There are a bunch of girls sitting outside, some smoking, the others just being loud and obnoxious. I wonder if the club is having one of their notorious parties. The girl from the other night catches my attention—Dolly. She’s wearing a revealing glitter dress, and her hair is down. She looks slutty, but a pretty slutty.
I tense when Zeek walks around the corner, and Dolly takes up his side. Her hands are all over him. He grabs her by the hair, his other hand sliding down her side before he grabs at her ass. Turning, he pins her against the wall of the casino in front of everyone. My mouth fills with a bitter taste, and I realize I’m biting my cheek.
The lady slaps the butterfly on my lip, but all I can see is red. Jealousy stains my thoughts. Stupidity fills my chest. I guess I thought Zeek being with me meant he wouldn’t mess around; that was very obviously very dumb of me. He’s a player, women are at his disposal… and I just became one. I should have set boundaries, made it clear it was me and only me. Now, I’m not sure I can kiss him and not see that skank on him.
“Hey, you heading to the diner?” Alessandra asks, walking up to me. “You okay?” she questions, but I just stare at Dolly and Zeek.
Dolly’s hands grab at his back, her leg wrapped around his waist, and I have to turn away, my chest filling with humiliation. Why did I think he wouldn’t return to his club hoes? Risking a glance, I look back.
Zeek turns and wraps his arm around a girl with short blonde hair, and Dolly quickly catches up to claim his other side. He dips his head down, whispering something into the blonde woman’s ear, one of his hands cupping her ass.
“What a whore,” Alessandra mutters.
“The one with the black hair, she has it bad for him,” I state, my voice carrying an unfamiliar tone, one of anger, hurt, and lust. As angry as I am to see him with other women, it turns me on in a way. To know he’s that wanted, and he was with me not so long ago… it does something to me. I wonder if his skin smells of me when he’s with those floozies. I hope it does. I hope they smell me and it hurts them as much as I’m hurting right now.
I risked so much being with him. I thought after sharing a common risk, he’d have a little more respect for me.
“You know, we got two minutes left on our shift. We can arrest her,” Alessandra says.
“Yeah, what for?” I step off the back of the ambulance.
“For being a whore,” she scoffs, as if I’m clearly missing the picture.
“Just leave it.” I swallow, my brain yelling, He warned you he’d hurt you!
The crowd skims as the ambulance drives away, leaving me, Alessandra and Harrison standing at the curb.
I can’t seem to avert my gaze from Zeek and his group. Dolly’s eyes catch mine, and she does a double-take. Stepping away from Zeek, she widens her stance and flips us off with both hands. She doesn’t seem to recognize me, though. She’s not very smart.
“Oh, that’s classy,” Alessandra huffs.
“I was so stupid.” My lip curls, my hands balling into fists.
“Can we please arrest her now?”
Pulling out my phone, I snap a picture of Zeek and his crew of hoes.
“No, it’s not worth the paperwork.”
NINE
JILLIAN
Looking at the butterfly strip on my lip, I scowl. I can’t believe I allowed that to happen. I feel distracted, off my game lately. Bringing my hand up to my lip, I pull on the strip then wince with pain. I didn’t think it was necessary to have it, but apparently I’m wrong, ‘cause blood is starting to seep from it.
“Shit.”
Wiping it up, I throw the cotton ball in the trash and turn the lights off. Climbing into bed, I call Jinx.
“Men suck, buddy. You’re the only man I need.” He purrs and I bring him closer. Just as I close my eyes, the familiar sound of a motorcycle comes from outside. My eyes pop open, and I freeze. Moments later, a knock sounds at the door and I clench my eyes shut, willing him to just go away.
I can hear his boots shuffle on the porch. Maybe he’s leaving.
A fist pounds on the door.
“Jillian, open up.” Shit, he must have seen my cruiser in the garage.
Seconds later, my phone chimes on the nightstand.
Sitting up, I grab it.
Ignoring the text he just sent, I send the picture of him and his ho posse.
“I never said I was exclusive, Jillian!” he hollers. I don’t respond. What an asshole.
My phone chimes.
I don’t do relationships, I thought you knew that. You knew who you were getting into bed with Jillian, don’t be naive. - Z
“Gah, I was so stupid,” I whisper to myself, my fingers digging into the cell phone.
Go away. There’s no way we could work anyway. It’s best we end it now, before it gets out of hand. - J
I toss it on the bed and stand, tugging on my hair at the roots.
I can’t believe I was so stupid to think Zeek would only want me. Men like him, they don’t want just one woman. They get bored quickly with one; they need to feel wanted by all.
A fist slams on the door, startling me. “Goddamn it, open the fucking door!” A dog across the way starts to bark from the commotion.
He’s angry? Ha! What does he have to be angry about?!
Pushing the curtains aside, I open the window and lean out. His eyes stick on my chest, my tank top riding up my midriff, before slowly raising to my face.