Butshe wouldn’t leave me alone. She stood there, standing over me and watchingwith her deep brown eyes.
“What?”I asked, abruptly sitting up. “What do you want?”
Shepointed at my face, at the tears welling in my eyes.
“Youwant to know why I’m pissed off and sad?”
Shenodded.
“Fine.I’m pissed off because my family treats me like a child. They treat me like …like I’m incapable of making an educated judgment about someone.”
Shecocked her head.
Isighed frustratedly. “I’m talking about Vinnie. They hate him. They don’t trusthim. But they hardly even know him, so how the hell can they judge?”
Shepressed her lips in a firm line and looked off to the side, shrugging. The looksaid, “Well, maybe they have a point,” and it only fueled the flame in my gut.
“Oh,stop,” I groused, rolling my eyes. “You have no idea either. You’ve only seenhim once.”
Lookingback to me, she raised her brows and pursed her lips. “You’re gettingdefensive,” the look said, and I shook my head.
“Youknow what? I don’t even know why I’m talking to you about this. You’ve nevereven been in a relationship. You have no experience to speak of. You’re just ajealous little girl living vicariously through me, so just … just drop it andleave me the hell alone.”
Thewords came too quickly for me to stop my stupid mouth from saying them, and bythe time they were out, it was too late. The damage had been done, and I sawthe hurt written plainly on her face.
“Jamie,”I began, wishing I could pull her into my arms and give her a hug, “I’m sosorry. I didn’t mean it.”
Butshe wasn’t listening. She moved from the side of the bed, out of my line ofsight, and when I turned to find her and beg her to stay, she had alreadydisappeared.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
VINNIE
Twoweeks.
That’show long it had been since Pops died.
It’sincredible how quickly two weeks can float by when you’re busy trying to keepyourself from diving off the deep end.
It’sincredible how everybody else just seems to keep going, as if nothing hadhappened, as if they’d never even existed, while you’re struggling just to getout of bed.
Zachhadn’t been back to the city since the funeral. He and Greyson had theirappointment at the adoption agency, and while it had gone well, they had made adefinitive decision with Jenna to use her as a surrogate. Now, as she excitedlyprepared to carry their baby, she was also putting the finishing touches on hernew bathroom and getting ready to redesign the basement apartment in her house.And while it might have been a big distraction for them all, it was one theyshared in together, and one that left me standing alone on the sidelines.
Andywas my saving grace. The combination of love and sex gave me something to wakeup for and come home to. But when she needed to go home, no matter how few andfar between the days were, I dreaded it and the nights they eventually brought.
“Ihave to get ready for work,” she mumbled sleepily, moving away from mytightening arms.
“No,you don’t.”
“Vinnie,”she whined, smiling and pressing her lips to mine. “You know I have to work thenext three days. Come on, let me up.”
Igroaned in protest, but I did let her go. I watched her naked body climb out ofbed and run for the bathroom, and I listened for the shower with the intentthat I’d climb in after and give her something to remember throughout theworkday. But before I heard the water beating against the tile wall, I heardher voice, talking to someone, presumably on the phone.
“Hey,yeah, I was going to stay here tonight,” she said. “Uh, really? I thought thatwasn’t until tomorrow? Can’t we—fine, okay, yeah, I’ll grab the train afterwork. Yep. It’s okay. Yeah, I’ll talk to him. Okay. Okay. Bye.”
Ididn’t move from the bed as I listened to her footsteps coming back into thebedroom.
“Baby,I just got off the phone with my mom. I completely forgot that my parents arehaving a party at their house, for their fortieth anniversary, this weekend,and I need to go home tonight to help them with some stuff.”
