Page 100 of Forbidden Romeo

“I’ll take the couch,” he says finally.

I want to exhale in relief, but there’s nothing but a hollow feeling inside as I watch him fall onto the couch without another word. After a moment, I stand and crawl back into bed to bury myself in the sheets. Praying that he won’t hear my muffled tears.

Despite everything, I only manage to find sleep when I imagine his arms wrapped around me.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Jack

My head is pounding, and my ears ring on and on in the most irritating way. I try to move, but my back twinges in protest.

That’s what you get for passing out on the couch, asshole.

Seems my love affair with whiskey has come to a dramatic end. Or at least we’re on a break for a while.

I close my eyes tighter, trying to keep the memories of last night’s conversation from coming back to me. But they hit me like a ton of bricks.

You havehurtme, Jack.

Fuck. I messed everything up.

I finally turn over and crack an eye open. Someone has left a glass of water and more aspirin on the side table, along with a folded piece of paper.

At least she doesn’t hate me enough to let me rot in my hangover.

I drink the water quickly and take a look at the note. It simply reads:

“With Kate.”

“Kate” is underlined, and I can practically hear Aimee’s passive-aggressive voice in my ear.

I know I should have told her where I was going yesterday, but the last thing I wanted was for her to find me. Especially when I was likethat.

My anger is my curse. It’s the one thing I inherited from my father that makes us undeniably related. I make a point of never directing it at someone undeserving, unlike Padraic, and the fighting used to help stave off some of the pressure. But yesterday, I could barely contain it. It bubbled up inside me, the humiliation, the danger I had put Aimee in by bringing her here.

Seeing her face after the match… the way she recognized my anger almost immediately. The way she reacted to my anger. Watching her make the connection to my father almost broke me then and there. I just had to get out, get away.

Padraic was unhelpful and unamused by the state I was in. Threatening Aimee’s life was the only thing that held me back from starting Round 2 in his office.

I sigh and get up with a groan. Going back to my apartment had felt like a good idea at the time, and the drinking certainly helped cool me down. But Drunk Jack clearly had other plans when he realized he didn’t want to sleep alone.

I grab my phone and key in a text to Ray before heading to the bathroom to clean up. If Aimee wants to disappear on me today, I can’t blame her. But I’m sure as hell not going to sit here and stew over the clusterfuck that was last night. I need something to take my mind off it.

By the time I’m out of the shower and feeling more human, Ray has already responded with the contact details I requested.

RAY:I assume this is also need-to-know?

JACK:No one needs to know.

RAY:… Kate might know already.

JACK:Can I fire you?

RAY:Nope

I run a hand through my wet hair and punch in the digits before I have a chance to second-guess myself.

He picks up on the third ring.

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