Page 92 of Beneath the Hood

She sucks in a breath, her eyes glistening as her hand comes up to cover her mouth.

My heart falters, my stomach sinking as the weight of her words hit me. My anger dissipates into thin air, my arms straining with the need to take her in my arms and console her. Let her know that it’s okay, that once we tell everyone this won’t be so hard.

I start to walk around the desk to be next to her, but before I can make a move, Karen walks into the room. My jaw clenches, annoyance lancing through my chest. Ihatehaving to stop what I’m doing in order to put on a front for other people.

It feels a hell of a lot like lying.

Blakely glances over at Karen and back to me, apology shining in her eyes.

“Tonight?” I whisper.

She nods.

Turning around and walking back out to the garage, I dream of the day where I can show the world she’s mine.

I stay at work late, not wanting to go home and wait like a pathetic lapdog for her to show up. For the first time since coming to California, I long for my friends back home. At first, I was happy for the distance, needing to separate myself from the guy who fucked anything that moved and pined for Lee in silence. Needing to gain some clarity. I have that now, at least where Sugarlake is concerned, but it’s replaced with a different type of limbo.

I turn my wrench too hard at the thought, cursing when my hand slips, my knuckles nicking against the metal.

Standing up, I lift my shirt to wipe off the blood.

“Lookin’ mighty fine there, Jackson Rhoades.”

My heart stalls in my chest as I slowly turn around.

“Holyshit.”

42

Blakely

Icalled Jackson to let him know I was on my way over, but he didn’t pick up. And when I went to his place, there was no one there to answer the door. I know I’m a few hours earlier than usual, but there’s been a pit gnawing at the center of my stomach ever since our conversation today, so after my workout, I asked Lennox to drive me.

Glancing at Lennox as he idles in the parking lot of Donahue Motors, I cringe, guilt’s sharp edges prodding along my insides. He’s basically become my chauffeur, taking me to secret rendezvous spots whenever I snap my fingers.

Jackson’s Mustang sits in the parking lot and my heart jumps, unease trickling through me at the fact that he’s still here, which means he’s either buried beneath a car or ignoring my phone calls.

Is he really that mad I didn’t tell him right away?

Fear that he’s going to leave me surges through my chest, thoughts spiraling as I think of having to go back to life before him. Nothing sounds worse than having to learn to live without him, he’s quickly twined himself to my soul, stitching us together until I can’t tell us apart.

I know he wants to go public.

He hasn’t said it, but it’s there, lingering in the silence of everything he does. And Iseehim. The reason we’re drawn to each other in the first place is our ability to shed the other’s exterior, peeling away layers like an onion and finding the raw truth underneath.

I sigh, turning toward Lennox. “Give me a few minutes, I’ll come back out and let you know whether I need a ride.”

He gives a short nod, pulling out a worn paperback from the center console, ignoring me completely. He’s been gifting me the silent treatment ever since our talk three weeks ago, and I’ve been trying to work my way back in his good graces ever since, but he’s a tough nut to crack and there aren’t enough hours in the day.

Walking up to the front door, my eyes scan the parking lot, looking to see if anyone else is here, not wanting to explain why I’m back after my sudden last-day departure. But it’s deserted, only Jackson’s lone Mustang in the lot.

The garage doors are closed and the front door is locked, but I enter the code on the keypad and walk inside, heading straight to where I know he’ll be.

And then I stop short, my stomach surging to my throat.

Jackson is leaning against the driver’s side door of a cherry red sports car, a beautiful grin spread across his face as he talks animatedly with a girl.

A very pretty girl. One who I’ve never seen before. I have no clue why she would be here after hours on a work night with Jackson.

---