Page 40 of Light My Fire Three Times
Olivia’s face flushes red, and Karl leans back with that cocky look of his.
“Didn’t know you were out for a walk, Fletcher,” Karl says. The bastard.
He doesn’t even know what he’s done.
I feel the heat rise in my chest, but I force myself to stay calm. Barely.
Olivia stammers. “Jesse, hey, I…”
I take a step back, but not because I want to. My body’s on autopilot. I’ve just reached the limit of whatever patience I’ve been pretending to have.
“Jesse, wait,” Olivia says, and there’s something in her voice, and it almost makes me want to stay.
But I don’t.
I turn around before I can second-guess myself, before I can give her that satisfaction. My jaw’s tight, fists still clenched, and I can feel my whole body trembling, but I’m not sticking around to figure this shit out. Not right now.
“Enjoy your night,” I mutter sharply.
I don’t wait for a response. I keep walking, not caring how loud my boots sound on the pavement or how hard my heart’s pounding in my chest.
Because, deep down, I know I can’t unsee what I just saw. And I’m not sure I ever will.
Fuck.
I get home and slam the door behind me, not even bothering to turn the lock. No one is going to come in anyway. The place is as quiet as a tomb, the only sound the hum of the fridge and the low creak of the house settling.
I strip out of my jacket and drop it on the couch, running my hands through my hair as I pace back and forth in the living room. My mind’s a damn mess, and I can’t figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do now.
I’m angry. I’m hurt. Hell, I’m confused as hell.
I don’t have any right to feel this way. She’s not mine. She never was. But seeing her kiss Karl? It was a punch to the gut. I should’ve been fine with it, right?
We were just a one-night stand. We agreed to forget about it and not discuss it.
But then we kissed at Ivy’s place again. There isstillsomething there, even if we don’t want it to be.
But there I was, standing in the park, watching her with him.
I’m pissed at myself more than anything. For letting it affect me this much. For not keeping my damn distance.
I should’ve walked away the second I saw them. Should’ve turned around and gone home, pretended I didn’t care.
But no, I had to stay. Had to make a scene. Now, I feel stupid.
And the worst part? The absolute worst part is that I can’t talk to anyone about this.
I can’t call Ivy and tell her what happened—she’d never forgive me. Which means I can’t speak to Freddie or any of the other guys, either, because it’ll get back to her eventually.
I certainly can’t talk to Karl about it. He’d just laugh and tell me I was overreacting. And Olivia… well, she’s already seen how I feel. She probably thinks I’m some asshole for storming off.
So now I’m stuck, alone with my thoughts, pacing around my damn house. I should’ve let it go. Should’ve just kept my mouth shut.
But I can’t.
Because the more I think about it, the more I realize it’s not just about that kiss. It’s about everything.
I can’t get her out of my head, not after everything that’s happened. I’m supposed to forget her, but I just can’t.
