what’s ours. El was mine. That prick had no right being around her, especially when I couldn’t be. And wasn’t this situation just same song, second fucking verse, of our lives the past seven years? Anyway, all that aside, I needed to know what I was facing, like, was there a chance of her falling for this guy? Did she not love me anymore?
But e ither way, I was getting her back.
I know, I know. Cocky. But I liked to view it as being confident. Coach Martin used to tell us that the best offense was a good defense, and I needed to know where things stood so I’d be more prepared and could strategize better.
“I can’t talk right now. Can I call you later?”
I told her yes and we hung up as I decided what I was going to do next.
It was after one in the morning when I knocked on El’s apartment door.
Yep. I ’d gotten the first flight out that I could that would take me to Chicago to see her. I’d had enough of the bullshit that had overtaken my life and was going to put an end to it once and for all.
When she didn’t answer her door, I called her to wake her up, but she didn’t answer. So I used the key Ross had given me and went inside to wake her, but when I got to he r room, she wasn’t there. Where the fuck was she?
I called her again, and again she didn’t answer, so I thought maybe she’d gone to her parents’ home. I got back in my rental and drove to our neighborhood. Cruising down the street, I looked in her drive to see that she wasn’t there either. I couldn’t call Rebecca because it was now past two (and I’m sure she would’ve been so glad to hear from me), so I decided to drive by El’s brothers’ places and check if she was there. She wasn’t.
I had a rough idea where Ross and Rebecca had moved, so I drove there and steered through the parking lot but still didn’t see El’s Jetta. I called and texted her again, but when she didn’t answer, I started to worry. I was just about at the point that I was going to call her dad, but decided to go by her apartment one more time. And now her light was on. I parked, got out and walked up to her door when it suddenly opened and there was PT boy coming out. At three in the morning. From El’s apartment where she now lived alone.
El stood at the door and her eyes got great big when she saw me. “Jag! Wh-what are you doing here?”
I didn’t even look at her as I stood staring down her friend.
“Uh, I’ll call you tomorrow, Ellen,” he said as he eyed me carefully then he walked toward the parking lot.
I kept my eyes on him until he’d driven off then turned to look at her.
“Come on in,” she offered, the look of shock still on her face. I stood on the doorstep for a few seconds more before following her inside.
Chapter 10
From the time we can comprehend language, boys are taught to be tough, not to cry, to protect the weak, and to suck it up.
But I’ll be damned if sucking it up was the last thing I wanted to do. What I wanted to do was punch something because it was after three in the morning, another man had just left El’s place, and she was now acting as if she had no interest in my being there.
And I was going to change that. She may have thought it was over with us, but it was far from it, which she’d soon be figuring out for herself.
I sat in the same recliner I’d sat in the past spring after we’d made love for the first time. She’d come out of the bedroom after napping and had been so sweet, coming in to sit on my lap, kissing the fool out of me, forgetting that Ross and Rebecca had been in the room, which had embarrassed her completely, making her blush adorably. And I’d loved every moment of it. God, we’d been perfect then.
And now here we were.
El sat on the couch, folding her legs under her, biting her bottom lip in contemplation, I supposed. She finally looked up and said, “So why are you here?”
“I wanted to see you.” And wasn’t that a groundbreaking
But e ither way, I was getting her back.
I know, I know. Cocky. But I liked to view it as being confident. Coach Martin used to tell us that the best offense was a good defense, and I needed to know where things stood so I’d be more prepared and could strategize better.
“I can’t talk right now. Can I call you later?”
I told her yes and we hung up as I decided what I was going to do next.
It was after one in the morning when I knocked on El’s apartment door.
Yep. I ’d gotten the first flight out that I could that would take me to Chicago to see her. I’d had enough of the bullshit that had overtaken my life and was going to put an end to it once and for all.
When she didn’t answer her door, I called her to wake her up, but she didn’t answer. So I used the key Ross had given me and went inside to wake her, but when I got to he r room, she wasn’t there. Where the fuck was she?
I called her again, and again she didn’t answer, so I thought maybe she’d gone to her parents’ home. I got back in my rental and drove to our neighborhood. Cruising down the street, I looked in her drive to see that she wasn’t there either. I couldn’t call Rebecca because it was now past two (and I’m sure she would’ve been so glad to hear from me), so I decided to drive by El’s brothers’ places and check if she was there. She wasn’t.
I had a rough idea where Ross and Rebecca had moved, so I drove there and steered through the parking lot but still didn’t see El’s Jetta. I called and texted her again, but when she didn’t answer, I started to worry. I was just about at the point that I was going to call her dad, but decided to go by her apartment one more time. And now her light was on. I parked, got out and walked up to her door when it suddenly opened and there was PT boy coming out. At three in the morning. From El’s apartment where she now lived alone.
El stood at the door and her eyes got great big when she saw me. “Jag! Wh-what are you doing here?”
I didn’t even look at her as I stood staring down her friend.
“Uh, I’ll call you tomorrow, Ellen,” he said as he eyed me carefully then he walked toward the parking lot.
I kept my eyes on him until he’d driven off then turned to look at her.
“Come on in,” she offered, the look of shock still on her face. I stood on the doorstep for a few seconds more before following her inside.
Chapter 10
From the time we can comprehend language, boys are taught to be tough, not to cry, to protect the weak, and to suck it up.
But I’ll be damned if sucking it up was the last thing I wanted to do. What I wanted to do was punch something because it was after three in the morning, another man had just left El’s place, and she was now acting as if she had no interest in my being there.
And I was going to change that. She may have thought it was over with us, but it was far from it, which she’d soon be figuring out for herself.
I sat in the same recliner I’d sat in the past spring after we’d made love for the first time. She’d come out of the bedroom after napping and had been so sweet, coming in to sit on my lap, kissing the fool out of me, forgetting that Ross and Rebecca had been in the room, which had embarrassed her completely, making her blush adorably. And I’d loved every moment of it. God, we’d been perfect then.
And now here we were.
El sat on the couch, folding her legs under her, biting her bottom lip in contemplation, I supposed. She finally looked up and said, “So why are you here?”
“I wanted to see you.” And wasn’t that a groundbreaking
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