Free The Girl with my Heart (Summer Unplugged #8) by Amy Sparling
Authors: Amy Sparling
only thing on my mind was how to start this new business idea with my best friend—not scoping out my own personal belongings for any signs of slut trespassing.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I stand up and find Bayleigh standing in the doorway, her hands resting on either side of the doorframe.
“I’m getting some clothes and going to Mom’s,” she says somberly as she enters the room, darting right past me toward the dresser.
“What? No.” I couldn’t feel any worse if a thousand daggers were thrown into my flesh. “Bayleigh, you can’t leave.”
She doesn’t look up at me, just digs through the top drawer. “Well I can’t stay here with you.”
“Then I’ll leave,” I say, taking a step toward her. “You can’t uproot Jett. He needs to be in his own bed.”
“Fine.” She slams the drawer closed. “Go.”
“I can explain what you saw,” I begin, hoping to God that my words are the right ones to make her feel better.
She turns on her heel, rage pouring off her. “I don’t need an explanation, Jace. I’m not an infant. I know what slutty pictures are when I see them.”
“It’s not like that.”
“It’s bad enough when girls send you photos but you took those yourself.” Her voice cracks and tears stream down her cheeks. “How could you?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I rush forward trying to take her hand but she jerks away from me. I straighten my shoulders because I have nothing to hide. “I did not take those photos. That bitch at work did when I went to lunch.”
“They weren’t selfies, Jace.” She shakes her head. “Her arm isn’t in those photos. They were in your office, on your phone. That means you took them.”
“No, Bay, it doesn’t. She probably used the self-timer or something.”
Her eyes go wide. “Wow. You’ve put a lot of thought into how you’ll lie your way out of this one, haven’t you?”
My head is spinning now, my thoughts jumbled messes of anger and rage and fear all tangled together. Please, God, don’t let her think this of me. I draw in a deep breath and hold out my arms. “You have got to listen to me, Bayleigh. Give me two minutes to explain. I’m your husband—it’s literally the least you can do.”
She folds her arms across her chest. “I don’t care to be lied to and I really don’t want to know the truth about this whore you’re taking pictures of.”
“I DID NOT TAKE THOSE PICTURES!”
My eyes widen. I hadn’t meant to yell at her. Guilt instantly pours over me, filling every ounce of my subconscious. Dammit. But at least it got her attention. Her jaw goes rigid and she meets my eyes. “Fine. You have two minutes to explain.”
“Promise you won’t interrupt until I’m done,” I say. She cocks her head to the side. I sigh. “Mr. Fisher hired this girl to work around the office because he owed a favor to her dad. You’re right, she is a whore but I want nothing to do with her. She won’t leave me alone and she says shit like she’s flirting with me and I’ve told her to stop it. I’ve told her I have a wife. I’ve begged Mr. Fisher to get rid of her and he won’t.”
Her glare is cold and there are tears in her eyes, but she’s still listening so I continue. “Park came to visit me for lunch today and we took his truck out to eat. I left my phone in my office. I swear to you I had no idea at all that these pictures were there. Had I saw them at work I probably would have killed her.”
“Oh is that right?” Bayleigh says, stone-faced.
I nod. “If someone took the pictures, it wasn’t me. I hate this girl and she knows it.”
She chuckles and shakes her head. “You told me that before, Jace. You said the same shit—about oh blah blah I didn’t realize it was on there. I forgot! Right. Right. Because you’re a man with a dick and you forgot some whore had sent you pictures. That sounds about right. Men are always forgetting about that kind of thing.”
“Don’t compare me
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I stand up and find Bayleigh standing in the doorway, her hands resting on either side of the doorframe.
“I’m getting some clothes and going to Mom’s,” she says somberly as she enters the room, darting right past me toward the dresser.
“What? No.” I couldn’t feel any worse if a thousand daggers were thrown into my flesh. “Bayleigh, you can’t leave.”
She doesn’t look up at me, just digs through the top drawer. “Well I can’t stay here with you.”
“Then I’ll leave,” I say, taking a step toward her. “You can’t uproot Jett. He needs to be in his own bed.”
“Fine.” She slams the drawer closed. “Go.”
“I can explain what you saw,” I begin, hoping to God that my words are the right ones to make her feel better.
She turns on her heel, rage pouring off her. “I don’t need an explanation, Jace. I’m not an infant. I know what slutty pictures are when I see them.”
“It’s not like that.”
“It’s bad enough when girls send you photos but you took those yourself.” Her voice cracks and tears stream down her cheeks. “How could you?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I rush forward trying to take her hand but she jerks away from me. I straighten my shoulders because I have nothing to hide. “I did not take those photos. That bitch at work did when I went to lunch.”
“They weren’t selfies, Jace.” She shakes her head. “Her arm isn’t in those photos. They were in your office, on your phone. That means you took them.”
“No, Bay, it doesn’t. She probably used the self-timer or something.”
Her eyes go wide. “Wow. You’ve put a lot of thought into how you’ll lie your way out of this one, haven’t you?”
My head is spinning now, my thoughts jumbled messes of anger and rage and fear all tangled together. Please, God, don’t let her think this of me. I draw in a deep breath and hold out my arms. “You have got to listen to me, Bayleigh. Give me two minutes to explain. I’m your husband—it’s literally the least you can do.”
She folds her arms across her chest. “I don’t care to be lied to and I really don’t want to know the truth about this whore you’re taking pictures of.”
“I DID NOT TAKE THOSE PICTURES!”
My eyes widen. I hadn’t meant to yell at her. Guilt instantly pours over me, filling every ounce of my subconscious. Dammit. But at least it got her attention. Her jaw goes rigid and she meets my eyes. “Fine. You have two minutes to explain.”
“Promise you won’t interrupt until I’m done,” I say. She cocks her head to the side. I sigh. “Mr. Fisher hired this girl to work around the office because he owed a favor to her dad. You’re right, she is a whore but I want nothing to do with her. She won’t leave me alone and she says shit like she’s flirting with me and I’ve told her to stop it. I’ve told her I have a wife. I’ve begged Mr. Fisher to get rid of her and he won’t.”
Her glare is cold and there are tears in her eyes, but she’s still listening so I continue. “Park came to visit me for lunch today and we took his truck out to eat. I left my phone in my office. I swear to you I had no idea at all that these pictures were there. Had I saw them at work I probably would have killed her.”
“Oh is that right?” Bayleigh says, stone-faced.
I nod. “If someone took the pictures, it wasn’t me. I hate this girl and she knows it.”
She chuckles and shakes her head. “You told me that before, Jace. You said the same shit—about oh blah blah I didn’t realize it was on there. I forgot! Right. Right. Because you’re a man with a dick and you forgot some whore had sent you pictures. That sounds about right. Men are always forgetting about that kind of thing.”
“Don’t compare me