She didn’t even flinch, she only held his gaze. “Probably not, but at least he won’t break my heart,” she said quickly, her eyes diverting down to the leg she was working on. “And in case you didn’t know this, I’m not looking for a fuck. That boat has sailed. I’m looking for forever.”
So was he, but he wouldn’t say that when she was with someone else. Instead, he laughed before saying, “And you think that asshole is forever?”
“He could be,” she snapped back, and that only made Jordie laugh harder.
“Sugar thighs, if he is your forever, then I don’t know you at all,” he said and she looked back at him. Her eyes were full of so much sorrow and pain that it took his breath away.
“Yeah, you’re right. Because if you knew me, you’d know I thought you were my forever. But you smashed that dream quick, huh?”
That hit him square in the chest, leaving him breathless as she held his gaze. Slowly he sat up, turning out of her hands, unable to keep it in any longer. He had to tell her that she was his forever. Yeah, he’d wanted to wait until doucheface was out of the picture, but she had to know that he felt the same. That he did know, he’d just tried to fight it.
He had to tell her now.
“Kace—”
“Hey, babe, you almost done?”
Jordie held her gaze despite the interruption of Liam. He begged her with his eyes to tell Liam to go somewhere, but when he saw the tears gather in her eyes, he had to look away. Call him a coward, but when that girl cried, Jordie felt smaller than a flea.
“Yeah, fine, Jordie was just leaving,” she said, looking toward the wall. “Let me clean up and I’ll be ready to go.”
“All right, baby,” he said, then looked to Jordie. “She has great hands, right?”
Jordie swallowed his explicit retort and glared as he hopped off the table, grabbing his shorts in the process.
Looking back up at him, he said, “Fuck off, Kelly.”
Well, he tried to swallow it.
“Jordie!” Kacey scolded, but he ignored her as Liam sputtered, looking like a complete doofus.
Jordie then turned to Kacey, grasping her shoulder as her eyes met his, still full of tears. Holding her gaze, he said, “I do know you, and I’m sorry it took me so long to say that.”
Her eyes widened as she shook off his hand, her eyes turning to slits, but the sadness in them still blinded him.
Instantly, he felt incomplete.
She was what he needed to feel complete, but she had a barrier the size of the Great Wall around her heart and he was the one who helped build it.
But what goes up, must come down.
And Jordie was going to bust right through that fucking wall and get his girl.
As Jordie walked out, his shorts in his hands and his shoulders back and taut, Kacey wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and cry. Alas, her boyfriend was standing in the doorway, hopelessly confused. She knew she needed to say something, anything. But not only could she not move for the simple fact she was worried she’d chase after Jordie, but she couldn’t get his words out of her head.
I do know you, and I’m sorry it took me so long to say that.
But really, why did Jordie have to say things like that? It made her hope that he was being true. That he really meant it. But if he did, then why did he throw her to the side the way he did? Why was he messing with her? Fucking with her head!
But really, why did she fucking care!
She had Liam. And he was…
Ugh.
“Um, Kacey, what is going on?”