Page 14 of Nomad
His eyes snapped to me over his shoulder, but he didn’t approach us. Without acknowledging us, he turned his attention back to his conversation. My eyes shifted to his left hand as he continued talking to the group. No ring. Not that it meant anything, but it could mean I still had a chance.
As quickly as the thought entered my mind, a woman with long red hair cascading down her back in large curls sauntered up to the group of men. Everyone stopped talking, except J.D., focusing their attention on the beautiful woman—Jessica Rabbit in the flesh.
I couldn’t hear the words exchanged, but she smiled when William’s attention moved to her and his eyes plunged down her frame. She stood on tiptoe and whispered in William’s ear. He nodded to her, then shook the men’s hands before walking towards his motorcycle with the woman following behind him. As everyone got on their bikes, my eyes remained trained on the man I loved.
He tossed his leg over the bike and started the engine. The woman tossed her long leg over his bike and slid close behind him, wrapping her slender arms around his waist. My stomach lurched as I watched William with the beautiful woman.
All the motorcycle engines revved, the vibration from the sound shaking the ground and knocking me out of my daze. He stared at me one last time before following the other motorcycles and breaking my heart in the process.
He’s moved on.
“Hey sweetheart,” Samuel whispered in my ear, startling me as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Are you and Junior ready to go to eat?”
I glared at the man who I dated with suspicion. “What are you doing here?” I asked with a little more bite in my tone than I’d meant to have. He knew after this event Junior and I would go alone to the cemetery to spend time with Aaron. It was something we did every year on the day he died. What made him think it would change this time?
“Is there a problem with me supporting my girlfriend today?” he asked, his tone more clipped than normal. “Where else would I be, Jade?”
Anywhere but here, I wanted to say, but I kept the thought to myself. When it came to my organization or anything dealing with Aaron, Samuel didn’t want to be involved. His unnecessary and infuriating jealousy of Aaron had been the source of most of our problems since we started dating, and it had only gotten worse after we gave us another shot.
I should have learned my lesson.
According to him, I shouldn’t hold on to any memories of my late husband because doing so prevented me from moving forward in my life. It was one of the many arguments during our time together. Aaron was still a very important part of my life and my child’s father. Until the day I died, that would never change, no matter who I was with. It was something I shouldn’t need to explain to the person who claimed to love me.
I took in a calming breath. This wasn’t the time or the place for me to argue with him, but I’d address it at another time.
“After it’s over, Junior and I are going to the cemetery to visit with Aaron.Alone. Like wealwaysdo on the day he died.” I removed his arm from around me as he watched me through narrowed eyes. “We will meet you and Miles at the restaurant as planned.”
“Is it necessary for you to stay here the entire time?” He took in the crowd of people, scowling like they weren’t good enough to be his presence. “I can drive you to the cemetery now and you guys stay for a few minutes, then we’ll go to the restaurant.”
I hated how Sam minimized me and my son’s connection to Aaron. This wasn’t a day where we stayed for a few minutes. We stayed for however long my son wanted to be there with his father. If it was well into the night and we needed to cancel dinner plans, then that was what I would do for him. I wouldn’t shorten Junior’s time with Aaron because of an insecure man.
I stared at Sam, wondering what the hell I had ever seen in him. Sure, he was handsome. Always had been. His light blue eyes, olive skin, and perfect blond hair mesmerized all the girls. He was the boy next door. The high school quarterback scouted by all the major division one schools. Poised to do great things, Samuel Allen would always be my brother’s best friend to me. The more time I spent with him, it reminded me why it took me so long to say yes to dating him. He always wanted to be the center of attention, and at this moment, his snobbish attitude disgusted me.
We didn’t support each other in the same fashion. Although this charity ride honored Aaron’s sacrifice, it was also for my organization. An organization Sam repeatedly bashed as a waste of time. He often mocked the men and women we helped, and the more it happened, the more it showed me who he truly was. Now I questioned what I saw in him beyond his good looks.
“Yes, it is necessary we stay the entire time, Sam.” I took a step away from him. “Look, I don’t expect you to understand how important today is to me or my son, but I expect you to respect it. This is the day I lost my husband, and my son lost his father.”
“He’s not your husband, Jade,” he sneered. “Aaron’s dead. Don’t you think you should start living?”
“Excuse me!” My anger soared. “How dare you! Aaron will always be my husband. Show some goddamn respect.”
“You’re overreacting, sweetheart. Like always.” He took a step forward, putting his hands on my shoulders and squeezing a little harder than necessary. I winced. “Calm down.”
“No. I’m not overreacting, Sam.” I removed his hands. “Don’t tell me to calm down. I think it would be best if you don’t come to dinner tonight and leave now.”
“Are you’re asking me to leave?” His face was a mask of rage. “Are you fucking kidding me right now, Jade?”
“Hey, don’t talk to my mama that way!” Junior stepped between Sam and me. “Don’t ever talk to her like that.”
My son standing up for me wasn’t shocking. He’d been my protector since Aaron died, but it was something he didn’t have to do. It was my job to protect him, not the other way around.
“It’s all right, Junior.” I pushed my angry son behind me, made sure we weren’t making a scene, and faced Sam. “Look, Sam. I don’t think this is going to work out between us. We’ve been arguing a lot lately, and our priorities are… different. I think it’s time we go our separate ways for good.”
“Jade, you can’t be serious, right now.” He stepped closer, forcing me to take another step back. “All, I asked was if you were ready to go get something to eat, and now you don’t want to see me anymore? You’re being dramatic, don’t you think?”
“No, Sam, I’m not. It’s more than being upset about you asking about going to eat. Because you think it’s that simple, I know I’ve made the right decision. I can’t do this with you anymore, Sam. I won’t do this anymore.”
“We’re not over,” Sam argued, his eyes full of anger. “What we have will never be over, Jade.”
