“Yep. LSU.” He cut a glance at her. “I majored in partying and minored in getting laid.”
She laughed and for the first time, Jayden saw real joy in her eyes. No fear, no worry, just joy.
“No, really. I flunked out.” He took a drink of his beer. “Do you miss LSU?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Both my parents went there so it was always expected of me to go there as well. Didn’t really have a choice.”
“Is that where you met your boyfriend, at LSU?” Jayden swallowed. The word boyfriend left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“Anthony? Yep. He was older so we were only at college together for a year.” She took a sip and stared up at the sky.
“Do you miss him?” Why the hell did he ask that? “Never mind. I didn’t mean to get too personal.” He scrubbed his hand across his face. Thank God it was dark so she couldn’t see him blushing like a *.
“It’s okay. When I first moved I missed him. But not now.” Her expression hardened.
“Haley do you think, he could be having someone leave the notes? Maybe he is upset because you transferred?”
Haley snorted and took a long drink. “He’s the one that broke up with me. I assure you Anthony isn’t the stalker.”
Jayden shook his head. He knew that Barrett was keeping tabs on the ex to see if Anthony had attempted to contact someone in Fayetteville to do his dirty work. It wouldn’t be that hard to stalk someone long distance. Jayden also knew the ex was filthy rich and could afford to pay a lackey to keep his mouth shut and continue harassing Haley.
“Usually females are stalked by their ex-boyfriend. If he regrets letting you go and you refused to get back together, then that sets up the perfect scenario for stalking. It’s almost textbook.” No one would be stupid enough to let her go.
Haley stood and glared at Jayden.
“It’s not him.”
“Haley, I’m looking at this from all angles.” Jayden stood and held up his hands. Women had a tendency to protect and that’s exactly what she was doing. She needed to be objective about this.
“I’m not trying to protect that asshole,” Haley snarled.
“Then give me one reason it’s not him. Just one good reason why he’s not doing this to pay you back for rejecting him”
Her breasts heaved under the tight white tee shirt she had slipped on after her bath. She was mad, that was evident. But there was something else, something more behind those jewel-toned eyes.
She shot him a glare. “I know it’s not him. He broke up with me after I was kidnapped because he said I was ruined. Even my parents said I was damaged goods. He said he couldn’t stay with me because I was beneath him because some other man had touched me.” She curled her fingers into her palms as the words continued to spill. “Don’t you see? To him, I’m not worth the trouble of being stalked.”
CHAPTER THREE
Haley quickly disappeared into the house.
Jayden stood paralyzed as his stomach heaved in disgust at what she’d just said.
They called her damaged goods. What kind of sadistic animals had she been raised by? Who the fuck does that to their own daughter, their own flesh and blood?
A growl tore from his mouth as his thoughts turned to the ex-boyfriend. If he ever came across that piece of shit, he was going to kill him and tear his fucking heart out with his teeth.
He hurried into the house and rounded the corner into the kitchen. It was empty. He strode toward the bedroom and stopped at the closed door. It was obvious that she wanted to be left alone.
Good thing he didn’t take hints. He tried the knob. Locked.
Shit.
“Haley. Let me in.”
“Go away, Jayden, I don’t feel like talking.” Her voice held a weariness that tugged within his chest.
“Haley, if you don’t unlock this goddamn door right now, I’m kicking it in.”
No response.
“Have it your way.” Jayden raised his hands above his head and grabbed the top of the doorframe. He jumped, kicking the door in as he growled. The door gave, breaking away from the frame and crashing to the floor.
Startled, Haley sat up on her knees in the middle of the bed and gasped.
Jayden planted himself at the foot of the bed in her direct line of vision. He wanted her to hear every fucking word of what he had to say.
“You are not damaged goods. I don’t ever want to hear you say that again. Ever.” His heart raced from the adrenaline that buzzed through his body as his breathing grew faster. His gaze drifted down to Haley’s bare legs. She had changed clothes. Gone were the jeans and T-shirt. She was now wearing tight shorts that barely covered her ass and a short shirt that showed off her flat stomach.
She was practically naked.
Haley recovered her shock and propped her hands on her hips as she narrowed her gaze at him.
“Jayden, I’m not a child.”
Hell no, not with a body like that. She was all woman.