Page 96 of Puck and Prejudice

I sigh, slumping my shoulders. “He did, but Jane wasn’t feeling well, and I didn’t want to go without her.”

He snorts. “Since when do you need your sister with you to do stuff?”

His comment irritates me further. “I don’t, but I don’t want anyone to know I’m fooling around with Jackson. Without her there, it’d be obvious.”

He rolls his eyes. “Ay que drama.”

I hit his arm with the towel. “Stop making me feel worse.”

“Why don’t you stop by his house and surprise him, if you feel so bad?”

I bite my lower lip. “I don’t know if he’s home.”

“But hecouldbe home.” He wiggles his brows up and down. “Where’s the confident Izzie I know?”

His question gives me pause. Iamconfident, and I don’t like how my relationship with Jackson has made me so insecure. I should go see him tonight and figure out once and for all what we’re doing. I’m done with all the question marks.

* * *

As I approach Jackson’s house, the gremlins in my stomach gain strength, making me queasy. I almost turned around a few times on the way here. I’m shaking when I finally park in front of the house and feel immense relief when I see that the lights are on. He’s home.

But then insecurity rears its ugly head again, paralyzing me. I check my phone one more time, hoping I missed a text from him. No such luck.

“Come on, Izzie. You can do this.”

I get out of the car and square my shoulders as I walk to his front door, but I need a couple of steadying breathes before I ring the doorbell. My heart races while I wait for Jackson to answer the door.

I’m smiling when it finally opens, but what happens next feels like a sucker punch. Caroline is standing on the other side, wearing one of Jackson’s button-down shirts and nothing else. My stomach drops through the earth, and my heart shrinks into nothing.

“Oh, it’s you,” she says all smug and shit. “What do you want?”

My pulse is pounding in my ears, and nausea hits me hard. I want to cry, but I won’t do it in front of her. Through the lump in my throat, I manage to say, “Nothing, not a damn thing.”

I pivot as fast as I can and stride back to my car lest she see the tears in my eyes. My hands are shaking as I start the car and then peel away from the curb, burning rubber. It doesn’t take long for hot tears to roll down my cheeks. I wipe them away quickly, but they keep coming.

I can’t believe I was so stupid as to allow myself to care for that son of a bitch. Jackson Darcy is a major asshole, and my heart is in pieces.

* * *

JACKSON

“Who was at the door?” I ask, walking into the living room.

I feel like shit. My head is pounding, and my throat is on fire. There’s no doubt now. Iamsick. My skin is clammy, even though I just took a shower.

“No one.” Caroline comes into view, wearing one of my button-down T-shirts and no pants.

“What the hell are you wearing?”

She blushes. “Oh, my clothes were wet from the rain, and I wanted to change into dry ones. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Idomind. Put some pants on, for fuck’s sake.”

Her eyes widen. “They’ll be huge on me.”

Chills run down my spine. I just want to go to bed and sleep. Chad left the celebration early, and I was dumb enough to share an Uber with Caroline. I should have stopped her from coming inside my house, but I was already feeling like roadkill.

“You should go home. I’m sick, and I don’t want to give you the flu.”

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