Under My Skin (Shady Falls Series Book 2) Read Free Page B

can take care of myself.”
    Shocked by her obvious irritation, I took a step back and stared at her for a moment. When I finally found my voice, I was both angry and hurt. “Why the hell would you think I’d purposely beat the shit outta someone? He was gonna hurt you or worse,” I argued. “Look, I know you can take care of yourself, I was just tryin’ to help. After all …” I tried to placate her hoping her annoyance would ebb, but she cut me off.
    “I don’t belong to you, Jake. I don’t belong to anyone.”
    Shocked, I stared at her. The girl I loved, who loved me, looked at me like I was a stranger. I had no idea what the hell happened in only a couple days, but the girl I loved had disappeared. How could she change so drastically?
    As much as it hurt and as sick as it made me, I turned and walked away from her, sure I’d never trust another girl again.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter One
     
    Jake
    Covering my head with a pillow, I grumbled trying desperately to block out the bright sunlight accosting me through my closed eyelids. The blaring sound of the alarm screeching near my head, forced me from my restless sleep. Pulling the pillow tight to my face, I stretched my tired back and legs out, popping the muscles back into place.
                  As I spread out across the bed, I realized two incredibly important things. First, I wasn’t in my own bed. I never opened my black curtains because I didn’t want to be confronted with the morning sun the moment I woke up. And second, there was someone in the bed next to me.
                  Thoughts of my drunken binge flashed through my mind. The drinks, the girls, and finally staggering out of there with some random woman. Ugh, I hadn’t gone home with a random woman for a long time. It was usually my friend Monique who took care of my needs.
                  As I became more aware, I remembered what drove me to leave the gym pissed and in need of a distraction. Mia. It was always Mia. She was always there, but this time she wasn’t alone. This time she walked into my gym with some asshole cocksucker.
                  If Mia coming into the gym with some punk-ass dickhead wasn’t bad enough, learning she was seeing the prick was worse. The asshole spent more time on his phone and flirting with other women than he spent working out or talking to Mia. What was worse, she didn’t even seem to notice.
                  Women made no fuckin’ sense to me. Mia put up with stupid shit from every asshole she dated through high school and based on the douchebag she was dating now, she hadn’t changed at all. It pissed me off knowing she seemed to willingly date assholes. She was better than that, at least she used to be.
                  The moment I could get the hell outta the gym I did. I tried to call Monique so we could get together, but she wasn’t around. I coulda gone home but instead, I went straight to my favorite bar. Seeing Mia all the time sucked monkey balls and seeing her with her newest cocksucker was worse. No matter how hard I fought it, I still felt something for her. It resembled annoyance more than attraction since she moved to Mooresville, but every time she was around I was drawn to her. I needed to stay the hell away from her.
                  Last night was hazy but one thing was certain, I didn’t know where the hell I was. Damn-it ! And now I gotta fuckin’ leave. The walk of shame. I was too damn good at the walk of shame. The chick next to me moaned softly and it was a voice I didn’t immediately recognize. “Come-on Jake, turn it off,” she whined. Her high-pitched voice made me cringe. It was worse than the alarm still blaring by my head. Who the fuck did I go home with?
                  Dreading what I’d find when I opened my eyes, I felt around for my phone so I could shut the damn thing off. I knew what time it was without even