Page 12 of Bad for You

I rolled over and grabbed my phone from the bedside table. It’d died during the night, so I plugged it in and waited for it to turn on.

A few minutes later it beeped several times in quick succession and I checked the screen.

Jesse.

He hadn’t stopped texting, usually once a day. It didn’t matter that I never replied.

I could have blocked him. I hadn’t.

His messages about his day the last two weeks were…entertaining. Some were funny. Others sweet. Getting those texts each day had started to make mine. Which meant I was in seriously dangerous waters. I needed to pull myself out, stop this now, but I was struggling. My resolve was wavering.

I scanned the first message. It’d come during the night.

1:28 a.m.

Jesse: Sometimes I just want to keep riding, forget the club, my family, my responsibilities. All the other bullshit, you know?

1:32 a.m.

Jesse: I know I did you wrong, babe. But shit, I need you to know you’re important to me.

1: 38 a.m.

Jesse: We’re friends, right, Bambi? Don’t think I could handle it if you never talked to me again.

1:48 a.m.

Jesse: Had a really shit day, Lila. Fuck, I wish I could talk to you.

I stared at his texts. Something was wrong.

This wasn’t like Jesse. It felt almost like—a cry for help. I chewed my lip, reading his words over again. I didn’t want to, but I still cared. I cared a lot. I didn’t know what he was doing or where he was, but Dane had said it was something to do with his brother.

Had something terrible happened?

I had to know he was okay.

Taking a deep breath, I hit the call button and held the phone to my ear. God, my hands were shaking.

I sat on my couch, then I stood again. I couldn’t sit still with my belly all flippy-floppy like it was.

The phone clicked like someone answered, followed by rustling sounds. “Yeah?”

My heart did an almighty thump behind my ribs, stealing my breath. That was not Jesse's voice. Nope. That was a woman.

An image of him in bed with the owner of that voice sliced through me. I wanted to throw my phone away like it was a poisonous snake.

“Hello?” the woman snapped.

I swallowed, audibly. I should just hang up, I wanted to hang up, but those pesky manners forced into me all my life would not allow it. There was also the fact that he might see my number in his recent calls list, and then he’d want to know why, which would mean an awkward phone call…well, another one. Because this was shaping up to be pretty hideous.

“Ah…sorry to disturb you, I was just… Is Jesse there?”

Silence. “Jesse?”

“Sorry, I mean Grifter.”

“I know who you mean. Who is this?”