Page 7 of When We Were Reckless
I swallowed past the lump that had formed in my throat and got to my feet. The ground beneath me felt unsteady, but I squared my shoulders, and I looked Jesse right in the eye. Those summer sky eyes that used to make me weak in the knees whenever they landed on me. I steeled myself against the effect he’d always had over me, his words playing on repeat in my head.
You think I never noticed your schoolgirl crush, Quinn?
So hard. So cold. Nothing like the Jesse I used to know. My cheeks flamed with mortification, and I hated the way my voice quavered on the words, but I forced myself to say them anyway. “You were right about one thing. You’re not the guy I thought you were. I came over because I thought you might need a friend.”
“You came over hoping to get laid. At least be honest about your intentions, Sunshine Girl.”
I stared at him, so shocked that those words had come out of his mouth that I didn’t know how to respond or what to think. He shrugged one shoulder, so casual, so cavalier as if to say,Just telling it how I see it.
And it was that casual little shrug and the look of indifference on his face that made the words sink in and burrow deep inside.
My hands clenched into fists. My chest was heaving.
How dare he say those words to me?
My hand was itching to slap the arrogance off his face. Feel the sting on my palm and leave my handprint on his cheek. His gaze lowered to my clenched fists, and he jutted out his chin. “Go ahead. Punch me.”
He probably wouldn’t even feel it. If anyone got hurt, it would be me. I took a few deep breaths trying to control my anger and my hurt. Emotion clogged my throat, and I couldn’t even speak.
I hated him. I really, really did. I never thought it was possible to hate the guy I’d loved all my life, but somehow, he’d managed to make me do it. If I didn’t leave right now, I’d end up crying in front of him, and I didn’t want to give him that satisfaction.
So I turned away from him, and I stumbled to the door, my eyes blurry with tears. My heart ached. God, this hurt so much. Jesse used to be so kind. Sogood. How could he have changed so much?
My hand wrapped around the smooth brass doorknob, and I tried to yank the door open. The palm of Jesse’s hand flattened on the wood, his body caging me in. I could feel the heat of his skin, smell the beer and tequila on his breath as he leaned in close to the shell of my ear.
“You might not see it now, but I’m doing you a favor.”
I let out an incredulous laugh. “Don’t do me any more favors,asshole.”
“You’re right. I am.”
“What?”
“An asshole. I am an asshole.”
He took a few steps back, taking the heat of his body and the scent of his skin with him. Then, without turning to look at him again, I walked out the door.
I didn’t let the tears fall until I was safely inside my car.
How could I have gotten it so wrong? Maybe this was the real Jesse, and I’d just been too blind to see it. But, God, he must have gotten a good laugh at my expense. Poor little Quinn with her schoolgirl crush.
“Wedidn’t kiss. You. Kissed. Me.”
How could someone so beautiful be so cruel?
It didn’t matter anymore. I didn’t care what Jesse thought about me or what he said or did. I was done.
I wasn’t going to waste another minute of my precious time worrying about him, or thinking about him, or dreaming about him.
As I drove away, I held my middle finger out my open window and kept it there until his house disappeared from view. It didn’t even matter that he wouldn’t see it. That small act of defiance made me feel just a tiny bit better.
Chapter Four
Jesse
Never trust a beautiful woman.
Not only had Alessia Rossi shredded my heart, but she had also destroyed my career. Some would say I’d done it to myself.
