Page 59 of When love and Hate Collide

When Rachel kissed me earlier at the airport, my first instinct was to step away, especially when the first thought to cross my mind was Jeyla. I hesitated for a moment, and then panic coiled deep inside my gut. If I’m not cautious and I don’t continue to keep her at an arm’s length and keep reminding myself of all the reasons I loathe her, she’ll get under my skin and shit will start to get more complicated than I’m prepared to deal with.

The fact I’m fucking around with her is already starting to screw with my head. Look at me, I’m sniffing her damn hair!

The next time I open my eyes is when the flight attendant gently shakes me awake. I peel my eyes open and look up at her smiling at me prettily. “Sorry to wake you sir, would you and your girlfriend like something?”

I blink up at her bemused. What? Girlfriend? I turn my head to look at Jeyla still asleep, curled up against me with her face buried in the crook of my neck and our fingers laced together. Of course she would think we’re together. I look over at the window and frown. It’s still dark out.

“JJ,” I whisper to her, and she replies with a soft ‘Mm’. “Do you want something to eat?”

Jeyla’s eyes flutter open, and she blinks up at me sleepily. “What?”

“They’re serving breakfast.” Jeyla looks up at the flight attendant smiling politely and winces, and then she looks down at her hand laced with mine and frowns.

“Uhm, sure,” she yawns and straightens, untangling her hand from mine and shifting back to her own seat.

Most of the passengers are now up and eating their breakfast. I rub my eyes and look over at Ash and Jess still asleep and Oscar wolfing down a wrap. When he notices me watching him, he smirks back at me smugly and wags his brows in a suggestive manner.

Smarmy bastard.

He’s evidently seen the way Jeyla and I fell asleep wrapped up in one another and is now donning the smuggest look ever known to mankind. Great, I’ll never live that down. I’m just relieved it wasn’t Ashlyn. All hell will break loose if she ever finds out Jeyla and I have slept together, not once, but on multiple occasions.

With only four hours of the flight left, Jeyla and I do what it seems we always do after an ‘encounter’; we ignore each other, though it’s a little tougher to do when she’s right next to me, but we manage not to say a single word to each other.

I’m determined to finish watching Die Hard before this damn flight lands in Mexico. I’ve barely gotten a quarter of the way into the film. Jeyla pokes me to get my attention and I sigh, pulling out my earphones again.

“I need to pee.”

I scowl at her, “Again? You just went not even thirty minutes ago.”

Jeyla’s frown knits together tightly, “Are you keeping time stamps on how many times I go to take a piss now?”

“You might want to get yourself checked, because the amount you piss isn’t normal.” I grumble getting up to let her out. She throws me a distasteful look as she steps out into the aisle. I walk over to Ashlyn to check in on how she’s feeling. “Are you feeling okay?” I ask and she smiles up at me when I press the back of my hand to her forehead.

“Yeah, I’m avoiding all food until we land, hopefully the plane won’t shake anymore because I’ve got nothing else to bring up.” She informs me with a pout, and I smile in understanding.

“Only four more hours to go, try and sleep it off. It will be late in Mexico when we land so you can rest once we get to the hotel.” Ashlyn nods and smiles when I kiss her forehead.

“Thanks bro.”

I go to walk off back to my seat but stop when Ashlyn calls me back.

“D, you and Jeyla are okay, right? You’ve not spent the whole flight being horrible to one another?”

Oh Ash, if you only knew what we’ve been getting up to behind your back you’d hate us both. The guilt that swells across my chest makes me wince inwardly, but I force a smile on my face and shake my head.

“No, we’re sticking to our agreement and being civil to one another as promised.”

Ashlyn raises a brow before she takes a small sip from her bottle of water. “So, you’re ignoring each other, then?”

I nod, rubbing the back of my neck. “Exactly that.”

“Dean?” I turn when I hear my name and see Rachel standing behind me smiling prettily. “I’ve been waiting for you to come and see me like you promised?” she purrs, curling her hand around my bicep, the same arm Jeyla was sleeping on moments ago.

Speaking of the devious princess, Jeyla chooses that exact moment to come back from the toilet and her face turns sour when she notices Rachel hanging off my arm.

“Excuse me,” she utters icily and goes to squeeze past me back to her seat. Our eyes meet as she passes by me, “I hope she likes the taste of me,” she murmurs quietly enough that only I can hear. Every impulse in my body wants to grab her arm and yank her back to me so I can kiss that haughty look right off her face.

I have no interest in Rachel, she’s nothing more than a momentary distraction. A decoy to keep me far away from what I truly desire…her.

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