Hooked by Love (Bellevue Bullies #3) Read online

  “Stop talking so much and do what you planned. Even though, let’s be honest, I wouldn’t text or call you after listening to what we just practiced.”

  “I hate you. I really do.” Jace glares and then turns back to the video. “So yeah, here it goes. What I want to say. What I’m feeling. What I want. Which is you.”

  “For fuck’s sake,” I hear Jayden moan, and I swear, I love these two.

  “Shut up and start playing!”

  Jace looks back at the camera, and I listen as the beautiful melody to the beginning of “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran starts to play. I freaking love this song, so damn much. And when Jace starts to sing it, badly, of course, I know I just fell in love with it more. The words before were heart-wrecking, but now, the beauty of the lyrics is enhanced by the man I love. He may not be able to sing, but the words are coming from his soul. His eyes are locked on the camera, and his fist is moving with each word as he sings just for me.

  Horribly, but I don’t care. He is beautiful, he is hilarious, and he’s doing this for me. Even if I’m not sure he should have to. I should be singing to him, but he’s fighting. He wants me. I do matter. As he gets to the chorus and he sings, desperately, from his soul, I can only smile with each jerk and fist pump he does. When the music stops, though, and Jayden takes the phone despite Jace’s protests, I laugh.

  Jayden runs out of the room and into the bathroom across the hall, locking the door behind him. I have no clue what is going on, but the grin on my face is unstoppable as he struggles with the phone. Holding it out, Jayden looks at me, his green gaze locking on to me. I’ve never been intimidated by him, but I am now.

  “Listen, Avery, please call my brother. Let him apologize so none of us ever have to listen to him sing again. I mean, that was torture. I didn’t know he was that bad,” he says quickly as Jace beats the door down. “He loves you. You have to realize that. And you make him happy. So please, give him a chance. If not for his sanity, for my family’s. Because I’m pretty sure if he calls my mom in a drunken state, crying like a fourteen-year-old girl whose boyfriend broke up with her and smashed all her One Direction CDs, she might come after you with a shotgun,” he says with a grin and I smile big. Then I’m laughing as Jace screams obscenities at his brother, his fist coming against the door like King Kong. “Love like this doesn’t come along often, you know? Don’t let some misunderstanding, or whatever the hell happened, come between you two. Real lovers work it out. They communicate instead of giving up. You’re not a quitter, I know you aren’t, so just call. Okay?”

  And then the screen goes black, going back to my messaging app.

  I can’t help but wonder if Jace killed Jayden, but before I can even text him, there is a knock at my door. Pushing the blankets down, I look toward the door to find Matty taking up the whole space. Just like that, my grin is gone and I’m glaring. I haven’t talked to him, or anyone, since last night. No one has checked on me, so I’m a little surprised to see him.

  “What?”

  He makes a face and then chuckles. “Man, your face is fucked up.”

  My scowl deepens because I don’t know what he is talking about. “What do you want?”

  Crossing his arms over his chest, he gives me a pointed look. “Mom told me to come apologize. But since I did nothing wrong, I refuse to. But tell her I did.”

  Is he being real? “Please, I’m not covering for you ever again.”

  He rolls his eyes. “Such a fucking drama queen.”

  “And you’re a dick.”

  “I don’t know why you can’t do what you’re told.”

  “’Cause you aren’t my dad. You’re nothing to me. So, bye, Felicia.”

  He glares, and for the first time in my whole life, I’m scared. What the hell is wrong with him? “You’ve always been so jealous of me. Get over it. You can’t be me.”

  Confused, I shake my head. “I don’t want to be you, and I never wanted to be. I only wanted you to love me. I’ve tried to love you, even when you don’t deserve my love, but you’re so cruel to me.”

  “I don’t want it,” he yells at me. “I don’t want anything from you but for you to disappear. You know what?” he sneers, coming into my room, stopping in front of my bed. “I wish you had died. I wish you were never born. You ruin everything. You’re nothing but a waste of space.”

  My heart just hurts as I go up on my knees, holding his gaze. “What did I do to you, Matty? Why on earth do you feel all this animosity toward me? You’re supposed to love me.”

  “I don’t, and I never will. You stole something from me that I can’t ever get back, and I’ll never forgive you for that!”

  Confused, I search my brain for any basis for his accusation, but nothing comes to mind. “What the hell? What?”

  He shakes his head. “Just fucking disappear. Don’t come back. No one loves you anyway.”

  Whoa. Wait.

  That was one of the last texts Caleb sent to me. Word for word.

  But before I can stop him, though I really don’t know why I would, he stomps out of my room, slamming my door hard, and rattling the pictures on the wall. Falling back on my haunches, I just shake my head. What was he talking about? And why would he say those things? Those exact things? I just don’t get it, but I have no problem doing what he said. He doesn’t want me in his life, fine. There is someone out there who does.

  Someone I love.

  And I can’t let this go on any longer.

  Opening my texts, I hit Jace’s name.

  Me: Can you talk?

  He answers within seconds.

  Jace: Yeah.

  After touching his number, I don’t have to wait long before his voice comes over the line. “Hey.” His voice holds so much promise it hurts, and my eyes fall shut.

  “Hey,” I say shyly, chewing on my nails as silence stretches between us. Clearing my throat, I look up at the ceiling, blinking back the tears as I whisper, “I love the video.”

  I can hear the smile in his voice. “Jayden is a dick.”

  I smile. “Yeah, but then you gotta thank him, ’cause I want to talk.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” he says softly. “But I don’t want to do it over the phone, Avery. This isn’t something that can be solved with words. I need to feel you against me. I need to look into your eyes, wipe away your tears.”

  Swallowing hard, I nod, a tear rolling down my cheek. I miss him so much. “Yeah, I agree.”

  “Did you drive to the airport?”

  “No, I had a car pick me up.”

  “Can I pick you up?”

  My heart flutters as I slowly nod. “I would love that.”

  “What time does your plane get in?”

  “7:10 on Monday night.”

  “You couldn’t change it to earlier?”

  “No, I already tried. Everything was booked.”

  “Can you send me the flight info?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Awesome,” I say breathlessly, my chest feeling empty from where he has my heart. “I miss you.”

  “God, Avery, I miss you so fucking much,” he groans. “I just want you home now.”

  “Me too,” I whisper. “I hate it here.”

  “Two days. And then I’ll take you to get ice cream, we’ll talk, and we’ll leave all this nonsense in the past. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Because I love you, Avery. I love you so fucking much.”

  “I love you.” Swallowing hard, I bite into my lip. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, not now. Wait. Because I need to say it too.”

  I blink back the tears as I nod slowly. “Okay, but how’s your leg?”

  He chuckles. “Well, because I kicked in your door, they wouldn’t let me play last night and we lost.”

  “So I guess that’s my fault?”

  “I mean, if you want the blame, I’ll let you have it,” he teases and I grin. “No, it’s mine. I shouldn’t have gotten so