Her apartment wasn’t far from the hospital; Jane could have walked it if she had to. In fact, she had done so many times. However, the early morning was dark, and she had promised her friends never to walk this early.
He swung into a fast food restaurant, going through the drive-thru and ordering an oatmeal and orange juice. At the window, he told her to take the bag.
“Make sure you eat it before it gets cold.”
“I hate oatmeal.”
He took off again, ignoring her words while Jane sat fuming. If he hadn’t been driving, she would have dumped the contents of the bag over his head.
As soon as he came to a stop in front of the hospital, she climbed off.
“I don’t need you to take care of me. I’ve taken care of myself since I was sixteen.”
“Eat your breakfast. You can bitch at me later.” With that, he took off, leaving her standing in the parking lot.
She went inside the building, going to her small cubicle. She had a few minutes until they would start sending patients back to be checked in; therefore, she opened the orange juice and drank it as she opened the oatmeal.
When she was younger, she had loved oatmeal, dumping copious amounts of sugar into the sticky goo. Even now, she would fix herself a bowl whenever she needed a warm comfort food. She had told him she hated oatmeal to be annoying. If he wanted to treat her like a child, then she would act like one. She didn’t need him to act all protective and caring when she knew it was all only an act to salve his conscience.
However, if he kept feeding her like this, she just might let him waste his time.
* * *
“It’s been two months. How long are you going to keep torturing the bastard?” Sex Piston asked as Jane danced with Crazy Bitch.
She hadn’t felt this good in a long time. She had gained weight, felt stronger, and mentally, she was finally beginning to be in a good place again. She refused to admit it was because of the attention Cade was showing her.
She never knew if Rock or Cade would be the one to show up to take her to and from work. Rock had steadily become a good friend of hers, and she would have jumped him long before now, but something had held her back from beginning a relationship with him. And that something was Cade.
“I can’t stand the fucker, but it’s starting to get nasty between those two. You need to cut one of them loose,” Killyama stated as she danced with T.A.
“I’ve tried to get rid of Cade, but he won’t listen. As soon as Stud gets his bike done, he’ll take off.”
“Stud says it should be done in about two months.”
“Then he’ll be gone before Christmas. Merry Christmas to me.” Jane lowered her eyes to the dance floor, not letting her friends see the hopelessness in her eyes.
“I need a beer.” Crazy Bitch fanned herself in the stuffy room.
“Me, too,” Sex Piston seconded.
“I’ll grab us all one,” Jane offered, leaving her friends on the dance floor.
Deciding to use the restroom first, she veered in that direction. As she passed the doorway that led to the men’s bedrooms, she saw Demie standing outside Cade’s bedroom, talking to him. She caught Jane staring at her.
“What you staring at, bitch?” Demie snapped.
Jane started to walk off, ignoring her harsh words, but then anger flooded through her. She had been right not to take Cade’s attention seriously.
Jane turned around and snapped, “Fuck off!”
“What did you say to me?” Demie turned to face her.
“You too stupid to understand what I said?” Jane lost her temper, moving farther down the hall, closer to her and Cade, who was watching the building argument.
“You’re being brave tonight without your friends at your back. They must be within yelling distance, or you wouldn’t be up in my face.”
“I’m in your face because, every time you see me, you have something smart to say to me, and I’m sick of it.”
“That makes us even because I’m sick of everyone feeling sorry for you and walking on eggshells.” As soon as the words had left Demie’s mouth, she found herself flattened against the wall with Cade’s hand on her throat.
“Don’t ever talk that way to her again. If you’re pissed at me, take it out on me, not her. I told you two months ago that I didn’t want what you were begging to give. I’ve tried to be nice about it, but now I’m warning you to not fucking open your mouth to my woman again. You understand me?”
“Yes,” Demie managed to get out.
“Good.” Cade released her, and she took off down the hall, brushing past Jane.
“You weren’t going to have sex with her?”