Overtime(43)

Kacey leaned on her hand, letting out a long sigh. “Would be better if I could have a beer.”

“Go to a bar then,” Lacey suggested and Kacey shook her head.

“Rather not.”

“Then suck it up, cupcake. Run a bath or something,” she said and Kacey shrugged.

“Which would be ten times better with a glass of wine.”

Lacey ignored her and asked, “What made it so bad?”

“Jordie,” she answered simply and Lacey’s brows rose in confusion.

“What did he do?”

“Nothing,” she moaned. “Everything.”

Lacey leaned on her hand, obviously confused. “I don’t understand.”

Kacey let out a breath and shook her head, her voice lowering as she leaned in closer to Lacey to make sure that Karson didn’t hear them. “He’s everywhere. In my home, in my gym, and in my head, twenty-four seven! I don’t know what to do, because one second I want to slap him, but in the same second, I want to kiss him.”

“Oh,” Lacey said, leaning back some, her brows still raised to her hairline. “I thought you liked Liam?”

“I do,” she moaned. “But I don’t know. It’s more curiosity where Jordie’s concerned, I think. Like today, he couldn’t do a simple dead lift without taking a lot of weight off. That’s not Jordie. He could lift a house, he’s so strong and burly. It made no sense. Like what the hell has he been doing? I know his PT guy was hard on him and worked him like a dog, so why isn’t he in shape? It’s driving me crazy and I want to know.”

“Then ask,” she suggested and Kacey shook her head.

“I don’t want to know, but I do,” she admitted, tracing the brim of her glass. “He told me last night that he wants to talk.”

“Okay? So talk. It would be good for you to get the closure you want.”

She nodded. “I know, but I think if I do, I’ll fall for him all over again. He has my heart, Lacey.”

Lacey reached out, lacing her fingers with Kacey’s as she smiled. “Then why are you with Liam?”

“’Cause he’s safe. He won’t hurt me.”

“And Jordie will?”

“Exactly.”

“He’s changed.”

“So you’ve said,” Kacey said, leaning back and untangling her hand from Lacey’s. “If so though, how? Why? What was he doing? What woke him up?” When she met Lacey’s knowing gaze, Kacey pointed at her. “You know why!”

“No, I don’t,” she tried to lie, but Lacey couldn’t lie.

“Yes, you do! Tell me!”

“No way,” Lacey said, folding like always. “I can’t. Please don’t try to make me. I love you, Kacey, I do, but I promised to keep it a secret. If you want to know, you ask him.”

Kacey scrunched her nose up and glared. “But I don’t want him to tell me, because he’ll guilt me with those eyes, and I’ll be head over heels all over again while he’s just looking to screw.”

“You don’t know that. Maybe you should give him a chance.”

“No, I know him. More than you. He doesn’t do relationships, which is what I’m in the market for.”

“Okay, if you know all that, then why are you worried about it? You are way too concerned with him for someone who is dating someone else,” Lacey pointed out and Kacey’s glare deepened.

“Shut up and you know why. He was really my first true love. It’s hard to get over that. I’m trying, but it’s hard.”

“Because you believe in him.”

Kacey didn’t answer as her eyes clouded with tears. She didn’t believe in him. She knew the real Jordie—he just piled all kinds of cocky-ass behavior and bad choices on top of himself.

“You know, that’s how it was with Karson and me. I never stopped loving him,” Lacey said, looking out into the living room where Karson was sitting with Mena Jane cuddled into his chest. Looking back at her dipwad brother, Kacey’s heart skipped a beat. She’d always known he was going to be a good daddy. He took care of her like she was his. Sometimes it was annoying, but she still was thankful for everything he did for her. She respected him and looked up to him. He liked Liam, approved of them, so she knew what the best thing for her to do was. But for some reason, Jordie wouldn’t get out of her head.

“I can’t trust him,” Kacey said then, bringing Lacey’s attention back to her. “He hurt me so bad. Broke me.”

“I know,” Lacey said with a nod. “And, believe me, you don’t owe him anything. I’ll be the first to tell you that, but I would talk to him. I would see what he has to say and then make your decision after that.”

Kacey eyed her, knowing that Lacey was up to something. Or maybe the meds were making her loopy. “You know what he wants to talk about.”

“Maybe,” Lacey said with a sly grin.

Why did that piss her off? “When did you two get so close?”

“When I saw the real Jordie, the good Jordie. I think if you gave him the chance to show him to you, you’d forgive him.”

“I have forgiven him. A long time ago. But I can’t let go of him. No matter how hard I try.”