Page 12 of Free-Falling
“What are you talking about? Don’t be ungrateful. We love you.”
I snort. “I guess your type of love would drive a weaker woman insane. You may love me, but you don’t like me. I’ve got to go. Please don’t show up at my bakery for a while.” I hang up with my heart feeling heavy.
I don’t want to cry anymore. There are certain things in my life that I’d rather not re-live. My phone rings again, and it’s Eli. I let out a frustrated shriek and pick up.
“Stop calling me Eli, it’s over.” My voice cracks even though I’m trying to stay neutral.
“I called just to tell you something. To get closure. I want you to know that you will regret this,—I already am—you will never find someone that loves you as much as me—I know—he won’t love you Ainslee, he can never love you—he won’t ever let her go—Just look at the way you act around him. You hate him enough to act out of character. Just know that I will make you wish you had me back. I will make you cry so hard that you chose your family over me. A family that doesn’t even love you—they never will—and you will always regret this.” With that, Eli hangs up.
I shrug, not knowing what to do. I don’t cry, I just stare at the wall. Maybe this is how my life is supposed to be like, I stand up walking out of the room by passing Jagger while he’s on the phone with his best friend, Oran updating him on whatever. It makes me even sadder that my best friend doesn’t want to talk to me because of him. I sigh, making my way into the master bathroom. I strip my clothes off and get into the shower. I relax as the hot water automatically sprays my entire body. I love how it’s set on an amazing temperature. Thoughts are swimming in my head from my mother calling to Eli’s words. It makes me feel like he cursed me or something.
“What the fuck is on your back!” Jagger yells out.
Fuck! I forgot. This is why, Eli has never seen me without a shirt on and why I don’t do certain positions when it comes to, sex. I turn the water off and turn around to hide my back, completely forgetting that my front is also naked. Jagger widens his eyes and then narrows them as he takes me in from wet hair to pink manicured toes. He lets out a low groan and steps back a couple steps. He shuts his eyes then opens them back up again to take me in.
“Hand me a towel, pervert.” I say breaking the way he’s looking at me. It makes me want to jump him but I won’t. I don’t want to.
Jagger doesn’t move to get me a towel, instead he comes closer until I have to tilt my head back to look up at him. I forget just how much taller he is, compared to me.
“Who did that to you?” He asks.
“Did what?” I whisper. I know what he’s talking about, but I won’t tell him. I’ve told no one.
“The slashes on your lower back, I’ve never seen them. Do your parents know they’re there?”
“Yes.” Who do you think gave them to me!
“Who did that to you, Ainslee?” He asks again. His voice transforms into something deadly.
“Move, Jagger.”
“No, tell me.”
“Move.”
“I will not do that, Ainslee. I’m just not.”
“Well, you fucking need to. Get out of my way, Hanlon.”
“I’m not going to until you tell me who did that to you! TELL ME RIGHT NOW!”
I take a deep breath in and release another. “Don’t act like you care, Jagger! Just don’t! Nobody does, okay? I didn’t need a hero then, and I don’t need one now! So, move! Leave me alone!”
I don’t mean to go off, but I do, which shocks Jagger. This isn’t one of our little fights, this isn’t about us. Jagger moves back and lets me go. I grab a towel and run out to get fully dressed. I don’t need any damn sympathy, especially not from him.
Chapter 5
Jagger
The little sick bastard has been avoiding me for weeks now. I want to know what caused her to have those marks on her back. I’ll give her that damn space she wants so badly. Today is Oran’s arranged wedding day, and I have to pick up his bride. It’s his turn to be just as miserable at his fake wedding as I was at my fake ass wedding. Neither of us signed up for the arranged marriage bullshit, yet here we all are. I shake my head, trying not to be so negative. Before I leave, I make sure that my best man suit looks as sharp as it did the day I got it. After I’m done prepping, I make my way to the room that Ainslee hides in whenever I’m around. She hasn’t even slept by me since the first night of our wedding. I don’t beg women to come to my bed so she can stay right where she is. I don’t even bother knocking as I open the door. Ainslee is getting ready and filming at the same time. Her hair is up in big rollers, she has a simple diamond choker on with diamond studs in her ears. I didn’t know she had three piercings in each ear. Each piercing gets smaller, but it doesn’t look too much coming from her. Her midnight blue silk robe is open, giving me the ability to see that she’s wearing the matching silk strapless lace tank that I can see ends right above her belly button and matching lace panties with red heels.
“Fuck.” I say, not realizing that I said it out loud. This gets her attention, and she looks at me.
Her grey eyes grow wider and fuck, she’s beautiful. She takes me in and bites her bottom lip, I know, baby, I clean up nice. Ainslee, the same Ainslee that I’ve known since she was a little girl is a fucking gorgeous woman who can make a weaker man cry. Eli is stupid, a fucking dummy for letting her go. I would’ve never—What about Layla, you let her go—My mind reminds me? Well, I don’t know. I internally shake my head warding off thoughts of Layla, I don’t want to even think about her. It’s true what they say, it is truly a thin line between love and hate because I think I hate her.
“Do you need something? I’m filming.” Ainslee says in a hushed tone.
She pretends to go back to doing whatever it is she’s doing. I cock my brow. I don’t like her fucking attitude, nor do I like the way she’s dismissing me. I walk in further, not stopping until I’m standing near her. She doesn’t look at me but her hand gives her away, she trembles as she gets ready to apply her lipstick. She applies that red number as if I’m not there and just as she’s finished; I wrap my hand around her throat, making her look up at me. I lean down and kiss her. Ainslee moans as she kisses me right back. I forget what I’m supposed to be doing or what I should tell her as I kiss her like my life depends on it. I don’t stop until I’m content with kissing her. I finally pull away from her lips, but mine hover over hers.
