Page 111 of Prey Tell
I push myself into the room as he scoffs, but he doesn’t make me leave, so I set my purse down on the dining room table and glance around his living quarters. This wing is completely different from Chase’s—it’s modern, all black and white decorations, with pops of poppy red. Very modern and masculine. My eyes peer over the takeaway containers laying around, the dishes piling up in the small sink over in the kitchen, and the piles of clothes in each corner.
“I wasn’t expecting company,” Jackson mutters, crossing his arms. “I’m working,” he says, and I see his laptop sitting on the couch next to a melting carton of mint ice cream—his favorite.
“Can we talk?” I ask, looking over at him with pleading eyes.
“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” he adds, and his expression is cold. It makes my stomach drop. Jax and I have always beensoclose, and right now, the distance between us feels like the Grand Canyon. There’s no warmth in his grimace—no teasing in the lilt of his voice.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him softly. He opens his mouth, but I hold up a hand. “No, let me explain first, please?” He clenches his jaw and glares at me. I swallow thickly and continue. “I don’t expect you to forgive me right away. I know… it’s a lot to take in. Chase wasn’t supposed to tell you,” I add, trying to keep my voice calm. The betrayal of him telling Jackson still stings—but I don’t need to pull Jax into the mix.
Jackson tilts his head and scowls. “Chase didn’t tell me.”
“What?” I ask, unsure if I heard him correctly.
Jax rolls his eyes. “He didn’t tell me. We were out to lunch, and I guessed. I’m not an idiot, Juliet. He was gone last weekend—so were you. He was gone Friday night, as were you. The roses. The dress box. You’re my sister, and he’s my best friend. Honestly, you guys were painfully obvious about it all.”
I swallow. “Yeah. We were,” I tell him, my voice glum. “So he didn’t tell you?”
Jackson shakes his head. “No.”
I nod once. “Right. Okay.” I sit and let out a heavy breath. “Are you hungry?”
Jackson shrugs. “I already ate. But there’s some leftover pizza in the fridge. Help yourself,” he says, his voice still detached and emotionless. He sits down and crosses his arms and legs as I walk over to the kitchen.
I subtly begin to tidy, trying to think through everything. Chase didn’t tell Jackson. He didn’t betray my trust. Instead, he planned a romantic picnic lunch and then walked in on me working with my ex. Why did I get so mad at him? It was all a terrible misunderstanding. Maybe if I worded what I was about to say carefully, I could ease Jackson into our relationship, too. I know deep down that he doesn’t oppose us as a couple. But I have to come at it from his perspective. We were keeping something from him, and he feels betrayed.
I had to be fully honest.
I had to tell him things I wasn’t even sure I’d admitted to myself.
These past five days away from us were good for him, I think. I know my brother well enough to understand his need to ruminate and sulk when he’s angry. By now, he should at least be willing to hear me out.Hopefully.
By the time I’m done, the kitchen is clean, and I make my way back into the living room. I pluck the stray clothes lying around and set them by the front door, assuming the castle has someone to help with laundry. Next, I quickly gather the takeaway dishes and set them in the recycling bin. By the time I make my way back to the couch, Jackson is watching me suspiciously.
“I thought you were hungry.”
I huff a laugh. “I am. But I couldn’t eat with the moldy dishes taunting me.”
I watch him carefully as his lips twitch. “It’s been an eventful week,” he retorts.
Grabbing two slices of pizza, I hand him a piece and sit on the other side of the couch. He eats it reluctantly, and I try to formulate what I’m going to say. Finally, dusting my hands off, I give him a no-nonsense look and take a deep breath.
“Do you want the long version or the abridged version?”
He huffs a laugh, and his pissed-off expression falters for a second. “The long version. Always.” His scowl returns.
I nod once. “Okay. I’ll start from the beginning. I think I’ve been in love with Chase since I was a teenager,” I admit, looking straight at him.Cut right to the chase, no pun intended.
Jackson sits up. “Seriously? But you hated him for so long.”
“Did I?”
Jackson opens and closes his mouth. “Jules, you would literally beg me to come to the house so that you didn’t have to see him at the apartment. I assumed you two didn’t get along, so I minimized interactions.”
I smile when I think of how it might look to an outsider. “No. Let me explain. And please, let me finish before you judge me, okay?”
He presses his lips together and gestures for me to get on with it. I take another steadying breath. Here goes nothing.
“When I was eighteen, a few weeks before going off to college, I asked Chase to take my virginity.”
