Chapter Thirty-Three
Jeremy needed time to cool off after being asked to leave Jade’s property. He could tell when she hid behind a facade and fought to keep it together. That wasn’t the case. If she was frazzled at all, it was due to everyone’s concern—concern she provoked by leaving a note and electing to meet with someone no one trusted.
He had absolutely no answers and he was still furious. Nathan, the little prick, had yet to return a single voicemail. Kat said he was a lawyer. Was he consulting for Jade? No, Jeremy knew it was something to do with the rape. That creep knew things. Did Jade now know what he knew?
He had so many questions, but he wouldn’t get a single answer until he worked things out with her. He wasn’t going to apologize for his outburst when he spent half the morning worrying she might be dead.
Of course, she wasn’t stupid. Her IQ trounced his. That didn’t mean she couldn’t make stupid decisions. This assumption that there was good in everyone was going to get her seriously hurt—more than she’d already been.
Gritting his teeth, he stepped aside as a couple crept closer to the display he was blocking.
“Pardon.”
The mall was a thousand degrees. How fucking hard was it to pick up something he’d ordered weeks ago? The last thing he expected was to be in a fight with his girlfriend the day before Christmas.
This disagreement could ruin their holiday—it could ruin everything—so of course he’d apologize for shouting in her face, but that didn’t mean he’d change his point of view.
This was ridiculous. They were past keeping secrets. He didn’t understand why she couldn’t tell him what had transpired yesterday. The girl was a vault and he was locked out. It fucking hurt.
“Sir.” The salesman finally returned and Jeremy pulled out his wallet and signed the necessary paperwork.
As he left the jeweler, last minute shoppers hastily scurried around like a cluster of ants under a kid’s magnifying glass. He should have done this yesterday, but of course, yesterday he had to wait with the cops for his girlfriend to safely return home—totally normal.
As he made it to his Jeep, parked the length of three football fields from the exit, he stuffed his bag in the trunk and drove to Jade’s.
She wasn’t expecting him, which was clear the moment he walked into the cottage and found her sitting in a mess of paper, wrapping Mia’s presents. Her hair was a disaster and she was in sweats.
“I thought you weren’t coming until later,” she said by way of greeting.
Sliding his keys on the counter, he tried for calm. “I thought we should talk.”
Snapping off a piece of tape, she secured the end of the wrapping paper. “Oh? About what?”
“Jade, this is ridiculous.” She unrolled another length of paper and he stepped forward, stilling her hand before she could reach for the scissors. “Stop.”
“What do you want, Jeremy? I have to get this done.”
“I want you to take me seriously. I’m sorry I hurt your feelings yesterday but do my feelings count for anything to you? I was fucking scared and all you can do is give me the silent treatment and get upset that—”
“You called me stupid.”
“I said meeting with a man none of us trust without letting anyone know was stupid. There’s a difference and you know it. I didn’t call you stupid, so don’t act dumb and try to get out of this on a technicality. You owe it to me to explain what’s really going on.”
Sitting back she sighed. “Fine. Meeting with Nathan wasn’t the smartest move. I’m sorry I made everyone worry, although I’d think you’d be pleased I took precautions.”
He nodded, glad to see she was at least realizing it was a dumb move, even if she didn’t sound one hundred percent remorseful for going at all. “Why did you meet him?”
She fidgeted. “He said he had information for me.”
“And you believed him?”
Her gaze cut to his. “Yes, and he did have information.”
“What was it?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Jade—”
She held up a hand. “Jeremy, I’m serious. What he told me, he told me in absolute confidence. The only reason anyone even knew I was with him was because I screwed up. No one was ever supposed to know I spoke to him. It could put people in danger.” She truly wanted to protect Nathan, and somehow doing so made her feel more protected, but that might not make any sense to anyone else.
Tension knotted his shoulders as his molars locked. Taking a deep breath, he turned and mumbled, “I can’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“This,” he snapped, facing her. “I can’t sit here and act like everything’s normal when yesterday… I don’t want a relationship built around lies, Jade.”
Her body staggered back as fear cinched tight around her heart. “I’m not lying to you. I told you I was with him. We met at a café in New Castle. We talked and he told me some things I needed to know, but it changes nothing. He told me for my own peace of mind and I can’t take that information anywhere, so there’s really no point in talking about it. I just want to—”
“Have a normal holiday,” he finished. “Jade, you can’t have normal unless you’re honest with me.”
Her mouth tightened. “Is that what this is, then? An ultimatum? Either I tell you what he said or we break up?”
That was the complete opposite of his original intentions, but now he was tempted to see which side she’d choose. “No, but what if it was?”
Her resolve hardened before his eyes, her shoulders drawing up and her chin lifting. The vulnerability she’d battled so hard to cover over the past few months was gone, vanished as though it never even existed. This was the strong woman he fell for and part of him celebrated her return. But a bigger part feared she might actually walk away because of whatever secrets she shared with Nathan fucking Lithe.
“One day you’ll appreciate how strong my word is, Jeremy. I made Nathan a promise and I’m not going to break my word. I’m sorry if you can’t accept that. I wish you could because I don’t want this to change our relationship. It has nothing to do with us. It has to do with Nathan. It’s his secret to tell and he told me, not you, not Kat. Me.”
Letting out a slow breath, he accepted she wasn’t going to budge, not where Nathan’s personal business came into play. “Was yesterday the first time you met with him?”
“Yes.”
“How did he contact you?”
“Email. He looked up my professional profile online.”
Meeting her gaze with a harder one, he let her see how seriously he took her safety. “This is the last time you pull a stunt like this behind my back, Jade. I know how determined you can be, but if you ever sneak off and knowingly put yourself at risk again, we are going to have a problem.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yes. I told you it wasn’t my smartest decision. I won’t do it again. I’m sorry I scared everyone. That was never my plan.”
He exhaled, supposing that was a better apology than her first attempt.
She stood and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Believe it or not, it means something that you worry about me.”
He leaned back and tipped her face up so he was looking into her eyes. “Woman, you owe me. That was more than worry. You scared the shit out of me.”
Her brow pinched and she lowered her stare. “I’m sorry.”
And he believed her. “I know. It’s over. Let’s put it behind us.”