Bump and Run (Wide Open #6)

Chapter Forty-Five

Charlie

“I’m sorry, but you’re what?” Jones exclaimed as I walked in on the conversation. “You and Kit got married?”

I wondered if I was hearing things. I should get that checked the next time I saw my doctor. Because there was no way that Ollie had done something as stupid as getting married to a man who couldn’t deal with his own sexuality. I saw the anger on Jones’s face as he stared at his best friend.

Ollie ducked his chin. “When we were in Vegas.”

“Vegas!” Jones gasped. “That was months ago, Ollie. You’re telling me that you got married, didn’t invite me, then failed to tell me until this exact moment? How could you!? Kit’s a horrible person. I’m sorry, but I can’t even pretend I like him anymore. Not with the way he treats you. With the way he hurts you and doesn’t stand up for you.”

Ollie blushed. “I love him.”

“You’re getting a divorce,” Jones announced. “Oh no. Don’t look at me like that. That man—”

“Loves me, too,” Ollie interrupted. “Look, I know what this looks like, but Kit really does love me.”

I popped a brow. “Has he told you that?”

“Once.” Ollie swallowed nervously. “Just once, but I know he meant it.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “He has a funny way of showing it.” Both Ollie and Jones glanced over at me. “What? If Kit loves you, then he wouldn’t hit you. That’s fucking abuse. And he wouldn’t just sit there while his so-called friends hurt you. He should have defended you.”

“It wasn’t... He doesn’t hit me.” Ollie’s eyes ping-ponged between Jones and me. “I can’t tell you the truth because he made me promise. This time it was his friends, or whatever they are. He’s just scared. He’ll come around when he’s ready.”

Jones’s face crumbled. “Ollie, no.” He wrapped his arms around his friend again. “That’s not okay either. If Kit loves you, really loves you, then he shouldn’t be ashamed of you. He should be standing by you and protecting you from those jerks. You can’t go back to him.” He pulled back and cupped Ollie’s head in his hands. “Promise me.”

Ollie swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. “I can’t promise anything. He moved in with me. He’ll be there at the house, and I’ll see him at the races. I can’t pretend that I don’t have feelings for Kit, and he knows it. He’ll use it against me. Slither his way back into my heart, only to break me again.”

“He fucking stood by and let someone hurt you!” I exclaimed. “That man has a funny way of showing he cares. He let his friends beat you up, and you’re just going to go back to him?” I felt sick to my stomach. Love wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Jones caressed Ollie’s cheeks with his thumbs. “You can stay with us until you get Kit moved out of your place. That house is yours. You bought it, and he has no right to be there rent free. We’ll drag him out kicking and screaming.” He paused. “Oh, fudge, Ollie, did you put his name on the mortgage?”

Ollie nodded as tears slipped from his eyes.

“Well, good thing I know some good lawyers, because it’s coming off,” I grunted.

Ollie was important to Jones, and Jones was important to me. It was as simple as that. I was already imagining what it would be like to have Kit destroyed in court. Gut him the way he had done Ollie. It should have scared me that it was something my father would have enjoyed doing.

Ollie took a shaky breath. “It hurts. I feel like someone is stomping on my heart. That I might pass out and throw up at the same time. I don’t like this feeling. I only wanted to fall in love, Jones.”

“I know,” Jones murmured, then forced Ollie’s head against his shoulder, his arm wrapping around him. “It’s going to feel like you’re dying in the beginning. You’ll spend a lot of time crying and wanting to stay in bed all day. Then you’re going to get angry. So mad that you want to hurt him the way he hurt you.” I knew that Jones was talking from experience. “And then you’re going to start smiling again. Loving life and seeing how beautiful it is. Then you’ll find someone who is going to love you out loud. The way you deserve. The one who won’t hide you or pretend you don’t exist. You’re special, Ollie. You’ll find the one.”

Shit, I had done that, too. Was I any worse than Kit with the way I had just ghosted Jones the way I had? Taken his virginity and run off into the night without looking back. I was a monster. Suddenly, my throat felt too tight and my lungs couldn’t get enough air. I stumbled into the bedroom, trying to catch my breath. I managed to sit down on the mattress, my head in my hands and tears stinging my eyes.

“Charlie?”

My head shot up at the sound of Jones’s voice.

“Are you all right?”

I nodded and brushed my cheeks. “Perfect, Bashful. You can go back to Ollie. He needs you right now.”

“You need me, too,” he whispered and walked across the small room to step between my legs. He cupped my head in his hands and tilted my head up, forcing me to look at him. “Why are you crying?”

I huffed out a laugh. “Because I love you.”

“Try again.” He raised his brows at me. “The truth, maybe.”

I sighed. “I was just thinking about what you said to Ollie. About how hurt and angry he’ll be before he feels like himself again.” I tugged on his shirt. “You went through that because of me.”

“I did.” Jones climbed right into my lap and straddled my waist. “That doesn’t mean I stopped loving you. I thought about you every single day. My heart healed, but my head didn’t forget. I dreamed about you coming back. Thought about what it would be like to kiss you again. To feel your warms wrapped around me. And here we are.”

I kissed him softly. “Here we are.” I pressed my nose into his hair and held him tight against me. “Did you really think about me every day?”

“Yes,” he whispered. “The night we met. When you first kissed me. When we first made love. Not to be mean or anything, but I tried so hard to unlove you, Charlie, but I couldn’t. You became a part of me that summer.”

I pulled back so I could crush my lips to his and tangle my fingers in the back of his shirt. Jones whimpered softly, his tongue slicking together with mine and his hands in my hair. I loved everything about this man. His shyness, how he didn’t swear, and how sweet he was. Kind and caring. Everyone could learn something from Jones Matthews. My husband.

Mine.

“Charlie, baby, I need to go back out to Ollie.”

But Jones whined when I pulled away, chasing after me for more.

I chuckled. “Mm, I know.” I pressed kisses all over his face and down his neck. Finally, he slid from my lap. “Might want to cover that boner up, Bashful.”

“Oh my God!” He squealed and slapped both hands over his groin. “You’re going to make it worse! How can I go out there and talk to Ollie like this?”

I threw my head back and laughed as Jones fought the urge to smile at me. But a few seconds later, he joined me, and I swear I loved him more in that moment than ever. The way his eyes crinkled around the corners, the smile that spread over his face, and just how happy he seemed. Then I kissed him again because I could.

“Go back and sit with your best friend. I’m going to take a shower.” I pressed a palm to his cheek, and Jones leaned into it. “Take care of him.”

Jones beamed at me. “I love you.”

“And I love you, too,” I assured him .

He giggled, and the sound went straight to my dick. “Don’t masturbate while you’re in there. I want you to save that for me.”

“Fucking hell, Jonesy. You’re on fire today.” I watched his cheeks burn pink. “I love it.”

Jones giggled again, rose on his toes to kiss me, then dashed back into the other room. I heard his voice, soft and caring, as he spoke to Ollie, assuring him he was going to be okay. Then Ollie’s loud sob as he began to cry all over again.

And I promised myself that I’d never hurt Jones again. That if Jones and I fought, I would say I was sorry. That I would buy him little gifts that reminded me of him. That would bring a smile to his face. That reminded him of how important he was to me.

Jones loved me, and I promised myself I would never hurt him again.