She looked sceptical. “You really think he’s going to let you out of his sight?”
“Well, if he doesn’t, it just means he is coming shopping too. I highly doubt he will want to do that.”
“Ha! Good luck with that, sugar,” she said, putting the emphasis on sugar, and I knew she was being sarcastic about J. “I’m going to go and get ready just in case we are allowed out,” she said as she pulled a face and left the kitchen.
I made the coffee that I had originally come in here to make and sat at the table, enjoying the quiet while I drank it. My thoughts wandered to what J had said to me last night. I was still confused about it, and although I really wanted to know what he meant by it, there was no way I would ever bring it up with him. My heart was still fragile where J was concerned. Before I left Brisbane, we had been rebuilding our friendship and I had been sure we would end up back together again, after I managed to free myself of Nix. But then Nix had turned on me, and J had been the one to find me beaten and bloody. Something had snapped in him that day, and it had not been the same between us. A week later he had come to me and told me there was nothing left between us and that I should leave Brisbane to get away from Nix; to start a new life. He had sent me away; he didn’t love or want me anymore.
Startling me from my thoughts, J came back into the kitchen, freshly showered. I took in his jeans and the fitted black t-shirt he wore that defined his muscles. And then his scent filled the room; sandalwood. God, I loved that smell; it was the one he had always worn, for as long as I had known him. It hit my nostrils and then it hit my heart; memories came flooding back of the good times we had shared. It’s funny how a smell can bring so much back to you.
I stood and at the same time he moved into my space. Too close. His presence, his smell, his breath; it was all messing with me and I couldn’t think straight. Our eyes locked for a few silent seconds, and then I stepped backwards to escape whatever was happening between us.
“I’m sorry for being an asshole to your friend before,” he apologised, and shocked the shit out of me.
“Since when do you apologise for things you’ve said?” I was intrigued. This was a new side to J.
He shrugged. “Since now. Since I’m trying to get you to stop being angry at me. I know you’re still mad at me for what I did, but babe, that was two years ago and we need to move forward if you’re gonna come back home. Be a lot easier to do that if you weren’t mad at me.”
“Umm, who said I was coming back to Brisbane?” I cocked my head, interested in his answer.
He smiled. “You will be coming back with me. That’s a given. Just a matter of time till you agree.”
“You’re still as cocky and bossy as you always were, aren’t you?” I speculated, trying hard not to let him annoy me.
Before he could reply, Serena waltzed back in and said to J, “So, biker boy, Madison and I have shopping planned for today. Will you be coming with us or will you allow us to go out on our own?”
J smirked, and then looking from Serena to me, he said, “I like your friend, even if she does have a smart mouth on her.” Then he focused his gaze on Serena. “And, no, there won’t be any shopping today,” he said, firmly.
This only served to anger Serena. “Maybe not for you. We’ll be going though.”
He lent down and got in her face, all lightness gone from his eyes. Nobody said no to J. “No, you won’t be, sweetheart.”
Shock flashed across her face. Serena wasn’t used to men like J; men that said no to her. And she certainly wasn’t used to being spoken to in a menacing tone like the one J had just taken with her. She quickly looked to me for backup.
“J, I think we will be okay going shopping. I highly doubt that Nix will be out looking for us in a shopping mall,” I tried to reason with him.
He turned his head in my direction. Oh, shit. The look flashing in his eyes was not one I wanted to mess with. “Did you not fucking take in what I told you about Nix last night? Do you need to see those photos again or perhaps I should show them to Serena so she can fully appreciate what we’re dealing with here,” he fumed, reaching for his phone.
I held up my hand. “Stop! No, we don’t need to see those photos. We won’t go shopping.” I gave in, but I wasn’t happy about it.
He appeared like he was going to say something but then he changed his mind and nodded once before turning and stalking out of the room.
“What the fuck, Madison?” Serena rounded on me. Now I had her mad at me; I couldn’t win.
I held up both my palms to silence her. “Not now, honey!” I paused for a moment to think, but nothing came. “Fuck it, I need a smoke!” I decided, and left in search of one.
Five minutes later, I was outside, smoke in one hand, phone in the other. I needed Blake.