I was speeding along the highway, but I was debating whether I should turn around and march back up to Simone’s room, demanding she hear me out. Her accusations had caught me completely off guard. I’d been in the throes of a sated sleep before being awakened to her quiet yet seething rage. She’d fired questions at me, and I hadn’t known how to respond. I wasn’t ready to tell her about Emma or Javi, but I should have said something when she’d asked about the calls. The things I had said were true: I didn’t give a fuck about anyone else, but Javi. The only person I was concerned about in that moment was…
I sighed.
After trying to appease Emma, I’d put myself on a definite timeline. Now I had no idea how much time I had to do whatever the hell I was gonna’ do to jolt Simone’s memory and make her recognize me .
The plan needed to be amended. I needed to tell her everything, whether she was ready to hear it or not. A new determination filtered through me and I called the only person I could think of.
Chapter Eleven
Jaxson
“Jaxson, what the hell did you do?” Dinah was shouting in my ear, compounding the hammering already going on in my head. “She kicked you out? Didn’t I tell you, you were moving too damn fast? One hundred in a fifty?”
“Dinah, I didn’t call so you could chew my ass,” I muttered, trying to stay calm. “I’ve already been through that tonight, and trust me when I tell you, I don’t need more of it. I called you because you’re the only one who can help me fix this.”
Dinah sucked on her teeth, but I continued, ignoring her unhelpful attitude.
“I need you to talk to her,” I pressured the woman. “I need you to get her to call me or see me – something!”
“You know, if this was one of her books, I’d be convinced Evan had crossed over into dark romance.”
“That’s not funny,” I bit out, trying to maintain my patience. “I’m not a fucking stalker, Dinah. You know that.”
“Then what the hell did you do and why are you begging me to fix your shit?” She’d lowered her voice and I could almost see her piercing narrow gaze. “My assistance depends on your answer to those questions. Damnit, Jaxson, I went out on a limb for you. You show up out of nowhere, fall in love with my homegirl, and less than forty-eight hours later, your ass is on the sidewalk. Literally!”
My shoulders folded forward and I sighed.
“Don’t tell me you’re playing her, Evan. Don’t tell me there’s another woman, because I swear to God – .”
I pinned my eyes closed. “There’s no other woman,” I muttered through my teeth. Technically, I hadn’t lied. Any woman I’d been dealing with, I’d cut off the minute I made the decision to find Simone. That Emma wouldn’t get even the most obvious hints, had nothing to do with me.
Of course, there was Javi…
“Look, we were having a good time… an amazing time,” I started to explain. “We fell asleep, she was in my arms, and the next thing I know, I’m waking up to her with a major attitude. Apparently, my phone had been going off all night and – ”
“Going off all night?” Dinah balked. “Who the hell was calling?”
Shit! Now Dinah was on the bandwagon.
“It’s not what you or Simone are thinking,” I said quickly. “The point is, when I tried to explain myself to her, she wouldn’t listen.” I huffed, making sure to leave out the specific details. “Look Dinah, you barely know me, I can accept that – but you know my intentions. There’s no way I’d fuck around with Simone’s feelings. I’m not denying that I have a past. I’m not saying there aren’t women who think that we are more than we were; but I want your friend. It might seem random or impromptu to you, but it’s anything but.” My grip tightened on the phone. “You don’t know me, but you know I’m a good guy, Dinah.” I waited for her to confirm or deny my statement.
“Maybe I can tell you come from good stock,” she muttered, as if she didn’t want to acknowledge it.
“Thank you,” I said. “All I need is for Simone to hear me out and I need you to help me make that happen.”
Dinah made me wait for what felt like hours before I got a response out of her. I was hanging by a thread. If she didn’t agree, I’d be SOL, and there was no way I could afford or accept that.
Finally, she was sighing and I imagined it was accompanied by a hefty eye-roll. “I’ll talk to her. I’ll find out her side of the story; but if she tells me you’re a cheating, no-good-womanizer – ”
“She’s not gonna’ say that,” I insisted, though the truth was, I had no idea what she’d say.
A tense silence consumed the phone line and I shifted uncomfortably in the driver’s seat. “Thank you, Dinah,” I muttered, brimming over with gratitude. “I owe you one.”
“You sure as hell do!” she barked. Then she lowered her tone. “And Jaxson? If you fuck this up, I swear to God, I’ll hunt you down and rip the heart out of your chest.”
I already had one woman trying to do that. Didn’t need another.
“Don’t worry,” I assured her. “I’ll have it all fixed by the time I talk to her.” I said it, but I barely believed it.
Forever Yours
Natasha
~Chapter Six~
Evan was super popular; so popular there had been I few times I wondered whether I was worthy to be his date that night. The minute we walked into the frat house, he was swallowed by his Brothers and a slew of other seniors, who all looked like grown-ass men. Of course, most of them were on the football or hockey team – total jocks. I was learning that, while Ev could have easily passed for a jock, he was secretly a nerd. Even though he made time for fun and games, he was third in his class and had professional plans that were solid and realistic.
When his buddies acknowledged him with shouts, he’d wasted no time in introducing me
as ‘his girl’.
I gave him a curious side-eye. “Your girl huh? Need I remind you; this is our first ‘date’? We’ve had no discussion about relationship status. And even if we had, it’s way too early to be thinking about that.”
My comment made him laugh. I loved the sound of it. It was rich and throaty, and every time he did it, his green eyes twinkled.
“I’m predicting the future,” he said, squeezing my side. “I foretell that by the end of the week, you’re gonna’ be my girl.”
I hmphed, trying to act as if the thought didn’t tickle me. Evan Hansom talked a really slick game, but with the way the girls were glaring at me from all four corners of the room, I had a strong feeling there’d be some serious opposition to everything he was saying.
“You don’t even know me, Ev,” I reminded him, minimizing the intensity of his proclamation, but he scoffed at the comment.
“Not yet,” was his reply, “but I will.”
Oh!