Page 65 of Love Unbound
She turned her head just as he reached her, and he crouched down in front of her. He reached for her hands, but she pulled them away before he could touch her, and another deep V formed on his brow. His hair was nearly dry and looked soft in the moonlight that glinted on the top of his head.
“Jodi… I have to go,” he said quietly, staring up at her from where he knelt.
“I figured.”
“Red needs my help,” he murmured slowly, and she knew he was trying to gauge her emotions.
Jodi closed her eyes for a brief second, then snorted derisively before she could stop herself. “Right.That’sRed. The Red that I asked about, and you said it was ‘just a friend’. You didn’t mention that she’s a woman,” Jodi muttered sourly, and Free lowered his gaze guiltily. Jodi nodded, knowing her gut had been right after all. Her chest felt like it was being squeezed by a bench vice. Her voice trembled when she stated, “You didn’t tell me because she’s someone you’ve slept with.”
“Jodi—”
“Don’t…” she warned bitingly, “…don’t lie to me, please.” Jodi stood abruptly, stepping around him where he crouched. She took several steps away before turning to look at him again. He straightened from where he’d been kneeling, staring at her stoically in the darkness. “I have eyes. I can see that you and she are… familiar… with each other.”
“Red and I are just friends,” Free said slowly, his voice low.
“Do not stand there and tell me you haven’t slept with her!”Jodi exclaimed sharply.
“Alright, yes, dammit!” Free shouted then, spreading his arms wide, palms up, before letting them fall to his sides in defeat. “Yes. I have slept with Red. A lot. I’ve also slept with a lot of other women, Jodi. What was I supposed to do? Be celibate for my entire adult life on the off chance I’d ever see you again?”
Her head snapped back as if she’d been physically hit, and she sucked in her breath sharply. “That’s not fair, Free.”
Free heaved a sigh, raising his shoulders and then letting his palms slap against the outside of his thighs. “I can’t change my past any more than you can change yours, Jodi. Crucifying me for living my life as I did—”
“Oh for the love of—” Jodi snapped, striding away from him, then turning back to look at him, hands on her hips. “Don’t. Don’t do that. This isn’t high school. I don’t give a damn that you’ve slept with other women, Free. I’m not a prude.”
“Yet here you are, pissed at me for having sex with another woman!” Free snapped.
“That’s not what this is about, and you damn well know it!” Jodi shouted. “We’re adults, and I do understand what that comes with. However, I don’t have to like the fact that you lied about who she was. And even though we are adults and I do understand, I don’t have to appreciate having her paraded in front of my face, especially in my own house!”
Free nodded a small concession, before saying, “You’re right. I shouldn’t have hidden who she is to me. But I didn’t lie to you.” He held up his hand when she started to interrupt, and she clicked her teeth shut. “Sheisa friend. One that needed help, and when she couldn’t get in touch with me, she came here to find me. She tried to get a hold of me all weekend, but I was sitting in jail for assaulting your ex-husband,” Free snapped, and the bitterness in his voice stung her to the core. She reeled for a moment, staring at him in stunned silence.
“So you do blame me,” Jodi finally said, shaking her head miserably.
“No,” Free snapped, blowing out a frustrated breath. “No, I don’t blame you, Jodi. But you’re mad at me for a friend coming to find me because she was scared. What was I supposed to do when she showed up? Just send her away? You know I can’t do that.”
She knew, because he had always protected her, saved her, whenever he could. Of course he would be the same way with… others. Jodi knew he was right, but it just made her angrier. She had allowed herself to feel… special… and she felt like an idiot for it.
Jealousy, anger, and pain all rolled like a kaleidoscope through her, shifting from one emotion to the next in one continuous blur. “Is she your—” Jodi’s throat closed around the words, choking her. She swallowed hard, willing the tears she felt welling in her eyes not to fall. “—is she your girlfriend?”
“No,” Free said quietly, taking a step toward her, but Jodi backed away. Free stopped and raised his shoulders in a helpless shrug. “No, Jodi, Red and I are not and have not ever been in a romantic relationship.” Jodi crossed her arms over her chest, in an attempt to hold herself together against the crushing ache in her chest. His eyes were gentle as he continued, “She is just a friend, one that I happened to have slept with. Sex with her was literally that… just sex. Nothing else, I promise you.” He took another tentative step toward her, whispering beseechingly, “Nothing like the last few weeks have been with you, Jodi.”
“Don’t,” Jodi whispered miserably, dropping her gaze to the wooden planks beneath her bare feet. Her traitorous mind had already conjured up mental images of him doing the same things to Roxy that he had done to her, and she wanted to scream. “Don’t do that. I get that this—” she motioned between them with her hand, her chest aching and tears threatening her eyes,“—was just a fling.”
Free’s mouth tightened, his jaw taut. “You said you didn’t want a fling.”
“I didn’t,” Jodi snapped, hugging herself tighter. “But we both knew going into this that it was temporary.”
He stared at her, his eyes unreadable, his jaw tight.
“You said you love me,” Free whispered.
“And you’re leaving!” Jodi cried, pointing toward the house where Roxy still waited. “You’re leaving, so what does it matter? Just go!”
“You of all people should understand why I have to!” Free bellowed, spreading his arms wide in frustration.
“So go!” Jodi shouted back, gesturing toward the truck in the driveway. She was a wounded animal backed into a corner; her emotions took over and she reacted defensively, lashing out in anger. “I’m not stopping you!”
Free blew out his breath and stomped away from her, and when he turned back to Jodi the look on his face was ferocious. Growling, he snapped, “Just because I have to leave for now, does not mean that this was just a fling for me, Jodi.”
