Page 130 of Ordinary Secrets

If she could just be honest with me, I’d forgive her. I’ll even raise her child like it’s mine if it means she’ll stay with me.

Are there some logistics I’d have to figure out to make that happen?Of course.

Am I risking going to z-prison for life?Yep.

Am I willing to do it anyway?Abso-fucking-lutely.

I’m twenty minutes into murdering a punching bag when the doorbell chimes. I almost miss it with how loud my music is.Who the hell is here?No one ever shows up unannounced.

Except for one.

“I thought you were dead.” Jess makes my zense prickle. Behind her, droplets of water sprinkle from the gray clouds above at a steady pace. I didn’t realize it was raining.

“Nice of you to use the doorbell this time.” I don’t invite her in, and apparently, she doesn’t need the invitation. She struts right past me and dumps herself onto my couch, throwing her legs up onto the cushions.

Reluctantly, I shut the door. It mutes the sound of water falling that seems to get heavier every time I blink.

Jess looks me up and down, and it’s only then that I realize I’m still shirtless from my workout. I hate the way she stares at me like I’m property that belongs to her. I don’t.

“Did something happen to your phone?” Jess is wearing the world’s tightest pink shirt and a pair of denim shorts that cover more of her hips than her ass.

“No.” I don’t move from the door.

“Then why haven’t you been answering my calls or texts?”

Because I don’t want to or care to.“I’ve been busy.”

“With what?”

“Stuff.”

She blows out a breath, making her lips smack together. “All right, Mister-Fucking-Details. I see how it is.”

“What do you want?”

“Well, damn. Aren’t you a ray of fucking sunshine? Excuse me for checking up on a friend I haven’t heard from. I texted you at least four times last week and, like, three times the week before that. I honestly thought you were dead.”

“I’m not.”

“Good.” She kicks off her heels, then gets to her feet. “Got anything good to eat?”

Sighing, I follow her to the kitchen. “Take whatever you want, then leave. I’ve got shit to do.”

“Do it later.” She steals an apple from my fridge and takes a bite, leaning her elbows on the counter. “Come on, Grant. Don’t you miss me? You haven’t seen me in months, and now you’re kicking me—” She gasps and shoots up. “You’re seeing someone!”

SeeingArella isn’t the right term for it.Madly in love with heris more like it.

A pang of jealousy slaps me in the face as Jess takes another bite of my apple. “Tell me about her.”

“Look, now isn’t a good time.”

“Sure it is! I’m here. You’re here. We both got nowhere to be.” Smirking, she heads to my bedroom. I follow and watch through unamused eyes as she jumps onto my sheets and shoves her face into the pillows. “Ya know, I’m not a Sniffer, but I can smell her. She sleeps here, doesn’t she?”

I don’t answer. Jess bounces off my mattress.

“She has clothes here!” she shouts from inside my closet. “Wow. You must really like this one.”

“It’s complicated.” I lean against the doorframe, debating on whether or not it’s appropriate to throw her over my shoulder and dump her back out in the rain.

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