Bittersweet by Francine Pascal

Author:Francine Pascal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2012-06-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Clutching Jake to her, Jessica took a slow breath as she watched Liam seething on the other side of the kitchen. Jessica’s attempt to end things with Liam had backfired. He was furious and, Jessica realized, very likely dangerous. And she and Jake could be at his mercy.

Calm him down, she thought. Talk him back from the ledge. You can do this.

Jessica took three deep breaths and pulled up a calm face, hoping it didn’t look as false as it was. “Liam, let’s talk this through.”

“I don’t feel like talking,” Liam ground out, his eyes still ablaze with fury.

“Liam, I’m sorry. Let me just get Jake’s mac and cheese and we’ll work this all out. I promise.” Liam’s face softened a bit. Jessica, still holding Jake on her hip, moved through the kitchen quickly under Liam’s watchful eyes. She popped the instant mac and cheese in the microwave, then tucked Jake into his booster seat at the table. In seconds, he was devouring his lunch.

Jessica glanced at the front windows, thinking, Where is Liza? Liam had told her to go for lunch more than forty minutes ago. Maybe even close to an hour. Surely, she had to be back soon.

All I have to do is keep Liam calm until then.

With Jake happily eating in the dining room, Jessica moved back to the kitchen, where Liam was leaning, arms crossed, against the refrigerator.

“You can’t break up with me,” he growled. “I won’t let you.”

“Liam,” Jessica began. “Look, all I need is a little break, okay? Let me organize my life and then…”

“You had no right to lead me on.” Liam’s voice belied a level of hostility Jessica had never heard before. His eyes were flat and cold, like stone.

The hairs on the back of Jessica’s neck rose a little as she realized that Liam might be capable of something seriously violent. Liam stood wearing his black T-shirt and dark-wash jeans, his muscles tensed, like a cobra ready to strike.

But she might still be able to calm him with the right words.

“I didn’t lead you on, Liam,” Jessica said, trying to soften her words with a soothing voice. “But if you thought I did, I am very sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I need you.”

Liam scoffed, a rough, doubting sound at the back of his throat.

“I just need a little more time, okay?” Jessica offered. She decided she’d say anything to get him to calm down and to leave. She moved a little closer to him. “I’m in the middle of a divorce. I need to work through this before I can really give you what you want. But once I’m free—truly free—then we can be together. Just like you want. There won’t be anything standing in our way then. I can be focused on you and not distracted by the divorce and everything else in my life. Think about that! After this craziness is behind me, we can really be together. Maybe even take a trip. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“No.

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