Page 15 of Love Defies Us

“Holler if you need me,” Jasper says before waltzing towards the couch.

“What is your problem?” I ask.

He pulls me to the side away from the crowd, and everyone in the room eyes us suspiciously.

“Just so we’re clear, I’m not the sharing type.”

“Same as me.”

He glares at Jasper. “I don’t like your roommate.”

“You don’t know him. He’s has my back since we were in college. He’s my biggest cheerleader in my life. Unlike you, he’s not using me to get his dick wet,” I snap like a twig. Anger highjack his eyes, and he thrusts his thick fingers through his hair.

He doesn’t even know him to not like him. Men are too cavemen for me sometimes.

“Don’t act all innocent, Sadie. You wanted my dick before, I read your diary. You talked about me like I was only good for fucking,” he snaps back and his words stings. I wrap my arm across my body.

He’s right I did talk about him like that, but he had no business snooping in my diary.

“I’ve been stalking you,” he says. “I knew you were here, but I had no idea that he was your roommate. I just thought you guys were friends, and I saw the way he looked at you like he wants to fuck with what’s mine.” He pauses and his jaw tics. I don’t know if I should be flattered or creeped out. It’s kind of hot that he’s into me. Maybe Jasper is right. He likes me and just doesn’t know it. My heart jumps for joy at that, and it dies a little because we won’t be able to work. I have a plan and I need to execute it.

I twist the watch on my wrist as goosebumps break out on my skin. “Why are you stalking me?”

“I needed to know you weren’t fucking anyone else behind my back.” His tone is a bit shameful. The type of shame when a kid gets caught stealing something that wasn’t his. He has trust issues with women, and I get it. His ex hurt him to the bone. Annoyance greets me like an old friend that I haven’t seen in years. It annoys me that he doesn’t trust me. It annoys me that he thinks I would sleep with someone else behind his back. I stare and stare and stare at his face and all I see is someone who’s broken. Someone who’s defeated. He’s a god carved from the stories in Greek mythology and they never having a happy ending.

A red-haired groupie that Easton let into our section comes up to us and wraps her arms around Felix. She giggles and glares at me.

My jealousy rages and my heart catches in my throat. Felix removes her hand and gently pushes her. “Don’t you see I’m talking? Go the fuck away.”

And the girl pouts and sits Easton’s lap, kissing him on the lips.

“You have the nerve to be jealous and you have women hanging around you all the time.” I roll my eyes so hard they might roll out of their sockets. “Call me when you stop acting like a jealous prick.” Then I head towards the couch and snatch my purse from the floor.

“He’s looks at me as if he’s about to murder me,” Jasper says. “What did he say?”

I don’t answer. I don’t want Jasp to feel even more uncomfortable, and I don’t want him to feel as if he’s the cause of this drama.

I’m not the type to talk about my feelings, I’d rather write it down or internalize it. After we leave the room, I sag a little against the wall and exhale. “Let’s head home.”

Sadie

After I leave the office, I go home, shower, then I go to the kitchen, pour myself some wine, and watchSabrina The Teenage Witchin the living room.

Jasper is not here, he went to the Bahamas with Stacey and Anthony for a whole week, so I have the condo to myself. Felix has been on my mind since the whole shit that happened at the club. He sent me a message asking to call him and he apologized for being a prick, but I ignored him. I need space from him. Spending almost every night with him is not good for us because one of us is going to get hurt and I don’t want it to be me. Even though I don’t wear my emotions on my sleeves or don’t fall in love easily, I still have to protect myself because Felix is Felix. He has a way of making you feel special despite the fact he’s possessive and a stalker. He’s caring and loving.

A few hours later, I must have drifted off because I wake up to loud banging on my door. I glance at my watch on my wrist and it’s ten forty-five. The banging grows urgent and I hurry and open the door. Felix stands in the doorway, running his hands through his hair. He smells like chlorine and he’s tanner, as if he was bathing in the sun all day. He’s so beautiful that I forget to breathe around him.

“Can I come inside?” His tone is deep and rich, and his voice ignites my sex and my nipples pebble against the thick fabric of my robe. I tighten the rope so hard around my body that I think I’m going to squeeze the life out of me.

I step to the side and open the door wide. “You can come inside my—inside.” He smirks at my words.

My chest clenches as he follows me to the living room, and we perch on the couch.

“You didn’t respond to my messages,” he says.

“I was tied up with work all day.” I pick the skin around my pinkie nail, “And yes, I do forgive you. Just don’t do it again.”

His eyes are clouded with intensity and the lines on his forehead are deeper than a bottomless pit. He twitches his mouth like he’s itching to say something.

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