***
Monday morning leaves me feeling sick to my stomach because of a text from him that he sent the night before.
Jude: Something is making you guarded with me. Let’s talk it out and figure this out. What can I do to help?
I answer it from my desk at work Monday morning.
Me: Back off. We had sex and it was fun. I told you it was a one-off. You’re creeping me out. Don’t act like a stalker. We have friends in common so let’s not make this weird or awkward. Bye Jude. Delete this vixen from your phone.
***
End of Flashback
***
I didn’t hear from him after that text and felt like my heart had been dragged through the mud for days afterwards.
I saw him the night of Carly’s bachelorette party when Aiden crashed the girlie party with his bachelor party buddies. I tried to play it cool, but his eyes were on me, and they were angry, almost … devious. Like he’s planning something. And it had me freaked. Very freaked. But then I was busy with Carly’s wedding and out of town.
Now here I am. Back home. With him sitting on my couch, his boots up on my table.
I need to bake and then eat an entire batch of my cupcakes. In my secret closet nook. And consider leaving town.
5
Jude
In the Present
“What the fuck? Break and enter? Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Honest-to-God!” Her blue eyes blaze at me as she drops her suitcase.
My eyes land on it. It’s ridiculous.
The suitcase is tiger patterned with big wheels and a protruding stuffed animal tiger head. There’s a saddle on top of it; it’s designed to be ridden. It’s obviously kid’s luggage, but that hasn’t stopped her. She also has a giant hot pink rucksack filled to the brim as well as an oversized tie-dyed handbag. She’s dressed in a blue with white polka dot dress and her latest hairdo – multicolored dreadlocks that go halfway down her back in blonde, blue, orange, and pink. She’s make-up free and she looks tired. She’s also sunburnt. And wearing a tiara.
She still looks good enough to devour.
I flash a key. “Not a b ‘n e. New roommate.”
She flinches, her back going arrow-straight while she blinks at the key in my hand a couple times.
“No,” she finally breathes.
“Yep. Aiden gave me the spare room.” I pocket the key.
“You have a place. Your awesome sex lair loft.” She stares directly into my eyes, hers filled with something.
Fear? Panic?
I tilt my head. My what? Interesting name for it.
She gives her head a shake and slaps her own hand in admonishment. She’s quirky as fuck, part of why I dig her.
“Why are you here?” she demands.
“Contractor cut some corners, so I’ll be having work done. Aiden said I can stay here.” I shrug, uncrossing my ankles and recrossing them the opposite way.
She folds her arms across her chest. “You lie.”
“Nope.”
I’m my own contractor – me and my brothers painted and fixed up my place when I bought it two years ago. Yeah, I cut some corners. And I’m gonna do something while I’m here. Maybe paint the laundry room. Hang a couple more pictures.
“I’m gonna kill him. I’m going to make my best friend a beautiful young widow, and it’s your fault.” She points a metallic orange fingernail in my direction before she dumps the contents of her purse upside down while trying to rifle through it in search of something with her free hand. Her phone.
She gets a freaked-out look on her face and shoves everything back in quickly before she stabs at the screen and then her eyes blaze at me while she waits for an answer.
She growls after a minute and then calls someone else. Calling both Aiden, then Carly, no doubt.
And then another growl and a stomp of her foot.
“They’re not answering their damn phones.”
“Of course they don’t answer their phones. They got married yesterday,” I put in. “How was the wedding? Fun?”
“I’m exhausted and hungover and I don’t have time for your shit. Go home.”
“Naw. Be here for a bit, for sure.”
She glares.
I lace my fingers behind my head and lean back.
“Go to a hotel.”
“Uh uh.” I stretch while rising. “Think I’ll be hittin’ the hay. See ya tomorrow, Vixen.” I get up, flash her a look of promise and watch as her panic intensifies.
Yeah, she doesn’t like this a bit. But panicked? That’s telling. If she didn’t give a shit about that night with me, why would she react like this? I knew the second she spread her legs for me by the look on her face that this could be a fuckuva lot more than a one-nighter if I wanted it. And I’ve decided I do.
I head down the hall to the room I’ll be sleeping in and close the door behind me, a smile tugging at my mouth.