Something Worth Fighting For by Lena Matthews

table and walked around the island, putting several feet of distance between Tisha and him. He needed the space to think, something he realized he wasn’t able to do in her presence. Especially in the state he was in right now.
    What on earth had possessed her to agree to do ReShaunda’s hair? After everything he told her, after the things she’d seen with her own eyes, how could she possibly do anything for the woman who caused so much trouble for him and Cami?
    Just thinking about all the ways he’d been fucked over by ReShaunda had his blood boiling. And to think Tisha, a woman he’d begun to have strong feelings for, was treating ReShaunda as if she were a long-lost friend was infuriating. Never had Jonah felt so betrayed. And he’d been abandoned by his family, so that was saying a hell of a lot.
    “I’m confused here. Why are you so pissed off?”
    Jonah glanced over at her in disbelief. Was she fucking kidding? “Because you made an appointment to work on ReShaunda’s hair, that’s why.”
    “Whoa.” Tisha jerked back. “Let’s get something straight here. She made an appointment with me. I didn’t go out and solicit her or anything. She came to me.”
    “You say that as if it makes a world of difference.”
    “It does.”
    “How?” The word came out louder than he intended, forcing Jonah to glance toward the kitchen door. The last thing he wanted was for Cami to come downstairs in the midst of this argument. The poor kid had been through enough already without having to deal with this shit.
    “It just does, Jonah.” Tisha sat back in the chair, her face was a mask of confusion. “What’s your damage?”
    “Your betrayal is my damage.” Tisha’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, but the look of shock on her face didn’t stop Jonah from going on. He was too angry to hold back. “Are you that hard up for cash you have to take a job from my mortal enemy to get by?”
    “Mortal. Enemy.” Tisha shook her head as if trying to clear her mind. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
    “Do I look as if I’m kidding you?”
    “No, you look as if you might be a bit insane though.”
    “Insane?” His eyebrows went soaring. In what world was she living? Instead of calling him names, she should be apologizing. Then again, maybe she was right. Maybe he was insane to expect loyalty from his woman.
    “Yeah.” Tisha stared in amazement at him as she rose from her chair. “Don’t you think you’re taking this to the extreme?”
    Crossing his arms, Jonah matched her stare with one of anger. He wasn’t even close to extreme. Yet. “No, I don’t. You know I’m not really sure how you were brought up, but where I come from, you don’t stab a friend in the back.”
    “Come from.” Her amazed stare morphed into one of irritation as she matched his stance. “You mean in the foster home?”
    “Yes,” he gritted out, refusing to allow himself to rise to the bait. “A place where you learn real quick who your friends are and who your enemies are.”
    Her rigid stance melted a bit as she tilted her head and regarded him with compassion-filled eyes. He didn’t want to see pity from her. He wanted to see the person he had fallen for. “I’m not your enemy because I agreed to do her hair.”
    “The hell you’re not.” Jonah was emphatic on that subject. “How could you, Tisha? Forget about me for a second, forget about the fact you I and are seeing one another, and think about Cami. How could you do this to her? How could you befriend this woman after everything you saw with your own two eyes? Tell me that, why don’t you?”
    “How about I tell you this instead? You’re an ass. No, a giant ass. I would never knowingly hurt Cami—or you, for that matter.”
    “Really, you have a real funny way of showing it.”
    “I can’t believe you. To think I was under the mistaken impression I was doing you a favor.”
    “Favor!” His definition and her definition of a favor must be utterly