Hey Jude (Lennox Valley Chronicles #1)

Shit.

“I was just leaving.” I paste on a fake smile and move to walk past him. As I pass, he catches my arm, the memory of how he grabbed me after our chase instantly vivid in my mind. I can feel the same magnetic pull from his body now, but this time I’m hellbent on fighting it. I sigh, rolling my eyes. “Please let go. I’ve got work to do.”

“Olena. Please stop running away from me. I’ve been trying to talk to you all day.” His voice is low; he sounds tired.

I yank my arm out of his grip and we turn to face each other, my aloof facade finally dropping away. “Why should I? You made it perfectly clear you don’t want anything to do with me the other night.” So much for playing it cool.

His brow creases and he rubs his forehead. “Shit.”

“Yeah. I got the message loud and clear.” I raise my eyebrows.

“Olena—” he starts.

“No, you know what? Don’t. I thought… I thought you might’ve… felt what I felt.” I grimace at the vulnerability of the admission. “I don’t know why. Clearly, I was a fool for trusting you.” I cross my arms in front of me.

A look I can’t place crosses his face. “Wait, what does this have to do with trust?” His eyes search mine.

My anger and hurt is boiling over. “Don’t do that… Don’t play innocent!” I realize I’m raising my voice and drop it down a notch. “I saw you on Saturday,” I say more quietly.

“Saturday?” The wheels turn behind his eyes.

“At the grocery store. Buying flowers.”

His brow smooths out suddenly and I know I’ve hit my mark.

I narrow my eyes at him. “As if it wasn’t humiliating enough for you to reject me after Teddy showed up… then I find out you’re seeing someone else?” Tears threaten behind my eyes and I blink rapidly, trying to steady my breathing. I refuse to cry.

“Olena.” He looks at the ground.

“No, don’t bother.” I move to walk past him again and he grabs me by both arms, pulling me back to face him. His eyes are flaring with some emotion I can’t read.

“Olena, stop.” He takes a deep breath. His face is unusually calm, almost patient.

“What?” I’m the opposite of patient. My brow furrows as I watch his expression change, like he’s wrestling with something. “You know what? Nevermind, I don’t care.”

The lie is bitter on my tongue, but I need to get out of here. I break away from his grasp and walk a few paces toward the newly built steps leading up to the path.

His voice comes from behind me. “The flowers were for my mother.”

I freeze. Realization hits me like a wave crashing into a wall. I squeeze my eyes shut.

“For her grave, actually. Saturday was her birthday.”

The humiliation stabs deeper and I wince. I slowly turn around to face him.

He’s watching me with dark intensity.

“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said… I made an assumption. And I… I didn’t know.” I wince. “I’m such an asshole. And, oh, God… your mother died? I’m so sorry for your loss, too.” I’m burning with shame. I put my palm to my forehead, realizing I’m blathering again but can’t stop. “Sorry, I know I should… I should just shut up. It’s just whenever…” I look at my feet. I can’t bear this. I squeeze my hands into tight fists as I look up at him, my eyes pleading for forgiveness as he watches me flounder under his silent gaze. “Ugh, I always do this. I just go on and on whenever I’m—”

Jude crosses the distance between us before I can react, sweeping my face up in his hands, the kiss desperate and devastating.

My eyes flutter shut. My body melts against his, all the tension and emotion rushing between us and out of me. His lips are searching, his tongue sweeping softly against mine as his hands at the nape of my neck pull me closer, deeper. My hands are pinned between us, pressing against his heaving chest.

Jude slows, softening, and breaks the kiss, pressing his forehead against mine. “I thought you’d never shut up,” he says, smiling.

I can’t help but smile too.

He kisses my forehead and my eyes close again as I exhale a shuddering breath, not trusting myself to speak. Jude sweeps a thumb over my cheek. “Look at me.”