Ava nods. “Yep.”
We keep moving past the apartments, and when we’re out of sight, I breathe a sigh of relief. I was worried, for a small moment, that Jagger might come out. I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet.
We go into the café and order some food and coffee, then we take a seat at our usual table under the big tree out front. I’m so glad to be home with these girls, and I’m even more glad that they’re not angry at me. I need them, more than they’ll ever know.
I also need to stop being a crappy friend.
“So, you and Angel, huh?” I say to Ava when our coffee arrives. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
She laughs. “Me either, but man, he’s so sweet.”
I chuckle. “Sweet. You and sweet could be a bad mix.”
Ava nods with a laugh.
“Ace isn’t so bad either,” Jenny adds, smiling.
I flick my eyes toward her. “Jennifer Anne Lawrence, I swear to God if you and Ace are shagging ...”
She giggles. “I’m not shagging anyone. I just said he was nice!”
I give her a side eye, and she grins at me.
“You girls have been very bad while I’ve been away.”
Jenny grins, shrugging. “They’re hard to stay away from.”
We talk and catch up for the remainder of the morning. I tell them about Luca, and they both give me a wide-eyed expression. After assuring them he’s just a friend, we make our way home. By the time I get there, I’m exhausted. Jenny has one more coffee with me before going back to her apartment in the city, which she got a few weeks ago with her new job. Ava has a lunch date with Angel, so she’s gone before I get the chance to tell her what a dirty, dirty whore she is.
I curl up onto the sofa with a bottle of water and some painkillers. I’m so damned tired, yet I can’t seem to fall asleep. Jetlag and the time difference is really killing me. I settle on a block of chocolate and a movie to try and help me relax.
I’m munching on the chocolate and getting frustrated with my inability to be able to choose a movie when my doorbell rings. My heart skitters, because even though it could be anyone, I have a strong gut feeling I know exactly who it is. I get up and straighten my cotton yoga pants and baggy old shirt. I walk over to the door and swing it open. My fingers curl around the chocolate as I lay my eyes on him.
Jagger.
My eyes rake over him as he leans against the pole on the front porch and takes me in, his own eyes widening in shock. He looks the same as he did when I left, and he’s just as fucking gorgeous. His blue eyes are as light as the sky and his dark hair is messy and only slightly longer. He has a light shade of stubble covering his jaw, and he’s wearing a pair of faded denim jeans and a white shirt that stretches across that beautiful chest.
“Willow?”
His voice comes out husky, but it’s almost a question with the tone he’s using.
“No,” I throw back.
His eyes lock onto mine. “You look different.”
“Yeah, well, I needed a change. Why are you here, Jagger?”
He pushes off the pole, making my heart jerk in my chest as he takes a step closer. “I wanted to see you.”
“Well, congratulations, you’ve just seen me. Goodbye,” I say, stepping back into the house and attempting to close the door.
His hand comes up, stopping it.
A low growl leaves his throat.
“You’re not even going to talk to me?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Bullshit. I’m coming in.”
He shoves the door open and walks right past me. He stops in the kitchen and turns, arms crossed, eyes raking over me again. I hate it when he looks at me like that. I hate everything about him, but oh, do I want to throw myself into his arms.
“I don’t want to talk.”
He ignores me and walks over to the sofa, sitting down and picking up the remote, flicking through the channels. He’s not leaving, so with an angry sigh, I sit down beside him, making sure to leave a large gap between us. He looks down at the space and gives it a disgusted look, and then his eyes move up to meet mine.
“Surely I don’t smell that bad?”
I glare at him.
“Stop glaring at me.”
I’m growing frustrated. “What’re you here for, Jagger?”
“To talk, told you that already.”
“Then talk!” I yell.
He stares at me. “Are you going to listen, or are you going to keep acting like a little fuckin’ child that didn’t get her own way?”
“Seriously?” I yell, standing. “That’s how you’re going to treat me?”
He takes my hand and jerks me down onto him. My backside lands in his lap and he wraps an arm around my waist, effectively holding me down. My breath hitches, and it takes me a moment to get it together enough to start squirming. “Let me go,” I snap, trying to elbow him.