Page 74 of Call You Mine

“We were just stopping by to pick Jade up before heading over to the house,” Bass says, looking around the room for his fiancée.

Ace nods. “Scarlett’s making us have a family dinner tonight. She swears everyone has been too busy lately and we have to get back together. Apparently, living next door to your sister and best friend isn’t enough.”

“It’s just the hormones,” Jade says, as she comes over to us. She immediately throws her arms around Bass’s neck, something she does every single time she sees him. She kisses him before turning back to us. “Trust me as soon as she pops that baby out, the last thing she’s going to want is to be hosting family dinners.” I laugh, and Jade looks over at me then back at Wynter who looks pretty uncomfortable with the conversation. “You two should join us,” Jade says, and Wynter must see the utter look of fear on my face because she quickly sweeps into the rescue.

“Thanks but Damon and I actually have plans after I get off tonight.”We do?I don't remember making any plans with Wynter. No, on the contrary, I’ve been avoiding her and hanging out with her alone tonight is the last thing I should do. But I can’t get myself to accept Jade’s offer either, and end up spending the night interrogated by her and Scarlett, so I just go along with Wynter’s lie.

“Yeah, we’ll have to just wait for the next one,” I agree.

Jade nods, accepting our refusal of her invitation. “Oh trust me girl, when Sebastian and I started dating, the last thing I wanted was to be around other people, if you get what I mean,” she says winking at Wynter.

“For fucks sake, Jade,” Ace groans. “Can you not insinuate anything of that nature is occurring between my sister and him?”

“You mean that Damon and I aren’t fucking each other like animals every night?” Wynter says all too innocently, loving the way it makes both her brother and I squirm.

“Fuck me,” I groan, dropping my face between my hands.

“Alright you to, stop stirring up drama,” Bass says. “You know these two are just as equally temperamental.”

Jade laughs, enjoying this way too much. I swear I need a new best friend. “Anyway, we’re having a little party for Stella and Ember in two weeks. Since we weren’t able to have a proper baby shower for Stella, we decided now that Ember is doing better, it’s the perfect time to have a little welcome home party for them. You two have to come to that.”

“Of course, we’ll be there,” Wynter accepts before I can say I’m busy whatever day that is. “I was actually asking Bass yesterday how they were doing. I’ve been meaning to reach out to Stella but you know, that’s just a little awkward coming from me.”

“Trust me Wyn,” Ace tells his sister. “Stella is the one person who’s been in your corner after everything. Even after all this time you were gone. She’s quick to forgive and forget.”

I feel a sharp stab in my chest at Ace’s insinuation that Wynter has anything to apologize for. “Wynter has nothing to apologize for. Not to you, nor Stella, nor anyone,” I blurt out, unsure why I’m so riled up by his comment.

Ace’s eyes go wide in surprise, surprised by my comment. “That’s not what I meant…” Ace says, but I quickly interrupt him and continue my rant.

“It’s not her fault she was left to deal with the shame and consequences after everything that happened to your family. If she left, it was only because she couldn’t bear the embarrassment of what staying here entailed. She lost her family, her friends, her status. On top of that her brother was too wrapped up in his own life to even ask if she was okay.”

“Damon, please,” Wynter begs, asking me to stop now that everyone around us has turned to stare.

Anger blares in Ace’s eyes at my insinuation that he didn’t care enough about his sister to wonder why she’d run away the way she had. “Look man, I don’t need your opinion of this. It doesn’t fucking concern you.”

I stand, coming forth to meet his angry stance, and instead of coming between us, Bass actually steps back. “It concerns me if it’s about my girlfriend. Or have you forgotten Wynter is mine?”

“Oh trust me, he has not forgotten,” Bass says jokingly, but no one is in the mood to laugh.

“Boys, why don’t we get going and Wynter here can take the night off early,” Jade says, trying to diffuse the tension. “I only called you into work to cover for me, but I just hired two new girls who can easily close tonight with Jeremy.”

Wynter eyes me angrily though I have no idea what the hell I did wrong. I stood up for her and I’m the one getting the cold shoulder.

“It’s fine Jade, I can close. I already left early yesterday.”

“Yes, but the two of you have plans. Plans you probably already had, and I just assumed you’d be available to cover tonight. Go out, have fun, get into some trouble if you know what I mean,” she says, winking at her. Jade then walks over to me and throws her arm around my shoulder, leaning in to place a kiss on my cheek as she speaks to Wyn. “The twins have been begging us for a baby sister, but who knows, maybe they’d settle for a little cousin.”

Ace and I simultaneously spat out our drinks, both nearly choking after Jade’s comment and all it does is make her laugh hysterically. Wynter joins in on the fun, laughing along with her and brushing it off like what Jade said isn’t a big deal.

“Trust me Jade,” Wynter says, her gaze connecting with mine. It’s like no one else in the room exists when she looks atme. Like the world goes black, silent, and all I see and hear is her. “Damon knows exactly the trouble I like to get into.”

Chapter Twenty

WYNTER

Two weeks. That’s how long Damon and I have been in this stage of ourarrangement. It’s felt like an eternity since the moment he agreed to my renegotiation of our contract terms. After our first night together—when he ran out on me in the middle of the night, clearly thrown off kilter by how intense the sex between us had been—I truly thought this would not work in my favor. If one night by my side made him bolt, then what did that mean for my plan to get him to see we are meant to be together.

Because despite my desperate need to have him again, my goal continues to be to make him see that this thing between us is so much more than some ploy to fool anyone. It’s more than a distraction from the life I lived before coming back home, or the nightmare I continue to deal with daily. It’s the realest thing I’ve ever had in my life.

---