Just Give In by Jenika Snow Read Free Book Online

in town that Rory’s father, Brian, was an alcoholic that
was living on disability because of a back injury he got from work over ten
years ago. But the truth was Brian had been in so many drunk driving car
accidents before that time that she had to wonder if it wasn’t those accidents
that had been his ultimate downfall in not being able to work anymore. Either
way it didn’t matter, because Brian Jaymes was an
asshole that had hit Rory when he was younger, and still tried to now.
    “Lena,
I wanted to talk to you, to explain something to you,” he said and looked up at
her. He put one of his hands over hers, gave it a squeeze, and the smile he
gave her was a little forced.
    “Rory,
you’re kind of scaring me.” They’d talked on the phone a few times since that
night at her place, but he’d been working a lot, and she hadn’t actually gotten
a chance to see him until now.
    He
gave her another smile, this time not so forced. “I don’t mean to be, and I
should have talked to you about this when I first found out last week, but I
guess I was just looking for the right time to tell you all of this.”
    She
didn’t know what he was talking about, but she sat up straighter, waiting for
the other shoe to drop. She didn’t speak again, just waited. It was clear he
was working up the nerve to say what he needed to tell her.
    “I
got offered a job, Lena.” He stared into her eyes. “It’s a damn good job, in
fact, one that will have me making enough that I can get a place where you’re
going to school and support you while you focus on your studies.” He leaned
forward and smiled, lifted her hands to his mouth, and kissed her knuckles.
“Baby, I can take care of you while you worry about school.”
    Her
heart was beating so hard she felt dizzy. “That’s incredible, Rory, but I feel
like there is also a ‘but’ in there somewhere.”
    He
exhaled and leaned back again. He didn’t speak right away, and although she was
happy, excited even that Rory found a job that was that incredible, there was
that “what else is there” feeling filling her.
    “The
job was brought up by Mickey and James at the garage. They are getting
positions as well, and when they brought it up to me I applied. I didn’t think
I’d actually get it, but—” He shrugged and let the conversation hang after that
word.
    God,
she loved him so much. It wasn’t just that he was so damn attractive, and that
the girls in this restaurant had no shame as they checked him out while Lena
sat right across from him. She’d long since gotten rid of the jealousy, of the
worry that he’d leave her one day and find someone thinner, prettier. Being
with Rory, having a relationship with him, was so much more than just being
boyfriend and girlfriend. They were perfect for each other, made for each
other, and nothing would ever change that. Right now she was just confused, and
her worry was piqued because it felt like this heavy weight was moving between
them.
    He
was leaning back on the chair, the hat he wore frayed around the brim, and the
shirt that was stretched over his wide, muscular chest, showed a few of the
tattoos under the material. He was big, so big and powerful, so strong and
confident in everything he did. But right now he was nervous. That was clear by
how he bounced his foot, his leg moving up and down under the table, the
strained look on his face, and the fact he looked at her as if he didn’t want
to really talk about whatever he’d called her here for.
    “Rory,
I love you, but what is it that you’re not telling me?”
    He
ran a hand over his scruff-covered jaw, and leaned forward again.
    “The
job is great, but I have to leave, Lena.”
    “Leave?”
she asked. “Like town, commuting or something?” Although she asked the question
she knew the answer already, could feel it in her stomach, deep in the recesses
of her cells. Just by the way he looked told her that this wasn’t about him
commuting. This was about him leaving