“Must we go over this every time?” All of the cruel amusement flickered from his eyes, leaving behind a cold rage. “I want my money and I want it now, Julian. Or my next stop will be Em. Don’t think I didn’t mean what I said. If you don’t pay, she will.”
His father turned to go and all of the day’s frustration turned to despair. “No. Wait. I have some money.”
A hundred bucks made up his grocery budget for the month, but what choice did he have?
The asshole had the nerve to flip through the small wad of bills with a look of disgust. “That’s it?”
“It’s all I have.”
Jay knew better than to let his guard down around his father. Ever. But he hadn’t let it down, he’d repositioned it. All around Em like some kind of fortress, leaving himself vulnerable to the right hook that slammed into his left side just below the ribs. Air rushed from his lungs as he doubled over. It took several gasping breaths to reinflate them and bring the pain threshold back under control. He’d suffered much worse, but the shock of that first blow always seemed to be the hardest to overcome.
“You’re going to have to do better than that, Julian.” Shoving the cash in his pocket, his father stormed out of the house, leaving Jay cradling his ribs and feeling like he’d just made a deal with the devil.
Chapter Twenty
Em
She hadn’t seen Jay in almost a week. He’d done everything in his power to make it that way, and it stung. He was the one who dumped her, after all. What right did he have hiding? But, truthfully, she wasn’t angry about it. She was sad, and confused. But, above all, Em was lonely. Missing Jay was like missing a body part. Something essential, like an arm or a leg. Functioning without him was difficult and awkward.
When he finally showed up at Bart’s on Friday night, the urge to be near him was so strong she almost forgot why she couldn’t. Her feet had her headed in his direction as soon as he walked through the door before her brain caught up and veered her toward a table where Mason was covering busboy duties. It may not have been her best idea. They were ‘friends’ now. She could have at least said hi. But hanging out with Mason helped distract her from the sharp ache that seeing Jay again had brought on. Plus, he was her ride.
It turned out Ashlyn didn’t have the market cornered on persistence. She seemed to share it with Mason. And when the two of them teamed up, Em found herself in over her head.
“I come bearing pizza. If you don’t let me in, Ash will kick you out.” Mason stood on the front step in jeans and a khaki colored coat that brought out the highlights in his dark, wind-mussed hair perfectly, holding a large cardboard box. If there were a fast food calendar, he’d definitely be on the cover. There was no denying he was good looking.
“It’s true!” Ashlyn’s voice carried from down the hall. “Pizza is the magic word around here. Let the man in.”
Em stepped back to let him pass and Mason made himself right at home in Ash’s living room, setting the box on the coffee table.
“How’s the phone working out for ya?”
“Took a few days to figure it out, but I think I’ve got it now.”
“All that newfangled technology.” He winked at her with a laugh and pulled a book from an inside pocket of his coat. “I brought you something else.”
“What’s this?” Em glanced at the glossy cover.
“It’s a GED prep guide.”
“Mason, I can’t—”
“You can. You and Jay can do it together.”
Em stared back at him thoroughly confused. He was doing this for her and Jay?
“Look, I know I don’t know much about you. Where you came from, or how the hell you ended up here.” Em’s gut clenched with fear that he was about to ask some unanswerable questions. He didn’t. “But I do know you’re a smart girl. I just don’t want to see you stuck at Bart’s for the rest of your life. You can do better than that, Em.”
Dammit, Ash was right. Mason was a good guy. And he was right. She’d always been a good student. She could do better than Bart’s, and waiting tables for the rest of her life didn’t sound all that appealing when she really thought about it.
“Um . . . I . . . I don’t know about Jay, but I’d like to give it a try. Do you think maybe . . . you could help me study? If you’re not too busy.” The last bit all came out in a rush of breath and Em wanted to smack herself. She sounded like a twelve-year-old trying to score her first date.
“Where’s the food?” Ashlyn plopped on the couch opposite them. She froze mid-reach as her gaze drifted back and forth between Em and Mason, and a sly grin spread across her face. “I’ll take mine to go. Thanks.” She snatched a slice from the box before scrambling back out of the room.