Reject Me (Kin #5)(39)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“Do yourself a favor then. Don’t lead Jamey on while you’re deciding. We all know he is the reason that everything is a mess. Perhaps he needs to be taught a lesson. If you ask me, he’s punished himself for a long time already. Both of you need to be on the same page, and it sounds like right now you aren’t at all.”

She was being honest with me on purpose. I appreciated that Sky would tell it to me straight. Still I felt offended. I didn’t want them to feel sorry for me, but I certainly didn’t want them to feel sorry for the person I was still angry with. “Maybe I should go home.”

“Sky didn’t mean to upset you,” Lacey reassured.

“It’s not that. She’s right, though. I need to stop this back and forth. It’s been goin’ on for too long. I can’t keep at it. Somethin’s got to give.”

“Peyton, don’t you dare leave without telling Jamey. He’ll freak out and chase you down.” Lacey was right. Jamey was determined to be with me, as if his presence was going to be the deciding factor in my choice.

“I’ll talk to him.”

When I left the kitchen I was more distraught than before. My mind was in a million places. I had so many people trying to tell me what I should do. The bottom line was that it was my choice.

I found Jamey standing outside. Ford and Joey saw me approaching and went back inside of the house. Jamey smiled as soon as he saw me. “Hey.”

“We should probably talk,” I addressed.

He looked out onto the beach. “I’m ready.”

“You know I love you, Jamey, that’s never been a secret.”

“Yeah.”

“This back and forth is killin’ me. It’s torture.”

He finally turned to face me, leaning on the porch rails. “What are you gettin’ at?”

“I need time. I need to be away from you to be able to wrap my head around all of this.”

“Let me ask you this, Peyton. If Angie hadn’t have said those things where would we be right now? Would you have started over with me like you wanted to?”

I shrugged. “I suppose. It’s what I wanted the whole time.”

He reached in his pocket and handed me his phone. “I get why you have to leave, but I want you to take this. If I have to earn back your trust I want you to be in control of findin’ the truth. I didn’t sleep with her when she said I did. I don’t care what you have to do to find the truth.”

“How do I know you haven’t set this all up?” I wasn’t born yesterday. People snuck around to save their asses all of the time.

“I’m tryin’ here. It’s the best I can do. I haven’t seen that bitch or talked to her. I’ll give you a copy of my phone calls from the past six months. How’s that?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, realizing how far he was willing to go to prove his cause. “I would like that.”

“I get that I could have called her from another phone, but I’m tellin’ you that I haven’t. She cost me you. I want nothin’ to do with that common whore. That’s the truth, baby.”

I wrapped my arms around him. It took him a second to respond. His arms held me tight. “No matter what happens between us, I will always love you, Jamey. Nothin’ can change that.” I pulled away and looked into his glossy brown eyes. “I have to go, because if I stay it solves nothin’. I don’t trust you, and gettin’ past that is what I’m strugglin’ with. To be honest with you, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to.”

“I get it.” He looked down at the ground. “I think you already know your answer, and you’re just tryin’ to get away from me without a struggle.”

I couldn’t answer him, because I truthfully didn’t know. This was the easiest way.

“Call me when you are on your way home. I’ll bring your phone back to you then, if that’s okay?” I was beginning to feel dizzy with anxiety. It was important to make a quick exit.

“Sure. Keep it as long as you need to.”

“Jamey, this doesn’t mean that we’re goin’ to be together.” I held up his phone. “I just need to get away from you so I can decide things on my own. I can’t be around you and think,” I reiterated.

He grabbed me when I started to pull out of his hold. “Wait. Don’t go without kissin’ me goodbye. I may never get another one.” He didn’t know how true his statement was.

I smiled, even though it was probably inappropriate. “What happens every single time we do goodbyes?” It was difficult not to tear up. Inside I was falling apart.

He laughed and shook his head. “It won’t this time. I promise. One kiss is all I want.”

I leaned forward, hoping for a chaste kiss. Instead I got a lot more than I wished for. His tongue was like poison to my soul, able to change my mind so quickly. Before I could reciprocate and get lost again, I pulled away and wiped off my lips.

“This is why I need to get away from you.”

“You just kissed me like you wanted to stay.”

“I kissed you goodbye.”

I gave him a smile as I walked away trying to calm my breathing. He was too addictive to be around and think clearly. I needed distance.

My brother was displeased to see me. I saw him checking out behind me as I walked inside of the door. “I’m not here to fight with you.”

“You could have fooled me when you pulled that shit earlier. Pey, what were you thinkin’?”

“I was thinkin’ that I wanted to be happy for once.” I crossed my arms and stood there by the front door, not willing to get any closer while he was still fuming.

“I’m only lookin’ out for you. Jamey is bad news. I knew that when you first started datin’ each other.”

“I love him, Shayne. It’s complicated.”

“He doesn’t love you. You know that, right?” His words were like daggers to my heart. I hated that he was so hell-bent on making up my mind for me. “He disrespects you.”

“People can change. You of all people should know that.”

He put up his hands. “I give up. It’s like talkin’ to the damn wall. You’re never goin’ to learn until he completely destroys you.”

“It’s my decision.” I stood my ground.

Shayne got up and walked out of the room without saying anything directly to me. I could hear him talking under his breath, but didn’t care much about whatever he was spewing.