Hawke
Riding back to the clubhouse, I decide to turn and head toward Quill’s house instead. If anyone will know what to do, it’s Jasmine.
Parking my bike in the driveway, Rhyder approaches me from where he’d been leaning on his own bike.
“Hey, brother, you here to replace me?”
“Yeah, man, I’ve got it from here. You can go.”
A big smile warms Rhyder’s lips. “You’re the best. I have this sweet ass waiting on me back at the club.”
“Fuck, Rhyder. You have a different woman each night.”
Rhyder has long hair, like mine, but brown, and his eyes are blue. He takes a different lady to bed each night and gets rid of them in the morning. The man is a tomcat. Ladies can’t help but fall for his baby blues.
“I can’t help it if all the ladies want me. They each deserve a chance to ride this,” Rhyder says as he rubs his hand over his torso.
I roll my eyes at him. “Sure, man. Now get the fuck out of here,” I say shaking my head as I walk toward the front door.
Knocking, I laugh when I hear Jasmine say from the other side, “Coming! Ow, fuck!”
When the door opens she has her foot in her hand, rubbing her toes.
“Hey, Jazzy. You stub your toe?”
“What does it look like, you moron?” She smiles at me as she opens the door wider, gesturing for me to enter. I walk in and look around. The house that had once looked like a bachelor pad, now has evidence of a female touch. There are flowers in a vase on the dining table, and a cookbook sits on the kitchen bench. A throw sits over the back of the couch, and some new pictures by the look of them rest on the mantelpiece. It feels homey.
I walk toward the kitchen. I can see something is cooking on the stove and remove the lid of the pot, inhaling the delicious aroma rising out of it. “Mmmm, this smells good.” I dip my finger in the red spaghetti sauce and taste it. “Tastes good too. Damn girl, you can cook,” I say, smiling as I look over at Jasmine.
“Move out the way, Hawke. I was just cooking for me, not for you. Now take your grubby fingers out of my sauce.”
“Come on, Jazz. Surely there’s enough for two?” I plead. I place my hands together in a prayer gesture. “Pretty please.”
She laughs out loud and playfully swipes my shoulder. “Okay, fine. I can share. But remember, I’m eating for two,” she reminds me, and caresses her stomach.
Jasmine moves to pull bread out from the oven. “Can I help?” I ask.
She points to the sink. “Can you drain the noodles? The strainer is in the sink already.” She continues to stir the sauce, and I grab a tea towel and carry the cooked noodles to the strainer and pour them into it.
Jasmine sets the table and I take a seat, loving the smell of the food she places in front of me. I dig into it, not realizing how hungry I actually am, and grab a piece of garlic bread and take a huge bite.
“Hungry?” Jazz asks, sarcasm dripping from her voice. I look over to where she’s sitting opposite me, and she’s grinning at me.
I smile and can only imagine how I look with spaghetti sauce all around my mouth.
“You’re a pig,” she says giggling, and digs into her own meal.
After we’ve both cleaned off our plates, I laugh when I see how Jasmine’s mouth is now also covered in sauce.
I point it out to her. “Looks like you have some food left over.”
Jasmine traces her finger around her lips and giggles again. “What can I say, it was good.”
“Yes it was,” I reply sitting back in my chair, feeling tired all of a sudden.
“So, what’s going on, Hawke? It’s not every day you come to visit me. I’m guessing dinner with Lu didn’t happen?”
“What, she didn’t call you?” I ask, surprised.
“Nope. After I spoke to her earlier today, I assumed you guys would work things out.”
I shake my head and push my plate away from me.
“What the hell, Hawke? What did you do?”
I sigh and run my hands down my face. “I fucked up, Jazz.”
“Oh, Hawke. What now?” She sits back in her chair, her arms crossed.
“She asked me if I kissed Josie.”
“Yeah, and did you tell her no?”
My eyes lock on Jasmine’s and I see her look of disappointment emerge.
“You kissed her?” she yells, jumping out of her chair and storming to my side of the table. She rests her hands on the top while staring daggers at me. “Please tell me that you did not kiss her, Hawke.”
I get up from my seat and stand to my full height. I’m a good foot higher than her small frame, but that doesn’t intimidate her. She stands her ground. “It didn’t mean anything, Jazz. It was just a kiss. A kiss that Josie initiated,” I add stepping into her space. I need her to believe me. I need her to help me convince Luisa that it was all just a big mistake.
“Jazz, you need to believe me. She kissed me.”
“When?” she whispers, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “When did all this happen?”
“The night of your bachelorette party. The boys and I were at Black Panthers, and there on stage, dancing seductively, was Josie. I couldn’t believe my fucking eyes,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. I step around her to collect our dirty plates, and walk them over to the kitchen sink.
“What happened, Hawke?”
I hear Jasmine’s question coming from close behind me and realize she’s followed me into the room.
I turn to face her, and lean up against a kitchen bench. “I had to know why she was stripping on stage, Jasmine. The Josie I knew was too sophisticated, too classy for that shit.” I run my hands through my hair, tying it up with the band I keep around my wrist.
“What did you do, Hawke?” she asks, wrapping her arms around her waist.
I cross my ankles and look down at the floor. “I went out back after her routine was done, and when I turned around the corner, there she was, shooting up.”
I hear Jasmine gasp and I snap my head up to see what her reaction is. “Honestly, it shocked the hell out of me,” I admit.
“I’m so sorry, Hawke. I didn’t know.” Jasmine’s tone is sincere. She steps closer to me. “And then what happened? Where was Quill?”
“Quill was out front, in the main part of the club. I basically ripped the syringe from her arm and carried her to her car. Then I drove her home. When we got to her apartment, I shoved her in the shower to try and snap her out of her high, and she took me by surprise and kissed me. I swear, Jasmine, it wasn’t my intention for it to happen. I love Lu,” I declare as I step even closer to Jasmine, my eyes not leaving hers, trying to convince her I’m telling the truth.
“She blamed me for taking drugs, Jazz. She said it all started when I left her, and that’s when she turned to them. She lost her job and her life because of it all. I hate knowing that I’m the cause of that,” I say honestly.
I’m standing there with my arms crossed when Jasmine steps up to me and slaps me on the chest. “What do you mean, your fault? Are you crazy? You are not to blame for the choices she made, Hawke. You were not the one cheating on her. She cheated on you, when she was your fiancé. Don’t you dare feel guilty about the choices she’s made.”
I rub my jaw. “I know what you’re saying, Jazz, but I can’t help the way I feel. Somehow, I feelresponsible.”
“You need to get your shit together, Hawke. You hear me? Luisa can’t be hurt again. She’s been there before, and she deserves better. I’m getting married this weekend, and I need you guys to sort out your problems.”
“How do you expect me to do that?” I ask, uncrossing my ankles. “I need your help, Jasmine.”
“Me?” Jasmine points a finger at her chest, shaking her head. “I can’t fix this. You need to go over there and explain what happened. She’ll understand once she hears your story.”
I embrace Jasmine and kiss the top of her head. “Thanks for listening,” I say as I pull back, gripping her shoulders. “You’re a good friend.”
“Don’t you ever forget it,” she says smiling wide.