Page 4 of Defying Ella
“Go to your mam.” I helped Phoebe stand before giving her a gentle push towards Mel.
I jumped to my feet, the low burn of annoyance itching against my skin. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second as I stomped toward him. He clamped the surprise down fast, directing that scowl at me.
“Phoebe did it. Are you going to shout at a four-year-old too?”
Jared glared down at me as I squared up with him, toe-to-toe. I glared right back at him, my temper boiling high enough to outdo him if he wanted to start throwing his toys out of the pram. He could be a reasonable, nice guy when he wanted to be — I’d seen it. My sister wouldn’t let himanywhere near Phoebe if it wasn’t the case. I’d even seen him play with the munchkin and talk to his friends like a normal human being.
Today wasn’t going to be one of those days.
He had a manic glint in his green eyes. The last time I’d seen it, I’d caught him at a bar, late for our date, and all over another woman. I still hadn’t figured out where our wires crossed, and I had no interest in trying.
“Mel, why don’t you take Phoebe to the green room?”
Silence followed my request. I glanced at Mel.
“Are you sure?” she asked, eying me with concern while Phoebe hugged her leg.
That set my blood on fire. My niece barely knew the meaning of the word fear!
I turned back to Jared and crossed my arms. “I’ve got this asshole. I’ll meet you there in a couple of minutes.”
Jared’s brow rose while a smirk claimed his lips. The fragments of memories unearthed by that look were not welcome. They could stay buried beneath my bed and not haunt me with the sight of him groggy in the morning, his hair sticking up at all angles. Nope. That image no longer resembled the guy standing before me.
“No, Phoebe, that’s a bad word,” Mel said as she herded Phoebe off the stage. “Auntie Els needs her mouth washed out with soap. You don’t want that.”
My lips twitched at her pointed threat. I still hadn’t come up with more child-friendly but equally as insulting words to direct at Jared. I’d get right on that after I escaped this tour.
The side door closed, finally allowing me to breathe.
“Go back to your flavour of the day, Jared. Let the roadies fix this.”
Confusion swept away the intensity in his gaze. “What are you talking about?”
I sighed. “Where did you leave today’s girl? Matt’ll tearyour head off if he finds strangers wandering around backstage.”
A frown morphed his features. “What girl?”
“You’re unbelievable,” I hissed, my indignation stronger than my will to hold the words in. “They have feelings, Jared. You can’t just use someone and toss them aside.”
The heat of his body buffered me in the freezing cold arena. A couple of months ago, I would have leaned into that warmth, would have taken comfort in it. Hell, my gut reaction still urged me to lean into him, to give into the itch in my fingers to trace away his frown.
I schooled my features, hiding the interest I’d never been able to extinguish. Nothing was off-limits with him. If he figured it out, he’d find a way to use it against me. Why, I couldn’t explain.
His expression cleared as his lips curled. “Don’t worry, El. You’ll have plenty of company at your next ‘I hate Jared’ meeting.”
Such an innocuous thing shouldn’t have flared my temper but combine the jab behind the words — I was just another girl he’d used — with the lazy, playboy smile, and I could almost breathe fire.
“Great. Thanks for building my army for me.” I forced a cruel grin to my lips. “Have you ever wondered what happens when a group of women you’ve used and abused get together in a room?”
He shook his head, his amusement unmarred. “I don’t give much thought to my conquests. You know that, El.”
You were nothing but a notch on the bedpost.
I refrained from clenching my jaw, but my body burned with the force of my anger. I stepped closer to him and bared my teeth.
“Then maybe you should start sleeping with one eye open. One of these days, someone won’t take too kindly to your wine and dine routine, pretty boy.”
With that, I breezed past him, my shoulders pulled back, and my head held high.
