“Since when do you have a boyfriend? Care to share, Bella?” I stare straight into her eyes and watch her squirming trying to change the subject and brush me off, saying that the crazy lady doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Hmm, nice try, Bella, but I’ll give you a few minutes. As soon as we are alone you will be spilling the details.
Being a smart woman, an almost fully qualified doctor, she knows how to deflect well by turning the questions to me. I think she forgets who she’s up against, though. I’m the master of reading people and getting information out of them when they don’t want to share.
“Let’s go back to the question at hand. What brings you to the market this morning?” Bella asks me as she nibbles on some blueberries she just purchased.
“You have to promise, what happens at the market stays as the market, Bella. None of this reporting to your brother with bits of crappy gossip about me. Otherwise I’ll let slip the old lady’s crazy—or not-so-crazy—statement about the boyfriend. Do we have a deal?” She thinks I’m joking, but I’m actually not ready to share this with Gray yet.
“Deal. Now spill it, Alexander,” she says as we sit on a park bench.
“Wow, my full name, Miss Arabella. This must be a serious chat.” My full name only gets used by my mother or at work. Bella is full of sass this morning. She knows I hate my friends using it.
“It’ll be serious in a moment if you don’t start talking.” She points her finger at me like I’m a schoolboy.
“See, this is why I stay away from women. You’re all killing me at the moment.” And I know the day isn’t going to get any better.
“Now that’s a good start. It’s about a woman. Not that I thought you were gay, but that clarifies it for me.”
“Far from it, you weirdo. You’ve seen me many times with women. I like certain parts of the female anatomy way too much to be gay. Just saying. Mind you, it concerns me we’re even having this conversation, but I’m not going there, otherwise this is going to take too long.”
As she continues to try to interrogate me, I find I’m enjoying the banter back and forth. Until I hear the voice that seems to overpower every other voice around us and make them fade into the background.
“Alexander, there you are finally. Thought I said ten am sharp if you wanted to talk. Typical of you to be late.” Jacinta glares at me.
Fuck, I didn’t want her to see me with Bella. You know the saying, ‘and never the two shall the meet.’ Jacinta is not someone who belongs in the same world as my special people. These worlds are never supposed to cross over.
I jump up to try to stop her in her tracks, but I’m too late.
“Who are you?” Jacinta says, looking down at Bella with her righteous attitude.
Oh god, Bella isn’t going to take that. She’s a little firecracker when she wants to be.
“Doctor Arabella Garrett, sister to Lex, and you are, besides rude?”
“Bella,” I growl at her.
Even though Jacinta deserves that, my upbringing still won’t let people disrespect her.
The two of them start verbal sparring, and then Jacinta straight out tells her we’re fuck buddies.
I need to get out of here before this gets worse.
I can just hear the phone calls I’ll be getting from the guys later today when Bella spills all this to them.
Apologizing to Jacinta, I pull Bella away and tell Jacinta I will call her later. I need to go into damage control. Bella and I end up in a heated discussion, and I know it comes from a good place, but she’s overstepping the sister role she loves to have with all us boys. After calming her down and making her promise to keep this run-in to herself if I keep her boyfriend secret, we part, and she heads off to see the crazy lady again.
I take off in the direction Jacinta left in, hoping I can catch her before she leaves. I see her in the distance buying some flowers. I get there just in time to shove some money in the hands of the vendor and tell him I’ll pay. Jacinta just stares at me. Taking her flowers and walking away from me.
“Wait,” I call after her.
Stopping, she doesn’t turn but waits for me to catch up to her. I walk in front of her then reach for her arm.
“Can we just sit for a moment? We need to talk.” She doesn’t say a word but follows my lead to the seat. I asked her here so this could be done in a public place. That way I can stay strong to do what I need to do. I don’t want a debate with her screaming at me.
“Well?” she says sternly.
“Jacinta, I know we’ve been using this mutual agreement to satisfy a need we both have at times. No strings attached and no feelings. But it’s not working for me anymore.”
Her eyes open boldly. “You’ve developed feelings?” Her voice is a little softer with a hint of a smile.
“God no. I just can’t do this anymore. It’s not healthy for either of us. I want to find someone for a meaningful relationship. You deserve that too. Let’s just keep the respectful friendship. I’m sure you agree. It’s time to move on.”
That’s when I get the biggest shock.
Fuck, how did I miss this?
The momentary look of longing in her eyes. Which quickly flicks to sadness and despair at my words.
Jacinta has developed feelings for me that she has hidden behind the power struggle. This was never supposed to happen. Her words to me were that she just needed the sexual release and that we could enjoy it while it lasted. When we’d had enough, we would walk away.
They were her words.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
She blinks a couple of times and that vulnerable look is gone and the blank expression returns.
Standing, she puts her hand out and takes mine to shake it.
“Thank you for your time, Alexander. Good luck in your future. Please pass on this change in arrangement to your mother.”
As she stalks off across the park in her normal power walk, I’m left sitting there totally floored.
That is not how I expected this to go down at all.
I need a stiff drink and it’s only just after ten am.
Can today get any worse?
Well of course it can.
Now I get to visit my mother. This change in her master plan is not going to sit well with her. She feels it’s her right as my mother to control my life.
Well, today she’s about to find out that’s not the case.
And people think Jacinta is a dragon and is as cold as ice with emotions.
Elouise Jefferson has been known to bring the toughest men to their knees within five minutes of meeting them.
Yep, a drink sounds like a good option.
Chapter Three
MIA
Kicking a toy block across the room, my mind is saying every swear word I can think of.
With the kids in the room I can’t say them out loud, but I can scream them in my head.
“Mommy, why does he yell at you all the time?” Jack looks at me.
I promised myself I would never let him see me cry again after that night we broke free.
“Because he is an angry man sometimes. Don’t you listen to him. Just keep singing in your room like I taught you when he comes, okay?”
He still looks concerned about me. “I don’t like him, he’s mean. I’m going to yell at him and tell him next time.”