True for You by Marquita Valentine Read Free Book Online

the memory
of the time he’d caught me practically salivating over them.
    My
nose is pressed against the glass, checking out all the candy in the
window. We’d stopped in a small town, and I’d seen him go
off with Violet.
    “ See
anything you like?” Jackson drawls, his voice close to my ear.
    I
close my eyes, thinking of the last time he was this close to me. My
heart pounds. I have two choices. One: I can ignore him and hope he
goes away. Two: I can tell the truth and hope he stays.
    “ Hot
snaps.”
    “ Spicy
candy, huh?”
    “ When
I was a little girl, my mami would let me have them on my birthday,
and my daddy would sneak them to me even when it wasn’t my
birthday.” I glance at him out of the corner of his eye, to
judge his reaction.
    “ Is
today your birthday?” he asks, that cocky drawl gone.
    My
heart speeds up. “Not until June.”
    We
turn and face each other.
    He
gives me an odd look, and I wish and wish for a spark of something to
appear.
    A
piercing whistle startles me, breaking the spell.
    He
stretches, his shirt opening at the top a little, and I blink at the
bruises on his neck. Before I can ask what happened, Jackson walks
away. After a few minutes, I do the same, without the hot snaps.
    Later
that night, when I go to my usual spot in the trailer, carrying the
costumes, I find a brightly colored bag tied at the top with a bow.
    There’s
a card lying beside it, facedown. I turn it over.
    Happy
Early Birthday.
    Gathering
the small bag in my arms, I hug it to my chest and think of the first
time we met.
    The
sound of seagulls crying brings me back to the present. It won’t
be easy, but I can do this. All I have to do is remember the boy who
I discovered crying in his hiding spot, and his promise to save me.
    And
my offer to save him, no matter what.

Chapter Six
    Jackson
    A
huge pair of boobs are smashed against my face as I grab the shot
glass from between them, with my teeth. I tip the glass back and
finish it off, never letting my hands touch it or the woman in my
lap.
    She
stands, and saunters away, blowing a kiss over her shoulder.
    “I’m
pretty sure tradition dictates bachelor parties take place before
nuptials.”
    I
slice my gaze to Cameron. Of course he’s looking at me and not
the women on stage, because he’s too mature to be wasting his
time here. “You can take your dictate and shove it up your—”
    “It
doesn’t actually mean dick, you know,” he says.
    “I’m
not stupid, Cam.”
    He
takes a pull of his beer. “Not too sure about that.”
    I
prop my feet up on the table in front of us, ignoring the gyrating
bodies on stage. “Enlighten me, Professor.”
    “You’ve
been crashing at my place for three days now, leaving your bride at
home alone. Although, I am exceedingly proud of you for not hooking
up with anyone,” he says.
    I’m
not. I want to find someone else, but every time I try… I just
can’t. A camera flashes, and I look up to see a random cell
phone videoing me. “A man needs a little downtime before he
starts his next project.”
    “Plan
on taking Bliss with you to New York City?”
    I
grunt. “No.” Although to be honest, the thought had
occurred to me.
    Cameron
nods. “Good plan.”
    “Sarcasm
isn’t your strong point, Hurley.”
    “While
thinking things through isn’t yours,” he points out.
    I
lift another shot glass. “Touché.”
    “Ready
to leave?”
    “Why—the
debasement of woman by objectifying them getting to you?”
    “Yes.”
    “Then
why are you here?”
    “Because
we’ve been friends for years, despite your dad’s
interference, and I’d rather you not screw up another long-term
relationship. So I came here to talk, and make sure you stayed out of
trouble.”
    Yeah,
my dad hates that my best friend is the son of a preacher. He has a
huge grudge against preachers, the church, and religion in general.
“Aw, Dad, didn’t know you cared.” I salute him and
throw the drink back.
    “What
are your plans?” Cameron leans