After the call ended, Jake paced the room. He poured himself another drink to settle his nerves. How could she possibly think he wanted to end things with her? How could he reassure her without letting her know Kendra had told him? How could she doubt his love for her? The damn Internet. For years, he was single, and the press didn’t know anything about him so they left him alone. He finally meets someone, and they decide he’s suddenly interesting enough to make shit up.
Jake sat down, then stood. He thought back to mid-September when he could sense how much Madi missed him and needed him on the phone. His heart had ached for her. He’d wanted to jump on the first plane he could just to hold her. When he’d told her his plan, she’d told him to stop, assuring him the fact that he was willing to do it meant the world to her, but that it wasn’t necessary. He had told her that he had never loved anyone the way he loved her, and that if she needed him, he’d drop everything for her. He knew she’d believed him then. What had changed so drastically over the last few weeks? How could she doubt him even for a second? How would he explain this to her without telling her about Peter? He needed to be with her to make her feel safe. Would she even want to see him again? Why wouldn’t she just talk to him? Maybe it was time for him to see her in person. He needed to tell her what was going on. He needed to just tell her the truth.
Jake could feel the frustration building within. He glanced at the clock and ran his hands through his hair once more. At ten minutes on the dot, he called her again. It didn’t go to voicemail, but she waited three rings to pick up.
“What?”
He huffed. She was feisty and it made him smile. “Hi, it’s nice to hear from you, too.”
“Jake, it’s late and I’m in no mood for your shit tonight.”
He could hear it in her voice. “Babe, have you been crying?”
“Don’t call me babe.”
He shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to keep his composure. “Okay…Madi,have you been crying?”
“Why would you care?”
“Madi…” Jake sighed. “Don’t do this. I know you’re angry with me, and you have every right to be. I promise you I’ll try my best to explain and make you understand.”
“If you have something toexplainto me, do it quickly and get it over with. There’s no reason for you to waste a trip out here next month when I don’t even want to talk to you, much less see you.”
“What? Now you don’t want to see me?” Her words wounded him. Her returning silence spoke volumes. “I know you’re pissed that I had Nate following you, but I can assure you it was only for your safety. There’s something going on, and I’d rather wait until I see you to explain. Can you just trust me until then?”
“Fuck you, Jake. Just break it off right now. I don’t need to see your face to hear you don’t want this anymore. It’s fine. I’m actually getting sick of you anyway.”
Whoa, that hurt. He could feel his frustration turning into anger. “Why in the hell would you think I was breaking up with you, Madi? Do I not tell you every fucking day how much I love you? Do you think those words come easily for me? Do you think I could say them to you if I didn’t mean them? Do you not know me at all?”
Her words came out in a fiery blast. “I don’t know what I know anymore. You tell me you love me, then you have me watched, but then you don’t think I deserve to know why? Tell me why!
“I told you, I’ll explain later. Please just let this go for now.”
“Let this go? I’m ready to let something go, but it won’t be this.”
“Really? Are you trying to say you’ll letmego? Is that what you want? I’m in no mood for childish games. I have my reasons. If you need to hear them right now and you can’t just trust me enough to wait, then I’ll tell you. But if you’re so damn sick of me, then maybe there’s no reason for me to even talk to you anymore.”
He ended the call and threw his phone across the room before slumping to the floor. He sat there for what seemed like forever as he replayed the conversation in his mind. He shouldn’t have lost his temper, but it hurt him to think she doubted his feelings for her. He saw this coming. He knew it would happen eventually. He knew the press would make her question him. He just had never counted on the fact that he would play such a huge role in making her feel that way. Ang was right; he shouldn’t have kept this from her. Now what was he going to do? Was she really sick of him? He heard his phone ring. He jumped up and frantically searched for the ringing sound, looking for where it had landed when he’d thrown it. He answered on the fourth ring.
“Hey,” he said calmly.
“Hi.”
He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blown up at you like that. You have every right to question me and be angry with me.”
“Kendra told you, didn’t she?”
“Told me what?” Jake tried his best to act surprised.
“It’s okay. I’m not mad. I’m sure she thought she was defending me. You know that I thought you were breaking things off. That it was over.”
Jake sighed heavily into the phone as he slid down the wall of the bus. “It willneverbe over.”
“Why are you having me watched?” she asked.
He could hear the worry in her voice. He had to think of something quickly. He wasn’t ready to tell her the truth, but he also didn’t want her to worry this had something to do with another woman. “It’s just all the press. I lost it over this Allison thing and I told a reporter I had a girlfriend and it wasn’t her. I’m not sure he bought it, but I’m worried they’re going to come looking for you. I don’t want you to be alone.”
“That’s it?” she asked surprisingly.
