Page 116 of Entangled

That growl is not amused, and I turn to see Jaykob storming toward the door. My already ripping heart drops into my stomach with a queasy splash.

“Jayk, wait!” I pull out of Beau’s arms to run after him, and I catch him just as he pushes through the door.

He throws my hand off and crowds me against the door. It slams closed as I’m pressed back against it.

“Wait forwhat?” He’s huge in front of me, rough and big and mean. He slams a hand above my head and his heavy, tatted biceps are lined with strain. “From what I see, there ain’t nothing for me to wait for.”

Something slams against the door behind me. “Get off her, asshole. You hurt her and I’ll plug you so full of bullets, your corpse will give the maggots lead poisoning,” Heather yells through it.

“He won’t hurt her, Heat. Lay off,” Dom snaps.

My guilt comes flying back in full force. I’ve only been back forminutes. How am I already messing this up?

“Jayk, I told you. I’m yours—but I’m also his. I?—”

“I. Don’t. Share.” His eyes are full of midnight hurt and anger swirls through them like clouds. “And you already made your choice. Wasn’t like I didn’t know how this would go.”

I tangle my hands in the front of his shirt before he can storm off. I know my nails are cutting into his chest, but I don’t care. It’s practically his love language.

“Don’t youdare.” I press up against him, and when he pulls back, I yank at his shirt to pull him back down. It doesn’t move him, but the fabric strains. “Thereisno choice, Jayk. I need you.”

He stares into me, fierce and hard, but with his eyes so deep on mine, I see the tiny moment of hesitation. I feel that second where he presses back into my touch, the way he does each time we come together. Like a finger-brush is never enough for him. He needs a press, a claw, ademand.

And so I dig in.

I need to get through to him. Ihaveto. He’s finally started to talk to me. In those sweet, vulnerable moments after he punishes my body, when he touches me like I’m the wing of a butterfly he’s afraid to crush, I’ve felt him wanting to share. Wanting to believe in it.

And it’s such a perfect mirror for me, for the way my heart aches and tears and transforms into something new, something bigger and stronger every time we’re together, that I just can’t let him reject it. He has to understand.

I’ve lost Jasper, Dom, and Lucky—I can’t lose him too. Ineedhim.

I’m breathless, waiting, and watching closely enough that I see the exact moment I lose him.

His eyes shutter, and my heart cries out.

“You go back in and play house with yourBeau.” He sneers. “I don’t play make believe.”

He grasps my wrists, firm but so gentle around where he knows I’m still healing, and pulls my hands off his chest.

“I’ll be out with the rest of the plebs.” The sneer drops, and he looks away. Something soft and raw touches his features, and when he speaks again, it’s full of quiet hurt. “Just leave me alone, Eden. I don’t want to see you anymore.”

He strides off toward the trees, and I press a hand to my mouth to stop it trembling. I’m not sure it helps, because my hand is shaking like a leaf itself.

But without Jayk blocking the view... I finally realize that every single person camped out on the front lawn just had a front-row ticket to see that particular showdown.

I stare down at them, and they stare back at me. Ava, and Sloane, and Aaron, Judith and Carol and Danielle and more, all looking up at me with a varying mix of amusement, disapproval, shock, disappointment, and dismay.

“Oh, damn,” Kasey remarks into the silence.

And as if that’s a prompt, almost eighty-five heads turn away in a flurry of movement, as if they all simultaneously found something else to do.

My eyes sink shut as I try to collect myself.Jayk. My heart jerks, ripping further. It’s as though someone has tied invisible strings to it, attached to each one of these men, and they keep being yanked in different directions—or just slicing through the tender muscle.

There’s nothing I can do now. He won’t talk to me and doesn’t want to hear it.

But I’m not letting this go. I can’t.

I turn. My hand quavering on the doorknob, I return inside, almost bumping into Heather, who is hovering in front of the door.

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