“—but they were out of line too.” He shuddered out a breath. “This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come.”
“Damn right you shouldn’t have.” Anger swirled in her stomach, fast and furious. “You know, I thought your willingness to spend time with my family was a sign that we were heading in the right direction, but you’re still the same hothead you always were. You felt cornered and you lashed out, and now you’re running away. I was stupid to think it could work this time.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “You honestly think I’d stick around after listening to their not-so-subtle insults all night? And what was up with you, Bree?”
She blinked. “Me?”
“Yeah, all that shit about only highly skilled servicemen being considered for the instructor job and my brother’s very successful business.”
“I was trying to help,” she shot back. “To make you look—” She halted.
An edge crept into his voice. “Make me look what, Bree? Good? Better? Worthy?”
“Jake—”
“What happened to not caring what I do for a living? The whole you’re happy if I’m happy speech you gave me the other night?”
Annoyance skated through her. She couldn’t believe he was turning this around and making it about her, when he’d been the one to cause a scene back there.
She shook her head angrily. “I don’t care what you do for a living, Jake. You’re an adult—you can make your own career choices. You know what, though? I think there’s a reason why you haven’t made a decision about the job yet, and it has nothing to do with that mission you told me about.”
He bristled. “You don’t know a damn thing about it.”
“Really?” she challenged. “I think you’re stalling about this job—and not because you’re questioning your skills and second-guessing your instincts, but because you’re so freaking scared of having real responsibilities.”
His breath hitched in shock.
“And you know what else? Even though my parents were assholes tonight, I expected that of them. So did you, for that matter. But I didn’t think you’d lower yourself to their level and act like an asshole too.”
Jake barked out a harsh laugh. “So I was just supposed to sit there and take it?”
“Yes,” she shot back. “Or at the very least, you could have found a way to get your point across and voice your displeasure without crossing the line.”
Lingering mortification trickled through her, and she swallowed hard to ease the ache tightening her throat.
“You embarrassed me.” Her voice cracked. “You had no right to flaunt our sexual exploits in front of my parents.”
Regret flickered in his gray eyes. “Bree, I—”
“And that shit about my dad?” Disbelief clung to her every word. “I don’t care if any of it was true or not—”
“It was,” he cut in flatly.
“Like I said, I don’t care. What my dad did in the past is his business. You shouldn’t have aired all that dirty laundry, and in front of the freaking mayor, for Pete’s sake!”
She sucked in gulpfuls of oxygen, battling a rush of dizziness and a burst of frustration. “You should have shown my parents that you were the better person. Instead, you proved them right and showed that you were the disrespectful troublemaker they’ve always thought you were.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “When we were teenagers you complained that nobody took you seriously, but did you ever stop to think that maybe the reason they don’t is because you don’t take yourself seriously?”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“Everyone expects the worst of you because of your father, and instead of trying to show people that you’re nothing like Henry, you act like an ass and tell anyone who dares to challenge you to go to hell. Back then you walked around with this big chip on your shoulder, and guess what, it’s twelve years later and that chip is still there. You run away from responsibility and commitment, distance yourself from your family, from everyone in town, actually. You brush everything off like it’s no big deal. Well, it is a big deal. This kind of attitude might have worked when you were seventeen, but you’re an adult now. Start acting like one.”
Jake looked stunned by her speech, but she wasn’t even close to finished.
“My parents are snobs,” she said quietly. “I know they’re snobs, but they’re still my parents. And when they piss me off—and trust me, I’m pretty pissed off about the way they acted tonight—I wait until we’re alone to call them on it. I don’t tell them to fuck off in front of company.”
He scowled. “Sorry my manners aren’t as immaculate as yours, Bree.”
She clenched her teeth. “This has nothing to do with manners and everything to do with maturity. I thought you might be ready for a real relationship, but clearly you’re not.” Pain circled her heart. “God, I’m such a moron. I can’t believe I actually thought I was falling in love with you again.”