“Everything okay, Claire?” he asks, trying to keep up with me. “Do you want a shirt or something?
“No, and it depends on if your brother cheated on me,” I answer as I make my way to the kitchen.
“Oh hell,” he mutters just as I reach it to find Jude with his head on the table, a bowl of cereal beside him. He looks like hell. His hair is all in disarray and he’s not wearing a shirt, just athletic shorts. His face is pale and I almost feel bad, but then I remember that he might have slept with Rachael, and all my sympathy flies out the dam
n window.
He looks up at me and his brows come together. “Where are your clothes?”
“Don’t worry about that,” I say, waving him off. “Did you fuck Rachael last night?
His brows come together more and he sits up. “Huh?”
Letting out a long breath, I say it a little slower. “Did you–” I say, pointing to him “–have sex–” I say, and then take my finger and put it in the hole I’m making with my other hand “–with Rachael?”
“No way. Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know. ’Cause you can’t last two weeks without it? ’Cause I’m not enough? Be straight with me, Jude, because she’s claiming it, and announced to the whole fucking dance team that y’all fucked last night at this party! You better not be lying to me!” I yell and he stands up slowly.
“What the hell? I’m not lying, and also, why the fuck would you entertain that shit? You know she’s a liar and out to ruin us.”
“It’s just such a coincidence since I left and you were at the party that she was at and someone saw you walk into the room with her!”
His eyes go wide as he shakes his head. “Claire, I can’t believe you are even coming at me with this. I did not sleep with Rachael. Not only do I have no freaking desire to ever touch that chick, but I’m with you. Totally with you.”
I want to be mad, I want to scream, but I can’t help but believe the words he says. “It just seems like you would.”
“Why? That doesn’t even make sense. Have I given you any sort of doubt in the last two weeks? No. I’ve been yours since the moment I saw you.”
“It’s just hard to believe, Jude. Everyone says you aren’t the guy I’m falling for, and now this comes up, and I know the other shoe was bound to drop. This was too good to be true.”
“It is true,” he says, taking a step toward me. “I don’t want anyone but you, and yeah, it’s fast, and yeah, I did a one-eighty. But I did it for you. Because you matter. You have to believe that you are important, that you matter to me,” he stresses, and I look away. “I may not know your story ’cause you haven’t told me yet, Claire, but I want to do everything to make you feel important and loved. I don’t want you to ever think of that life before. I want to make you forget it and show you a better life. I want your trust, baby, because you have all mine.”
Oh, fuck me, I could have done without that last sentence. The tears well up in my eyes, and I look down at the ground, not knowing what to say. Cupping my chin, he brings my face up to look into my eyes. His green eyes are shining with all the love and trust in the world, and I know darn well he didn’t cheat. I think I knew before I came over here; I was just so scared that I wasn’t enough. I’ve never been enough before, so why would I be now? But then, that’s not true either because I’m enough for Phillip and Reese and the rest of my family. I need to stop this way of thinking. I’m not that person anymore, I’m new and shiny and Jude sees that.
“I heard this song and the whole time I’m thinking of you because I only miss you when I’m breathing, baby. Even when you’re here, in front of me, I miss you because I feel like I can’t get enough of you. Do you think I’d fuck that up for some bitch who doesn’t matter?”
Swallowing back my tears, I shake my head. “I don’t think so.”
“That’s right. You are too damn important to me. So please don’t ever entertain that bullshit, and believe in us, ’cause this is real.”
I nod again and he presses his lips to mine. I melt into his lips, his arms, his body. Holding me up, he kisses the hell out of me, making me breathless and leaving me starting to feel dizzy. Parting, he leans his forehead against mine and I meet his gaze, my heart exploding and coming back together in my chest.
“I’m sorry. I’m an idiot.”
He smiles as he nods. “Just a little bit, but it’s okay, I like that about you.”
A grin pulls at my lips and I lean in, about to kiss him, when someone says, “Since you two are done, I’d like to say I slept with Rachael last night, not Jude.”
I look over to find that it’s Matt who’s standing beside Jayden with his arms crossed across his chest. “She came out of your room bitching that you wouldn’t give it to her, so I gave it to her. She told me not to tell you guys, but it isn’t like I care what she says, and plus I don’t like when people start drama. So yeah, I hit it, and Jude didn’t. He’s all obsessed with you and shit,” he says, and Jude scoffs.
“Obsessed is a little overkill. I just like you a lot,” he says and I smile.
“Good, ’cause I like you a lot too.”
And I do. So much.
I might even love him.