. My world was dark and bleak before you bled color into it. You branded yourself on my soul, Ginny. And I handed you the branding iron.”

I’m so sick of crying, but I can’t seem to stop. His words are a blend of pain and beautiful poetry, just like our story. “And where do we go from here, Jackson?Howdo we go from here?”

“Do you still love me?” He’s speaking softly but guarded, bracing himself for the possibility of me telling him no.

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