Page 18 of Summer Sweethearts
“Jessica, this is my problem. I’ll deal with it,” I tell her, and my tone is a wee bit harsh, but I want her to know I’m strong enough to handle my ex without her defending me.
“Why would you handle my ex? I’m not even sure why he’s here,” she tells me. I gasp and choke again all at the same time.Her what?
“Your ex? What are you talking about?” I ask, growing more confused by the second.
“Babe, I told you that I dated someone, and I thought it could turn serious, but he was hung up on his ex. This is him,” Jess tells me like it’s no big deal. I whip around to look at Michael because he was hung up on what ex?
He’s white as a sheet and looking between Jessica and me with panic. “Babe? Why did you call her babe?” he whispers.
“She’s my girlfriend, Mike. What else should I call her?” Jessica snips, wrapping an arm around me, pulling me closer to her.
I look at Michael, and his face contorts into pure agony. I’m not sure what the fuck is going on, but I intend to find out. Turning, I push out of Jessica’s arms and look between the two of them. “Jessica, you know how yesterday I saw my ex and it was a huge deal?”
“Yeah?” she says.
“That would be Michael.” I point my thumb at him, but keep my eyes on Jessica, whose mouth drops open.
“Wait. Your Michael and my Mike are the same person? Did we date the same man? How is that fucking possible?” she questions, and I can hear her trying not to laugh.
I’m right there with her; this is the fucking twilight zone.
“Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Michael booms, making me look at him while trying super hard not to let a petty smile spread across my face.
“Well, Michael, it seems that you dated both me and my girlfriend,” I snicker.
MICHAEL
I’m so fucking confused right now. I stopped at Sugar Spines to see Loretta, to explain myself better, and apologize for yesterday. Running into Jessica was a shock. I haven’t seen her since she broke up with me after a few months of dating. She said I was still hung up on my ex, which in her defense, was accurate. I never thought I would see her again, let alone find out she’s living in my hometown.
What really has me stunned is the last thing Loretta said.I dated her AND her girlfriend.I always knew Loretta wasn’t straight. She fooled around with a girl here and there in high school, but then we got together, and we never really spoke of her sexuality again. It seems, though, that she does a lot more than fool around with Jessica if they’re in a relationship. I asked Cain and Aiden if she was involved with someone, and they said no.Why would they lie to me?
“I can see your wheels turning, Michael. Seems we have the same taste in women,” Loretta puts a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh.
“Jessica, I didn’t know you moved. And here, of all places,” I comment, not knowing what else to say. “This is where I grew up.” I’m trying to wrap my brain around this whole thing.
“My mom moved here and opened up a store after my dad died. She decided to pursue a different career, so I took over the store and moved here,” she replies, keeping her arms wrapped around Loretta.
Aiden comes out from the back and freezes when he sees the situation unfolding in f his store. “Aiden, you have some explaining to do,” I growl, and he smirks but comes toward us.
“What did I do?” he asks innocently, but he knows damn well what he did.
“I specifically asked you if Loretta was seeing someone, and you told me no. Now, I come here to apologize to her for yesterday and find out she’s dating my ex. Also, why didn’t you tell me Jessica moved here?”
His eyes look like they’re about to bug out of his head. “Wait, you dated Jessica? When?”
“I dated Mike two years ago for a few months. We met on a dating app, and we got along well enough, but he was still in love with his ex. Brought her up whenever he could, but never mentioned her name. I broke it off and haven’t seen him since… until he walked in here today staring at me. But now I know he was obviously staring at Lor,” Jessica pipes up, rolling her eyes as she finishes.
“Okay, that is super ironic but makes sense. I didn’t know you ever dated Jessica, so I would have no reason to tell you she lived here,” Aiden tells me, and I scowl at him.
“What about telling me Loretta wasn’t seeing anyone?”
“Well, you see, Mikey, you asked if she was, and I quote, ‘involved with another man’. And we answered that honestly; no, she wasn’t. Jessica is all woman.” He winks at Jessica, and she barks out a laugh.
Now I know what he and Cain were talking about in that text.Ha!I thought she was a mom, and I was so sure that I was going to be a stepparent. To know that they knew she was dating someone, and that someone is a female, makes sense. Those sneaky, sly bastards, but it’s my fault for asking if she was with a guy.
“I don’t want to stand around and work this all out. We both dated Mike, and I’m dating Loretta now. If Lor is comfortable talking with you, that’s up to her. I am comfortable enough in our relationship for her to talk alone with you, even though she’s obviously the ex you’re still hung up on.”
“Jessica!” Loretta hisses, which has Jessica spinning to look at her.
