Sizzle (Bad Boy Rockers) (Volume 1)(81)

“I love you too, Jack, but I don’t know what I want or where I want to go from here...you crushed me earlier.”

With a deep breath, I chanced a glance in his direction; tears shimmered on his face. Oh God. I wasn’t sure I had the strength to walk away from him. He had my heart and I knew he probably always would. I tried to pull myself together, even though the track of my tears matched his.

Moving in closer to him I met his gaze. He knew. He knew what I was doing. I lifted my hands to his face and brushed his tears away, only for more to follow. I rose up on my toes, placed a gentle kiss to his lips, and whispered, “Goodbye.” Then with all the strength I had, I turned and ran back to the inn, also in tears.





Chapter 61


Jack


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I couldn’t move as I watched the woman who held my heart run away from me after kissing me goodbye. Fuck. I stepped back and collapsed onto a fallen tree with my head in my hands while I cried like a f*cking baby.

It was my fault. I’d been a bastard earlier and now I was paying the price. I’d lost her because I hadn’t stopped to think, which was what Liam had tried to get me to do. But I’d known best, and carried on regardless.

Yanking my t-shirt over my head, I wiped my eyes then my face and tried to pull myself together. I had no idea how long I’d been sitting in the forest, but I wasn’t going to just sit back and let the woman I loved walk out of my life because I’d been a first class dick.

“You okay,” Liam asked.

“How long have you been standing there?” I think I’d have to kill my brother if he’d seen me five minutes ago.

“A minute.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Seriously, I just arrived. Mia’s gone over to the inn, begging Thalia and Callie to stay for the wedding. She really wants Thalia to be her bridesmaid.”

My heart missed a beat. She wouldn’t leave today with Mia on the case. Surely she wouldn’t. I needed to come up with a plan to make her see how much I loved her. “I need your help,” I said, jumping up from the tree with new purpose, startling Liam who’d been off in his own thoughts.

“Ah, I’m your brother remember? I’ve seen your plans in the past.”

“For f*ck’s sake Liam, we were kids back then. This one has to work, because I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit back and do nothing while Thalia walks out of my life.”

“I’m still not sure about this, but I’ll help, seeing as it was my fiancées father who screwed it all up in the first place.”

“Well gee thanks. Not because you’re my brother, huh!”

“No, you’re an ass.”

Ignoring Liam, I walked out of the forest and headed towards Kix; I needed a beer. I also needed to think through what I planned, because I sure as hell didn’t want to screw anything else up. Once was more than enough in this lifetime.

Unsure about what to do about my screwed up relationship with Thalia, I hoped to drown my guilt in beer, but one thing I was sure about and that was having Thalia wear my ring. I loved her and was going to damn well fight for her. I’d screwed up big time. I sure as hell didn’t want to do it again.

We pushed our way into Kix and found Donovan and Reece sitting at the bar, both sipping beer. They’d heard the door slam back into place; Reece turned and saw us, nudged Donovan.

“What happened?” Reece asked.

Sitting down at the bar next to him, I reached for the beer Suzie passed me, and downed it in one. I tapped the empty bottle on to the bar top, and then took another large drink of the new one Suzie passed me.

“That bad?”

“She said...goodbye.” Shit my voice broke. I finished the second bottle off then reached for the third.

“Wow, bro. Take it easy.” Liam grabbed my wrist.

I turned and scowled at him. “Mia wouldn’t like you having a black eye in your wedding pictures.”

He backed off slightly.

“Talking about wedding pictures...Mia admitted the real reason for getting rid of Rebecca as a bridesmaid. She did break her arm, so Mia used that as an excuse, but the truth was Rebecca, um, had a thing for you, and once or twice the things she came out with frightened Mia.”

I nodded, taking another drink, and then remembered Reece and Callie. I turned to him, grinned, and asked, “So what does Dahlia think about you doing the horizontal with Callie?”

“Fuck,” he whispered under his breath. “You really are looking for a fight.”

“Callie is Thalia’s friend. I don’t want you screwing her over.”

Donovan snickered. “Too late for that.”

“Fuck. Get off my back. You’re a bunch of f*cking *s,” Reece shouted, storming out of the bar. The next minute we heard his bike start.

“What the hell.” I looked to Donovan for an answer.

He shook his head, standing up. “He likes Callie more than what I think he’d like, and she likes him. That’s why I stepped back. All I know is that Dahlia rang him first thing this morning when he was with Callie. He said she was awake when he took the call, and that he left without saying anything to her. Something’s going on with Dahlia. He’s not having sex with her. In fact I don’t think he ever has, because he treats her like a sister. There’s something between them, but now it’s come between him and Callie, someone he really likes...Personally I think he’s screwed it up. He should have at least spoken to her after Dahlia called him, but he didn’t...I guess you’ve both f*cked up today. Right now, you both make me thankful I don’t have a girl...too much damn trouble. I’m outta here. I’ll see you at the wedding.”