Page 75 of Operation Annulment
Fairy tale over.
A soft tap on the glass jolts me awake. Jeremy stares at me from the other side. Sunlight streams into the car as I move my stiff body away from the steering wheel.
“Hey. Are you okay?”
I try to nod and wince in pain. I definitely have the flu. My whole body aches. He helps me out of the car and upstairs to my apartment.
It smells musty like I’ve been gone for years, not five weeks.
I flip on the kitchen light and grab a bottle of water from the fridge. “So, you and Grey?”
“Yeah, I work for him. I kind of wish Mike would have let me tell you when I was ready. Grey wanted someone to keep an eye on you, so I followed you to that chamber event. I was only supposed to watch you—I never thought that?—”
“I’d lose my virginity to you?” I supply helpfully, and his face goes white.
“Oh, fuck. I didn’t realize that. Okay, you should never mention any of that to your dad. Please.”
I press the cold bottle against my neck. “Why are you here, Jeremy? Sent to check up on me again? Because I’m going to be real honest withyou. I’m not in the mood for sex. I’m in the mood to sleep until I’m dead.”
He touches my forehead and exclaims, “You’re burning up, Kate. Let’s get you into bed.”
“I’m fine.” I take a couple of steps, and my legs give out. Thankfully, Jeremy is on the ball and quickly scoops me into his arms.
I lay my face against his shirt. It feels cool against my cheek. “Um, Jeremy? Do men say anything just to get laid?”
He pulls back the covers and lays me down on the sheets. “What do you mean? Do you think that’s what I did?”
I tuck my hands inside my sweatshirt and roll onto my side, alternating between hot and cold. “No. Nate said that he only told me he loved me as a way to get laid. I just wondered if all men are really like that.”
He pulls the comforter up around my head and sits beside me. “I think Nate was misinformed, and he’s probably about to regret everything he said to you. He’d be a fucking idiot to let you leave.”
I nod. “I think that too, Jeremy. I’m a nice girl. I’m just going to rest my eyes now because they’re burning.”
He pats my back. “I’ll be in the living room. Your dad said I should stay with you until everything’s clear.”
‘Why don’t you wear a leather vest if you work for a motorcycle club? I thought all you guys did that.”
He chuckles, “Well, we don’t want to advertise or draw attention to ourselves. We try to blend in, so I typically save it for the clubhouse.”
I struggle to lift my head off the pillow, but it feels like it’s made of cement. “Dakota? Is someone with her?”
“She’s got Zane and Little Ricky. Try and get some sleep. I’ll run and get you some meds soon.” He cups my face, and I turn away. “Sorry. I’m just—I’m sorry. For all of it.”
The bed shifts as he gets up and walks out. I still have a lot of questions, but my eyes drift closed, and I slip into fever dreams.
twenty-nine
COMMANDMENT #30: THOU SHALT NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE
Nate
Ican’t believe I ever trusted her.
I was sick when the police showed me the emails. They dated back to August. Days after we met, she emailed Jess cryptic messages and veiled threats. Jess was no peach to be married to, but having her beaten and raped?
That’s beyond anything I would ever wish upon another human being, regardless of what that person did to me.
And then she stood there and lied to my fucking face, acting like she was completely innocent of wrongdoing. God, the worst part is that I almost believed her.
