Bump and Run (Wide Open #6)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Charlie

I groaned as I rolled onto my back, then sat up with a start. The sun blinded my eyes when I opened them, and that’s when I realized I had fallen asleep outside Jones’s RV. My entire body was screaming at me from sleeping on the hard ground, and I was suddenly terrified Jones would find me here and think I was some sort of creepy stalker. Or even worse, Ollie. I knew the big guy was just looking to lay me out. He had every reason. I might even let him. To help me feel something other than the massive pile of guilt I was carrying around.

“I was wondering when you would wake up.”

My head snapped around to find Jones sitting on the steps watching me. Oops.

He raised his brows, then held out a mug. “Coffee?”

He was giving me coffee now?

“Did I hit my head?” I took the mug he offered and took a sip. “This is good.”

“Thanks.” Jones smirked when my gaze shot over to him. “What, I’m more than capable of making decent coffee. I can cook a mean frozen pizza, too.” His ears burned pink, but he didn’t drop his gaze .

The memory of eating pizza in my bed hit me hard. “Why are you being so nice to me right now? Don’t you hate me?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.

Jones didn’t have a mean bone in his body. I let my eyes move over that body. The white shirt he wore clung to his chest, and blond hair covered his legs. He was no longer that eighteen-year-old boy I fell in love with. Jones Matthews had grown into a beautiful man.

Jones rolled his eyes. “I’m not allowed to be nice, Charlie? I tried to wake you up when I found you out here, and when you shoved me away, I got scared something was wrong. Then you mumbled something about how sorry you were, that you loved me, and I felt bad about making you leave last night. You slept on the ground, for goodness’ sake. That must have been very uncomfortable.”

“I... I said that?” I remembered dreaming about Jones but only vaguely.

I placed the coffee on the ground so I could stretch out my back. With the sun beating down on me, I was already starting to sweat. When I looked back over at Jones, he glanced away, and from the blush on his neck, I realized he had been checking me out.

“You like what you see, Bashful?”

His Adam’s apple bopped as he swallowed. “Are you going back to Boston for the week off?”

“No.” I climbed to my feet. “Answer me, Jonesy.” He glanced up when I moved closer, his nostrils flaring. “Do you still like what you see? Do you still want me?” I reached down to cup his cheek with my hand, and when he leaned into my palm, my stomach clenched .

Jones nodded. “I can still want you and not want to be with you, Charlie.” I flinched at his words, my hand dropping away from his face, only for Jones to grab it and lace our fingers together. “I’ve had a little time to think about you after last night.”

“You’re holding my hand.” I stared down at where our fingers were intertwined, and he squeezed them. “Why... What’s going on right now, Jones?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.” His voice came out soft and low.

I wanted to drown in it. I wanted to kiss Jones, tell him how sorry I was all over again and that I loved him. That I would always love him. But my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth, and when he looked up at me with those hazel eyes shimmering in the warm morning sun, tears filled my eyes, and I had to glance away.

“I should probably go,” I told him, but I didn’t move.

Jones seemed content to sit here with me, holding my hand, and when I dragged my thumb over his pulse, I felt his body tremble.

“I should go,” I said again.

Jones made a humming noise. “What’s waiting for you up in Boston?” He tugged on my hand, pulling me closer until I stood between his open legs.

“Nothing. Just an empty apartment full of my stuff. I need to find a place in North Carolina to be closer to the shop. That’s what I have planned for this week.”

“Then maybe you could come home with me.”

I blinked, trying to make sure I heard him correctly. “I’m sorry, but did you just say that you want me to come home with you?” I watched the wind lift his blond locks as I stared down at Jones. I untangled our hands. “What’s going on right now, Bashful, because last night you nearly chased me from your RV, and this morning, you’re... What, exactly?”

“I want you to come home with me,” Jones said softly.

He didn’t stop me when I reached down to tilt his head up.

“I’ve missed you. I want to...” He stopped and closed his eyes.

“You want to what?” I pushed for an answer.

Tell me you love me. Tell me you want to forgive me, and I will give you everything .

Jones pulled his bottom lip between his teeth before he spoke again. “I just want to be near you. To see if what we had before is still there, and maybe, just maybe, I can learn to trust you again. I hardly slept at all last night. Instead, I replayed everything you ever said to me. When you first kissed me, and our last night together. I’ve missed you so much, Charlie. Life has been uneventful without you.”

“You don’t have to say anything else, Bashful. I’d love to come home with you.”

***

Jones didn’t talk much on the way to North Carolina. In fact, he fell asleep about ten minutes into the flight, his head landing on my shoulder with a soft thud. This gave me the opportunity to push my nose into his soft curls, inhale his familiar scent, and curse my cock when it perked up with interest. I was thankful I had showered and changed before we got on the plane. I was nervous that Ollie would be here, but when he never showed up, I was able to breathe easy and relax. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t see him back in North Carolina. I knew how close they were. A week was a long time not to see your best friend. He was going to be upset when he found me there. Probably threaten me a few more times.

I didn’t mind that Jones was using me as a pillow. In fact, I liked it more than I should. It felt comfortable, almost like we were never separated, and I wondered what would happen once we landed. I took a moment to drag my fingers through Jones’s hair, enjoying the feel against my skin, and tears blurred my vision.

I never should have listened to my father. I should have stayed with Jones. Fought for him instead of hurting him the way I had. The fact that I was here with him right now meant I might get a second chance, and I wasn’t going to let it slip through my hands. I would drop everything for Jones, my new career, my family, the money, all of it, just to have him back in my life and in my arms. I just hoped that my father didn’t end up hurting Jones’s mother like he said he would. I wasn’t completely convinced he was in love with Alice, but then again, I didn’t have much of a relationship with the man these days. I never had.

Jones sat up and flushed pink when he met my eyes. “Sorry,” he mumbled as a blush crept up his neck and over his face. There was a crease mark on his cheek from my shirt, and it was more than adorable .

“For what? Sleeping on me? Jonesy.” I reached over to press his head back against my shoulder. “You can sleep on me any time you want.”

He let out a giggle that went straight to my cock. “I missed you.” He looked as surprised as I felt when the words slipped from his mouth. “I mean... fudge.” He tried to hide his face against me, but I wouldn’t let him.

“Say that again, Bashful.”

“I missed you, Charlie.”

Before I could stop myself, I hauled Jones into my lap. He let out a surprised squeal.

“I missed you so fucking much,” I whispered.

His hazel eyes searched my gaze, then his entire face crumbled, and he burst into tears. Jones shoved his face into my neck as he sobbed, and I wrapped my arms around him to hold him against me. I hadn’t meant to upset him. I just wanted Jones to know I felt the same way.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cry.” He glanced up at me with tear-stained cheeks. “Maybe this was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have invited you to come home with me. I’m terrified of being hurt again. Maybe things should just stay the way they were—”

I stopped him by gently sliding my lips over his. “Does that feel like a bad idea to you?” I leaned forward to do it again, and Jones trembled in my arms. “I’m so damn sorry about what I did. You didn’t deserve that from me. You’re so amazing. I’ve thought about you every single day.”

“I thought you hated me,” Jones whispered as his hands came up to cradle my head. “I thought I did something wrong. If you had just spoken to me. Told me what your daddy had said, we could have worked it out. Done something to fix it. We could have been together.”

I pressed my forehead against his. “You’re right. I got scared. I didn’t want your mom to get hurt. My father.... He’s not a good person, Jonesy, and if you knew half of the shit he’s done, you’d say the same thing. He’s horrible.”

“Does he love her?” Jones asked, tracing my mouth with the tip of his finger.

I grabbed his hand and pressed a kiss against his palm. “I don’t know.”

I knew my father had cheated on my mother, but I wasn’t sure if he had done that with Jones’s mom. I had only met the woman one time, and she seemed kind, and a lot like the man in my arms. She deserved better.

“He treats her so good. She doesn’t have to work. She has a big house with a roof over her head, and she’s always happy. She’s cheerful and smiling whenever we get together or talk on the phone. I’d hate for it to be a lie, Charlie. Mama is a good woman.”

I nodded. “She is, and she raised an equally good man. One I need to do right by.”

“Did you block me on social media and change your phone number?” Jones asked. When I nodded, his face fell. “It hurt, Charlie. It felt like you didn’t care about me. That you used me and that everything Ollie had warned me about was true. That you were only using me until you got what you wanted.”

Just the mention of Ollie’s name had me growling before I could stop myself. “Ollie’s in love with you, too; so we know he’d try to keep us apart no matter what. He wants you.”

“That’s not fair, and you know it.” Jones struggled in my arms. “Let go of me.”

When I did, he moved back into his own seat.

“Ollie would never act on his feelings. He only wants me to be happy, and besides, he’s sort of seeing Kit Atkins, but it’s very hush hush.”

My brows shot up at the mention of the rookie driver. “Kit is gay?” I had no idea.

“Er... Can we pretend I didn’t say that?” Jones blushed. “Kit’s very private about his sexuality, and no one knows. It’s very enemies to lovers with them. I don’t even think Kit likes himself very much.”

That sounded horrible. “I kind of feel bad for Ollie right now. Is that what you were going for?” I pictured the black eye he had and wondered if Kit gave it to him. What kind of person hit the man they’re in a relationship with?

“I wasn’t. Just know that Ollie has his own issues he’s dealing with right now, and he’s only trying to make sure I’m happy. I spent a lot of time with him after you left me.” Jones suddenly stood up and climbed back into my lap. Something I hadn’t expected. “I’m going to make you work for this. There needs to be lots of groveling, butt kissing, that sort of thing. Flowers. Romance me, Charlie. I deserve that.”

I chuckled. “I think I can manage to kiss your butt if you want that.” I roared with laughter when Jones blew a raspberry at me.

“I’m not having sex with you again for a long, long time,” he warned .

“But you’re saying there’s a chance?” I teased him, and when Jones tried to tickle me, I kissed him. He melted against me, his hands sliding up around my neck and his body going limp against me. My dick hardened to stone when he opened his mouth and our tongues slicked together.

“Sweet, sweet Jonesy,” I whispered. “Everything is going to be okay now. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to fix all my wrongs and prove to you that I’m the only man for you.”

Please believe me. Please don’t give up on me. Please let me back in.