Chapter 19 Chapter Nineteen - Gabriella
“Expecting company?” he asks with a quirked brow.
“Shit, what time is it?” I ask, leaning over him and checking my phone to see it’s 10 am. “Fuck, not again.”
I leap from my bed with my tattered sweater dress hanging from my body only for my knees to completely give out, but before I can hit the ground, I once again find myself in Jartre’s arms, as he stands in front of me effortlessly supporting my weight.
“Moved a little too fast there Starlight. I don’t think you’re up for company,” he says with concern.
“Nice try, but I got this.”
I force myself to my feet, detach myself from him, and walk over to my hanger with wobbly legs. I discard my unsalvageable night dress and quickly grab a summer dress and slip it on, uncomfortably aware of the slick feeling of my thighs rubbing together. I hear another knock at the door and quickly make my way downstairs, being sure to hold onto the rail as a precaution. I walk over to the door and unlock the deadbolt pulling the door open to see Derrick standing at my threshold holding a large garment bag and a large carry bag.
“What the fuck happened to you?” he asks, looking me over with surprise, “You look like you’ve been fucked three ways from Sunday.”
Before I can answer I see his eyes blow wide as he leans slightly to the right, his jaw open so wide it rivals a carnival clown as his eyes are locked on something behind me. I close my eyes and take in a deep breath through my nose knowing exactly what has caught his attention. I feel him approaching before I can see him and soon I feel his enormous hands encapsulating my shoulders making my body feel weak all over once again.
“Are you going to introduce me to your friend?” Jartre casually asks.
Composing myself, I open my eyes to a slack-jawed Derrick. “Derrick, this is Jartre, Jartre this is my best friend Derrick,” I introduce.
Jartre extends his hand to Derrick, doing his best to appear friendly and non-threatening, but I don’t think that’s possible for him.
“Gabriella speaks very highly of you,” Jartre says with sincerity.
Derrick slowly reaches his hand out and shakes Jartre’s hand, “She, um… has never mentioned you, but she sure as hell better now,” he says, looking at me with a look that screams, ‘Give me the gossip or else’.
“We only just met, so don’t be too harsh with her,” says Jartre playfully, placing a kiss on top of my head. “I should be going and leave you two to gossip,” he says, exchanging places with Derrick. As Jartre steps out into the hallway, Derrick mouths a giant ‘Oh my god’ which I quickly ignore as I shove him into my loft.
“You’re leaving?” I ask, stepping up to Jartre as we stand in the doorway, his head just skimming the top of my doorframe.
“As much as I would love to stay and continue our fun, your friend is dying to interrogate you and I don’t want to keep you from having a life,” he says, holding my chin in his hand delicately as he brushes his thumb against my bottom lip making my knees go weak.
“Will I see you again soon?” I ask, feeling an inexplicable ache in my chest at the thought of him leaving.
With a bright smile on his face, he bends forward and places a gentle kiss on my lips, “You can see me whenever you wish, all you have to do is call for me and I will come.”
I smile up at him, feeling reassured by his words, “I’ll hold you to that.”
My happy bubble bursts when I hear a snort coming from down the hall to my right. I look over only to see Julie standing in her doorway watching us with an expression that is simultaneously smug and jealous as fuck.
“Well, well, well. Looks like the little whore isn’t so innocent after all. You sure moved on fast. Or maybe you moved on first,” she smirks.
The moment she calls me a whore, Jartre’s nostrils flare and his eyes shine brightly as his hands form tight fists at his sides with his veins bulging against his skin. Thunder erupts around the building and Julie nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound of it. I don’t know much about this bond stuff, but hoping for a Hail Mary, I place my hands calmly on his biceps praying that my touch will keep him calm enough so he doesn’t go over and murder my slut of a neighbour.
“Please stay calm,” I urge him, hoping he’s still reading my thoughts. “Julie, why don’t you do us all a favour and kindly fuck off?” I say while refusing to take my eyes off Jartre for fear he’ll turn on her like a rabid animal.
“Big words from the sad little bitch who couldn’t even keep her man,” she taunts, only further seeming to anger Jartre to the point that electricity begins to spark in his eyes. I'm no expert on the whole God thing, but I know when someone is about to blow, so if Julie values her life she really needs to stop talking or I’m going to get a one-on-one lesson on smiting.
“Honey, you didn’t steal my man, you stole my problem and if I wasn’t so busy not giving a shit I’d probably send you a thank you card,” I say with a Chesire cat smile.
That really seems to set her off.
“Get her gurl!” Derrick cheers from inside the apartment, snapping his fingers as I watch Julie’s glowing sun-kissed skin start to redden as she stares daggers at me, her long wavey black hair doing little to hide the fact she looks like a kettle about to go off.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Just admit you’re jealous that Mitchell and I have something more real than anything you ever had with him,” she says, folding her arms with a smug smirk, but her words have Jartre looking like he is holding on by a fucking thread as a deep growl rumbles in his chest. Is he a God or a wolf?
Nevertheless, I roll my eyes at this bitch’s stupidity, “Julie, I have headlights brighter than your future. I wish you and Mitchell a long and miserable life together because speaking from experience, I guarantee that’s all you’re gonna get,” I say with a bright smile, “Now shoo fly, don’t bother me,” I say as I wave my hand at her.
Letting out a frustrated scream, angered that she couldn’t get a rise out of me, she turns on her heels and storms back into her apartment slamming the door behind her. With her now gone, I close my door behind me giving Jartre and me a little privacy. I gently cup his face in my hands as I look up at him with concern as he breathes hard and fast like a bull ready to charge.
“Are you okay?” I tentatively ask.
“What was she talking about?” he asks in a low menacing voice that has my concern growing by the second.
I sigh, “Jartre, it’s not important. Please don’t get worked up, okay?” I plead, caressing his cheeks. Is this fucking bond thing on or not? Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3.
He captures my wrists, but not painfully, as he stares into my eyes, “Gabriella, tell me,” he says forcefully.
I groan and yank my hands free, knowing that only happened because he let it. “Mitchell, up until a few days ago was my boyfriend. I had a vision of him fucking my neighbour behind my back and came home to catch them in the act. When I caught them I kicked him out and never looked back, and I honestly couldn’t be happier. He was a shitty boyfriend and I’m relieved to have him out of my life, even more so because it led me to you.”
His brows knit together in confusion, “What do you mean?”
“It was the night after I dumped him that I met you,” I smile, wrapping my arms around his waist unable to reach them all the way around, “Derrick encouraged me to go out to celebrate my newfound freedom and have some fun and let loose and I did. The funny thing is I was about to leave right before I spotted you across the room. Point is, what he did was a blessing in more ways than one, so don’t go getting angry on my behalf, okay?”
He takes in a deep lungful of air and cups my face in his hands. He stares down into my eyes, an unfathomable expression filling his face that makes me want to hold him tight and not let him go. He places his forehead against mine soothing my body with the sweet burn of his touch.
“Someone as precious as you does not deserve that kind of betrayal,” he says in an enraged whisper.
I smile softly and kiss his lips, “You’re sweet, but I promise I’m okay.”
“People like them deserve to be punished,” he says viciously.
“They’re not even worth thinking about. Listen to me, just go home, wherever home is, and get some rest and clear your mind. Please?” I beg.
Still taking angry breaths, he looks in my eyes assessing me before managing to compose himself. He gives me a stiff nod and detaches himself from me, leaving me feeling cold and uneasy.
“I will go. I will see you soon,” he says boorishly before disappearing.
“Jartre!” I call out, but he’s already gone. Feeling unsettled by Jartre’s rapid change in demeanour, I let myself back into my apartment and shut the door behind me, leaning my head back against the door.
“I demand to know who that sexy Santa is,” Derrick announces, forcing my eyes to snap open.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire.