Page 95 of When love and Hate Collide

I nod, “I do, we owe it to the baby to at least try and be a family, and if it doesn’t work then at least I know I gave it a go and won’t spend the rest of my life wondering if I made the right choice.” I explain truthfully with a shrug.

“Do you love him?” Paxton asks, stepping closer to me, his tone thick with dejection.

“I do,” I admit quietly and look up at him. “My feelings for him are complicated, but I know I’m in love with him, and it wouldn’t be fair to you or myself to deny that and pretend like I feel nothing for him when I do.”

A look of hurt flashes in his eyes and I’m sure I saw him well up. “Jeyla, I’m crazy about you.” He affirms, reaching up to caress my cheeks. “You said you loved me.”

“I do,” I tell him earnestly, placing my hands on his chest, “Pax, a part of me will always love you, and you were so understanding about the baby and willing to fight for us, but I can’t give you what you want. I told you, I can’t be the same girl I used to be, not after what you put me through and especially not when I have love for another in my heart. I tried to ignore my feelings for him, but I can’t, and I don’t want to choose you simply because you’re the safer choice. You deserve better than that.”

“So, that’s it then?” I nod sullenly, take his hand and place the little black box holding the promise ring he gave me. Paxton was never the type to show weakness, but looking at him now, I see straight through the façade he’s trying to put on and know his insides are bleeding.

“I truly am sorry for everything. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, I hope you understand that and forgive me.” I apologize.

Paxton bites his lip and nods, closing his fingers around the box, “You don’t have to be sorry, Jeyla. If I had just been straight with you from the start, maybe things would have been different now.” I shrug and nod sorrowfully, blinking away the tears that gather in my eyes. “I’ll see you.”

“You will.” I push up on my tip toes and drop a quick kiss on his left cheek.

Pax reaches up and brushes his fingers across my jaw line, his eyes on mine. I can see he’s deliberating about kissing me, but I step back before he can even try. I hurt him and I feel awful about it, but we’ve had our chance and it didn’t work out. Paxton will always hold a special place in my heart, he was and always will be my first love.

I watch him gather up his things and walk out of my bedroom. I hold my breath until I hear the front door click shut and finally exhale. Sinking down on to my bed, I bury my head in my hands and groan.

That fucking bit.

I stand at my window,chewing my lip nervously, my eyes fixed to Jeyla’s front door watching like a hawk, waiting for her ex to walk out.

“What’s taking so fucking long?” I utter, rubbing the back of my neck agitatedly. Every minute he spends with her alone in that house is making me more nervous. What if the sly git convinces her to be withhim? He’s done it before, who’s to say he won’t again? Not that Jeyla is naïve enough to fall for his bull or be swayed again… especially now she knows how I feel about her.

Fifty-one minutes…

Fuck me, come on JJ. Tell him to get lost already so I can come over there and kiss you like I’ve been burning too. Yes, I know, I’m an insensitive bastard, but can you blame me for being impatient? I’ve waited almost seventeen years to have the object of my affection and I want her to be mine and mine alone. The front door finally opens, and I quickly straighten, my brows fusing while I watch Paxton walk out of the house looking like his whole world just came crashing down around him.

It wasn’t that long ago I walked out of that front door feeling that exact same way, and I can sympathise, I even feel bad for all of five seconds until it vanishes, and I’m left feeling elated beyond belief.

Paxton gets into his Range Rover, starts the engine and drives off down the street. I don’t waste another second, I scurry… I damn wellscurryover to Jeyla’s and use the key her folks keep hidden and unlock the back door, slipping in quietly, straining my ears in case anyone but her is home.

Coast is clear.

Mission kiss the soul out of my woman is on. I skip up the steps and walk down the corridor to her bedroom. As I approach, I see her sitting on the bed, her head buried in her hands. The door creaks when I push it open and she looks up, eyes rimmed red like she’s been crying. If that fucker did something to her, I will rip his throat out. I walk over to crouch in front of her, sliding my hands up the sides of her silky-smooth thighs. “What happened?” I question, already dreading the answer.

Jeyla lowers her hands from her face and licks her soft pink lips. “It’s over.” She tells me, her tone almost inaudible. “I broke up with him.” A hefty weight lifts off my shoulders and I sigh inwardly.

“How did he take it?”

“As well as expected,” Jeyla answers, dropping her gaze to her hands resting between us. “I think I blindsided him, he came over here so excited to talk about the baby’s nursery that his sister is designing and started talking about a wedding and I just lost it.”

Designing a nursery formykidlike I ever had any intention of stepping aside to let him play dad to my baby.

Fucking twat.

“I feel like a real bitch for hurting him like that.” She laments, running her fingers through her long dark hair. “You should have seen the look on his face when I told him I was in love with someone else.”

My chest swells when I hear those words coming from those gorgeous lips of hers.

I sigh and take hold of her wrists and lower my head so I could look her in the eyes, “Yeah, it’s no picnic hearing those words from the one you love, but you did the right thing, it would have been a lot worse if you just strung him along and later on decided you were making a mistake.” I explain, rubbing the pads of my thumbs against her pulse point on her wrists.

“I know, I did the right thing, my heart wasn’t in it, but I still feel bad for him.” I nod in understanding and lift her hands to my lips. I press a kiss to each of her fingers and she watches me, captivating me with those deep green eyes I love so much.

“Do you want me to go? I’ll understand if you need some space and time alone to process.” Jeyla shakes her head and leans forward, pressing her forehead to mine.

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