“If it comes out, Red and I will deal with it.”
Whoa. Okay, what the fuck is this about. What would Luke want with Gabby? And I know immediately she’s the one Ford is talking about. Memories filter through my brain. Starting out the only time I saw Luke was when I was with Gabby. I remember asking him if there was some reason, and I also remember how he denied it all. There’s so much I’m going over in my brain, it’s like a miniature movie. I struggle to listen to more, despite the pounding of my heart, pumping blood through my body and echoing in my ears.
I have to the fight the urge to confront Luke now. I know logically that it wouldn’t be smart until I have him alone, but I really want to demand he explain now.
“It will come out,” Ford offers. “These things always do.”
I step back, moving so I’m hid by the wall. I close my eyes, my chest tight.
What secret is Luke hiding? Is he using me? Is he using me just like Dewayne did?
I walk back to Daisy’s room, my heart thundering in my chest.
Am I being played the fool again?
Just the thought leaves me feeling sick to my stomach…
I don’t know what I’m going to do.32Grunt“You’re quiet.”
Something has changed. I don’t know what it is, but Jasmine is different. She’s not talking to me, but her silence is speaking volumes. I don’t have much fucking experience when it comes to relationships, but I’m pretty sure that when a woman goes silent, something is wrong.
Jasmine has barely said two words since we left the club.
I’m uncomfortable as hell, because until tonight I never saw my shortcomings as Daisy’s father. A few things opened my eyes tonight and I’m kicking my own ass. The fact that Jasmine probably saw that I’ve been a shit father doesn’t make things better—just a lot fucking worse.
“Nothing to say,” she murmurs, staring out the window. I brought the truck tonight, but my skin is itching to feel the outdoor air. I should have been on my bike. I didn’t because I wanted to talk with Jasmine, feel her body beside me and hold hands with her.
Sentimental shit, but that’s what I wanted.
Instead, she’s not talking, she’s not beside me, but about as close as she can get to her door. We’re not holding hands, and I’m pretty sure if I tried she’d jump out of the damn truck.
“Daisy seemed to really like you.”
“She’s a sweet kid.”
Christ. I let out an irritated breath, rubbing the side of my jaw and gripping the steering wheel way too hard.
“You’re going to have to tell me what’s wrong Jasmine, I apparently suck at a lot of things tonight and mind reading is just one of them.”
“Nothing’s wrong, Luke.”
“Bullshit. Don’t play games with me. Tell me outright what has you pissed and let’s deal with it. I don’t think you understand yet, but I’m not giving you up. So, whatever bur you have up your ass needs to be dealt with.”
“Bur up my ass?”
“Exactly.”
“There’s nothing wrong. I’m tired, that’s all.”
“I don’t believe you,” I mutter, knowing that she’s lying to me.
“I don’t know what to tell you, then,” she shrugs and damn it, she’s yet to look me in the eye.
“Red, talk to me.”
“We are talking,” she mumbles and Christ, women are difficult.
I grunt under my breath, figuring this is going nowhere. I’ll wait until I get her home and then maybe I can fuck it out of her.
“Do you think we’re moving way too fast?” she asks at last, her voice sad and she’s still looking out the truck window.
“Fuck, no.”
“We really don’t know much about one another,” she says. She’s speaking so quietly that I have to strain to hear her.
“Jasmine, we’ve been over this before. What’s between us is real. We’ll learn more about each other as we go along.”
“I’ve only ever had one other relationship, Luke.”
I frown. Honestly, I don’t want to hear shit about who she was with before me. Maybe that’s stupid, but I have the urge to kill anyone who might have touched her. Jasmine is mine, and I’m so fucking possessive over her that if she knew it’d probably scare her to death. Hell, it scares me. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.
“Red…” I want to tell her to just stop, that I don’t want to hear about her other relationship, but I don’t want to come off sounding like an asshole either.
“I thought it was love, honestly I was kind of desperate to find love, someone who could love me as much as my father loved my mother. I’d grown up watching them and I knew that was exactly what I wanted some day.”
“Your parents that close?” I ask, unable to talk about the rest of what she’s telling me. I keep my attention on the road and decide to just listen—that seems to be what she needs.