“She told you.” Jagger! I raced down the hall, but Will’s frame blocked the door. Jagger stood a good four inches taller, and saw me easily over Will’s head. “Your watch. I know you like to wear it.” He held it up.

Will snatched it out of Jagger’s hand and narrowed his eyes at me. “You took your watch off? What the hell were you thinking?”

My chin rose. “That maybe I wanted to experience something without it telling me I shouldn’t.”

He grabbed my wrist and fastened the watch with quick, rough hands. “Reckless.” He turned to Jagger and shoved him with both hands. “You make her reckless! You have no thought for what she needs, you selfish bastard!” He followed Jagger out on to the porch.

“Will!” I scurried to get out from behind him. “Don’t!”

Too late. Jagger locked eyes with mine as Will swung, his fist connecting with Jagger’s face in a sickening thud that sounded nothing like movie effects. Jagger’s head snapped, and he seemed to blink it off. He thumbed away the drop of blood from his lip and rotated his jaw. “I deserved that for kissing her when she belonged to you, but you won’t get another one in.”

Will cradled his hand. “I’m going to end you.”

“Will, please…”

“You’re seriously defending him?” Will shot at me over his shoulder.

Jagger looked at me once, then locked his jaw and shook his head at Will. “She’s blameless, Carter. It was all me.”

“That’s certainly not what she says.”

Jagger’s eyes flew wide as they met mine. His shoulders tensed, his arms hanging loose with fists clenched. He broke my stare. “I take all her responsibility.”

“Ha! If you only knew what responsibility for her even means! You’re the most selfish, arrogant asshole I’ve ever met!”

“Yes. But that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of being with someone—” He looked at me. “Being with you, Paisley.”

My heart flipped, did somersaults, and landed in my stomach. He wanted more from me than just that kiss.

Will swung again, but Jagger sidestepped as Will tumbled past him. “I’m not going to hurt you, Carter, but you’re not hitting me again.”

“Argh!” Will cried out, rushing Jagger, who took the impact of Will’s shoulder to his stomach as the two came barreling into the house, taking out the entry hall table. It skidded down the hallway in pieces as Jagger flipped his weight and anchored Will to the wall.

“Fucking stop!” Jagger yelled. My heart raced, and I fanned my hand over my chest, wishing there was something I could do to make them stop before someone got hurt.

“Will you two knock it off?” My head swam, and I suddenly couldn’t catch my breath.

“No!” Will shouted. “You don’t get to win this one. You don’t get her, too!” He swung again, and Jagger simply moved, prepared. Will’s fist put a hole in my drywall. “Damn it!” He pulled his hand from the wall, turned, and charged again.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Will skidded to a stop a few feet from Jagger, his eyes finding mine in panic. “Deep breaths, Lee.”

I silenced the alarm, closed my eyes, and slowed my breathing, taking deep pulls of oxygen that calmed my heart rate. “I’m…fine.” Three more breaths, and the pounding eased, and the dizziness faded. “Really, I’m fine.”

“‘Fine’ is the last word I would use to describe any of this. You’re not fine, I’m not fine, and he”—he pointed his finger toward Jagger, who had moved to stand by me—“is the most fucked-up person you could ever choose to be around.” He walked into the living room, gathering his things by the sound of it.

I couldn’t chance looking at Jagger. I didn’t want to see those eyes or even contemplate everything that had happened. I wanted to live in denial, ignore that I’d ripped the gravity out of my world. I wasn’t even in free fall. Oh, no, I floated in a place where physics didn’t apply. I was lost.

Jagger reached over and squeezed my hand, centering me.

Will passed us without a second look, his backpack across his shoulder. “I’m not giving in this easily, Lee. I’ll be around when he fucks up and leaves you broken.”

He walked out without shutting the door, taking the last year of my life with him.

“Paisley?” Jagger questioned softly, but I refused to look into his eyes. “I meant it. Forget everything I said about distractions. I want to be with you.”

“I just need you to go, Jagger. Please?” I drew in on myself and dropped his hand.

“I don’t want to leave you alone.”

I stared at the shattered remains of my entry table. “I need you to give me some time.”

I looked into the mirror and saw his reflection. We locked eyes, and electricity passed between us like it always did, some unspoken connection that had just cost me what I’d thought was my future. “You get a day. That’s all I can survive. I’ll be here in twenty-four hours.”

He walked out.

Chapter Fifteen

Jagger

Sometimes there are things bigger, greater than yourself, and I’m sorry that you haven’t found that yet. But I have.

Three minutes until exactly twenty-four hours had passed. Thank God it was Saturday, and I didn’t have to deal with Carter.

That was going to be an epic treat on Monday when we flew together.