Page 22 of The Jester and His Outlaw: Part 2

“A knot in your log.”

“Quite possibly a knotin mylogs,” she giggles, despite herself, and winks. I shake my head, laughing, because how could you not? If you don’t find laughter, you’ll go crazy. “If you know what I mean.”

“I do, jackass. And that’s funny.”

CHAPTER10

I can’t even comprehendlife the next few days. I’m simply going through the motions, taking the hours as they come. Chatting with Foxy helped straighten out how I’m feeling. I’d like to say that everything is figured out, but I can’t stop hearing his words repeatedly.

She’s not my girl. Every time I get the confidence up to text him and check on him, they taunt me.

Riggs was so… he was so messed up. My heart bled for him, and I wanted to hold him through whatever he was dealing with. I wanted to pull him close, rub my fingers down his back, through his hair, while he cried. But he doesn’t want me to.

Said I’m not his girl. That hurt the worst, even when it shouldn’t. Despite screwing me against the door, he made it very clear where we stood. I’m the one that can’t listen. The one that hasn’t listened since the first time we interacted.

I’m glad Jensen did what he did, though. Riggs needs someone there for him. Someone to look out for him until he finds something worth living for. This world wouldn’t be the same without his dark light.

What a contradiction.

But I need him.

“You’re so quiet,” Dad notes as he watches me push my food around my plate. Mom left to freshen up in the bathroom before we leave. They’ve had an appetizer, dinner, and got dessert to go. They only did that because they realized I wasn’t interested in my meal.

“Uh, yeah, sorry. I’m not feeling the best. I’m going to skip movie night and crash in my room.”

“No worries, princess.” Dad’s brows draw in and he stands, pushing his chair in. “I’m going to go to the bar, get a few shots since your mother is driving,” he winks, “and settle our bill since our server this evening seems to be MIA.”

“You’ve probably intimidated her, Dad.” My father isn’t intimidating to me, but to others, his hard stare and well-dressed frame seem to throw them off. He gives me a smirk and turns in search of alcohol. “Hey, don’t forget to order Kai’s cheesecake.”

To myself, I groan. I shouldn’t have said anything because now we are going to be here even longer, but Kai will have my ass, and how can I deny my big brother a slice? He loves that shit.

“I’ll order two, in case you’re feeling up to it.” Before I can turn down his offer, he’s gone. Damn my dad for being so sweet. For both of my parents, being so sweet. It makes it hard to be upset with them over inviting Jonas to my birthday party and ignoring my pleas to leave him out of things.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as soon as the asshole comes into view.

Jonas.

He saunters over to the table, cocky and no doubt full of some bullshit to spew. Good thing is he can’t put hands on me here. He pounced as soon as my parents left, so he also knows that they are here.

Not that I want to, more like I have to—because I won’t let him see me down—I sit up straighter, a rod jamming into my spine. Jonas takes his time running his slimy eyes down to my chest and because he can’t go any further, they stay there. He gives me a cocksure grin, flashing those pearly whites that I once saw as stunning. While they still are, I now see them as rotten because of the things he’s done and how crazy he is.

I’m glad I ate little because the nausea that bubbles in my stomach sends acid up my throat. If I do puke, there won’t be much coming up. My nerve endings prickle with awareness, and I glance around the restaurant to make sure that the room is still full of people. I will not let my guard down around this asshole ever again.

“What are you doing here?” I say as he rests a palm on the back of the chair my dad vacated. He pulls it out as if he plans on sitting, but I reach my leg under the table and hook my foot on the crossbar. No way. Not tonight.

“I’m eating dinner with my folks, just like you. You can lose the frosty act, it doesn’t suit you.” When his attempts to move the chair don’t work, he flattens his lips and a muscle ticks in his jaw.

The frosty act? How does he even think he knows what suits me? Arrogant asshole in convinced he still owns me.

“You put him in the hospital, Jonas,” I bite, remembering the moments I spent watching him sleep as Riggs recovered from the beating. Our time against the door…

“He did that to himself by starting it.”

“No, you could’ve backed off. You realize you could’ve killed him, right?”

“Not my fault he’s weak. I don’t know what the hell you see in him, when you could be with me.” Weak my asshole. Riggs is one of the strongest people I know, but Jonas will never understand that. He doesn’t compare to Riggs.

“Fuck off, Jonas. You will never be him. You will never get what we have because you’re not capable.” Jonas scoffs and his grip on the chair causes the skin covering his knuckles to go white with force.

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