“If you know about that, then you know I told them that Cori is just my assistant. Furthermore, I’m a little offended that you think I would take advantage of Cori’s vulnerability. I’ve known her a long time, man. She was one of Jamie’s closest friends. I’d never do anything to hurt her.”
“Let’s keep it that way.”
In all the years of their friendship, Jesse couldn’t remember a time when he wanted to deck Theo. Right now was the only one that came to mind, but he couldn’t follow through with it. Theo thought he was doing right by his wife and sister-in-law.
Still, it didn’t hurt Jesse any less. How could Theo think he’d do anything that low? He knew him better than that. There was more to Theo’s reactions than a need to protect his new family. Jesse sensed a twinge of jealousy in his friend.
“Theo, you don’t get to do this.”
“Do what?”
“Be the hero to both of them. You need to focus on your wife and your child. Let me worry about what happens to Cori. She’s not your responsibility.”
“Like you care. You just want to fuck her. After that, you won’t care what happens to her.”
A bomb went off inside Jesse. Theo was making a lot of assumptions about him. His friend didn’t have the right to tell him whom he could care about any more than he could control who Jesse slept with. If he and Cori hooked up, it was between them, not them and her family.
“Dude, you have about two seconds to back away from me. I don’t know what kind of stress you’re under, but I’ll be damned if you talk to me like this.”
Remorse filled Theo’s eyes. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s this mess with their dad. Cassie’s staying stressed. It’s not good for her or the baby. I just don’t want anything to happen that will escalate all of this.”
“Which is why I’m here. I know you think I’m doing this for the wrong reasons, but you’re mistaken. I honestly give a shit about what happens to Cori, and I’ll be damned if I let her spend the holidays alone. If you and Cassie can’t be there for her, that’s on you.”
He waited for Theo to come back with some sort of sarcastic response. Instead, he checked on the sisters once more. When he faced Jesse again, all signs of his disgruntlement were gone.
“All I’m asking is for you not to hurt Cori the way I did. I know she used to have a crush on me, but I’ve never thought about her in any way other than a friend. Cassie’s always had my heart.”
“I know, man. Cori knows that too. If you want to do right by her, then let her go. She deserves to find the same happiness you and Cassie found.”
Theo appeared reluctant to respond but finally did. “Are you insinuating that you can make her that happy?”
Jesse didn’t reply. He didn’t have an answer. Neither he nor Cori knew what their future held. If the decision were up to him . . . It wasn’t, but if it was, he had no doubt he could make Cori happy.
The only question was, did she want him to?
Cori stood in front of her sister, doing her best to hold her anger at bay. Her issue was with their father not her sister. They’d always had a good relationship, one she wouldn’t trade for the world. Since Theo came back into the picture, her relationship with Cassie had changed.
“Are you going to answer me?” her sister asked.
“I won’t justify your question by answering it.”
“How can you say that?” Cassie massaged her temple. “I’ve been out of my mind worrying about you. That concern grew when I ran into Mariah, and she said you stayed in the dorm instead of coming home with her. I think I have a right to know why you’ve been avoiding my calls and texts.”
The city lights came back into view as Cori glanced over the streets below. She had to focus on something else besides her sister. “I guess I’m tired of hearing you defend our father.”
“I haven’t, Cori. All I’ve asked you to do is talk to him.”
“He doesn’t want to talk to me. I tried the night he basically disowned me.”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “He didn’t disown you, Cor. You know Dad says stupid things when he’s angry. All you have to do is let him diffuse his anger, think about what he said, and then approach him again.”
Cori laughed. She didn’t miss the look she got from Jesse when she did. As hard as it was to ignore him, she turned back to her sister.
“That tactic may work for you, but it doesn’t for me. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve tried to talk to him about the dance classes. He cuts me off. Every. Single. Time.”
The troubled expression on Cassie’s face spoke of her conflicting emotions. She had been placed in a spot that wasn’t easy to be in. Getting caught in the middle of a family dispute would wear on anyone’s emotions, especially Cassie. She was always a daddy’s girl, and her relationship with their father was tight.
At least Cori had the love and support of their mother. Still, she wouldn’t take sides on the matter. As much as she believed Cori had a right to follow her dreams, her mom would never argue with her father. It’s something they never did in front of her or Cassie.
The ugly truth stared her in the face. She was on her own.
“Cass, I love you. That’s never going to change, but I know you’re Dad’s favorite. He didn’t treat you the way he treats me when it comes to pursuing my dreams.”
“I don’t know how to respond to that. Our parents don’t have favorites, but if they did, I wouldn’t say I’m Dad’s. You don’t remember because of your age, but when you were little, Dad did everything with you. You were his little angel, and you could do no wrong.”
Her sister was right about one thing. She didn’t remember any of that. It wasn’t like her father ignored her when she was younger. He was the one who took her to her first dance class. But over the years, he went to fewer classes, mainly attending recitals. By the time she was in middle school, he only attended recitals, and those became few and far between.
“What you’re saying doesn’t coincide with his actions. I remember spending a lot of time with Mom, not him.”
“Again, you were too young to remember when Dad’s sister, Aunt Cordae, died. I remember him crying a lot. Mom told me he was heartbroken, but I was too little to understand what death meant.”
“Aunt Cordae? Isn’t she the one I was named after?” A twinge of empathy fluttered in her chest when Cassie confirmed her question. “So her death messed up Dad?”
Cassie nodded. She hugged her chest and gazed at the skyline. “Dad changed after she passed. They never told me what happened, even when I got older. I brought it up to Dad once, and he left the room. Mom told me he didn’t talk about Aunt Cordae anymore, that it was too painful. She wouldn’t talk about it either.”
It was something about their father Cori didn’t know. She barely remembered them talking about her aunt when she was younger. The only thing she recalled was her mother explaining that her aunt was her namesake and she died years ago. The morbid thought always disturbed Cori so she never asked more questions.
“Do you think I remind Dad of her?”
Shrugging, Cassie leaned her back against the rail and caressed her belly. “I don’t know if that’s the reason. I just know he changed after she died. He wasn’t the happy guy I remember him being.”
While she empathized with her father for the loss of his sister, it didn’t explain why he was dead set against Cori dancing. The comments he made to her were ones she would never forget. Had her father forgotten what dancing was all about? It was an art, and she was the brush painting it to life. Yeah, some of the moves were a little provocative, but it didn’t mean she was stripping for money. Even if she were, it was her life.
“When Dad is ready to hear me out and not blow up in my face, I’ll go talk to him. Until then, I’m keeping my distance.”
“What about Christmas? Are you going to—?”
“For the love of God, this is why I’ve been avoiding you,” she yelled. “I can’t keep doing this. Dad’s not
going to accept me walking into the house, Christmas or not. Until he can, I’m not coming. Please quit arguing with me about this.”
“Fine,” Cassie huffed. “Do whatever you feel is best. I’ll try to make sure Christmas isn’t ruined for everyone.”
Cori couldn’t believe the audacity of her sister. Like she was the one ruining Christmas. It was their father that shut her out. His bullheadedness was wrecking their holiday traditions. She refused to take the blame.
“You’re too late, Cass. Christmas is already ruined, but thanks for laying the blame at my feet.”
Her sister’s gaping mouth was enough of a response for Cori. She turned on her heel and made for the door. She couldn’t spare Jesse a glance as she stormed by him. Even when Theo tried to stop her, she swatted his hand away.
“Leave me alone.”
She didn’t want to talk anymore. There was nothing left to say. Everyone thought she was the reason the Clarke family Christmas had gone to shit, and no amount of reasoning would help.
The tightness in her chest increased as she made her way through the ballroom toward the elevators. She had to get out of there before someone noticed her. Hopefully, no one overheard the argument on the terrace. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass Jesse.
Yet somehow, it felt like she already had.
Chapter 12
Jesse followed Cori to her dorm room, keeping his gait a step slower than hers. A million questions ran through his mind, questions he wanted to ask, and ones he would before he left. He’d given her space during the ride home from the party, but after thirty minutes of silence, he was going out of his mind.
Keys jingled as Cori pulled them from her handbag. She placed it in the lock, turning it until it clicked. A second later, her door swept open, and she darted inside.
Once Jesse closed the door, he spotted Cori near her closet. She stepped out of the red satin heels she wore and slipped her feet into a pair of fuzzy slippers. He wanted to ask how she was doing but decided not to when he noticed her unzip her dress.
When she lifted it over her head, his eyes trailed over her body. Each curve made his fingers itch. He wanted to touch her skin, feel the warmth of it against his, and shower every inch of her with kisses. It wouldn’t take much to unhook her bra, slide her silky panties to the floor, and drive himself deep inside her.
But he couldn’t.
Cori was in pain. He sensed it in her silence, in the way she shook her foot in the car and the way she chewed on her lower lip. He would have chalked it up to anger until he saw her chin tremble. She’d been on the verge of tears.
Picking the dress up off the floor, she tossed it inside her closet hamper and slid on a long t-shirt. By the time she pulled up a pair of sweats, he’d walked to the center of the room. Cori didn’t acknowledge him. She continued what she was doing then moved toward the window.
“Thanks for bringing me home.”
He crept closer, half afraid she’d turn around and tell him to leave. While he didn’t want to upset her more, he wouldn’t let her go through this alone. She deserved better, and Jamie would kick his ass if she knew he’d left her like this.
“It was no trouble.”
“You didn’t have to walk me to my room.”
Jesse waited to see if she would turn around and face him, but she remained at the window, looking outward. “I wanted to make sure you got in okay.”
He stared at her reflection in the glass.
“Is that it?”
A few more steps and he stood behind her. “No, that’s not it. I wanted to make sure you were all right.” He waited for a response, but none came. “Are you all right, Cori?”
“Yes. I’m just processing everything that happened tonight.”
“About your talk with Cassie?”
She finally met his gaze. “Among other things.”
Was she referring to his admission? She had to be. It was the only thing they’d talked about, aside from what was bothering her. If she was still processing what he’d said, it probably wasn’t a good thing.
His jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth. This night wasn’t going the way he’d hoped. Now it was about to be cut short. And he had two of his oldest friends to blame. What the fuck . . .
Cori hadn’t said anything else. The longer she stared at him, the harder it was to not say or do something. He didn’t want his presence to wear on her nerves. How the hell could he get through to her?
“Do you want me to go?”
Relief flooded him when she shook her head. “No. I’m not tired yet, and I don’t feel like being alone. Do you mind staying for a bit?”
Was she kidding? He didn’t want her out of his sight. “I don’t mind at all.”
While he wasn’t sure what she and Cassie had talked about, he hoped she would tell him some of the details. Had her big sister made any accusations against him like Theo? He still couldn’t get over some of the things his friend had said.
Once Cori brushed past him, she went to her bed and sat on the edge. He lowered himself to the one he assumed was Mariah’s and waited for Cori to respond. If he weren’t afraid of giving her the idea that he wanted to fuck her, he would have joined her on her bed. He felt the urge to comfort her—and for whatever reason—an overwhelming need to protect her.
She wouldn’t see it that way, not after he told her that he liked her in high school. His best bet was to earn her trust. She’d lost faith in a few people within the last couple of weeks. He didn’t want to be the next one on her list.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She huffed. “What can I say that hasn’t been said? My sister wants me to talk to my dad. I’m not willing to do that until he agrees to hear me, really hear me.”
“Is that all she said?”
He wasn’t making light of the situation, but he had to know if Cassie said anything else about seeing them together. Had she discouraged Cori from any interest she might have in him? Worse, did she tell her what everyone else seemed to think—that he hired her to be his girlfriend?
“I didn’t mean that to sound like it wasn’t important. I know how much the disagreement with your father upset you.”
Waving away his response, she pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs. “It’s okay. I know what you meant. And to answer your question, no, it wasn’t the only thing Cassie said. She told me that she never saw herself as our dad’s favorite, that when I was younger, he spent most of his time with me. Something happened to my dad that changed him, and Cassie thinks it began when his sister died.”
“His sister?” Confusion spun through Jesse. “I didn’t know you had an aunt.”
“I have two aunts, but one is deceased. She’s my namesake.”
“Her name was Cori?”
“No.” This time, she chuckled. It was good to hear the humor in her voice. Sadness had overtaken it for far too long. “Her name was Cordae, which happens to be mine too. Cori is just a nickname my dad gave me.”
Guess he didn’t know her as well as he thought. He didn’t remember hearing her mention her real name years ago, and his sister never told him any different. Had he made it back to their graduation, he would have figured it out.
“It’s a pretty name. Unique. Kinda like you.” There it was—the rosy shade in her cheeks. He would never tire of seeing it or her. “Do you think Cassie is right? Did your dad change after your aunt’s death.”
Shrugging, Cori played with the fuzzy fabric on her slippers and stared off. “Even if it’s true, it still doesn’t explain why he doesn’t want me to pursue my dreams of owning a dance studio.”
He couldn’t imagine being told not to follow his dream of forming a band with Theo and playing bass for the rest of his life. There would have been no stopping him. Hell, he went to New Orleans just to prove a point. Forget the fact that he and Theo nearly starved, they got their shit together and made something of themselves.
Cori wouldn’t make the same mistakes
he had. She would have plenty of guidance. He would see to it. Hopefully, Cassie would too. She and Cori needed each other. They’d always had a great relationship.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t stress about any of this. There’s nothing you can do. Your father will come to his senses and agree to your terms. I even think he’ll come around to the idea of you owning a studio.”
“He’ll never come around, Jesse. You heard the things he said to me. He made me feel cheap and disposable. Maybe that’s part of the reason I agreed to work as an escort.”
“Cori, stop.” Jesse jumped to his feet. He made quick strides to her side of the room and knelt before her. “You deserve much more than life has given you. Don’t let something your father said in anger convince you of anything else.”
“It’s not just my dad.” She swept her fingers over her cheek, removing what he assumed were tears. “I thought my sister would defend me. Cassie wanted a job in the music industry. How could my dad be okay with that but not with me being a dance instructor?”
“You don’t know for sure if she’s defended you since all this happened. Maybe she has.”
“Yeah, right.” Cori stood, then walked back to the window. She gripped the sill and stared aimlessly. “Do you know what else my sister said to me tonight? She blamed me for ruining Christmas.”
A knot formed in Jesse’s stomach. He couldn’t believe Cassie would say something that cruel to her sister. Then again, she was pregnant, and Theo said she was overly emotional. Had she let her fear and anger over not hearing from Cori cause her to lash out?
“What about you, Jesse?” Cori didn’t look back when she addressed him. “You and Theo seemed to be in a heated discussion. What was he saying?”
Damn. He didn’t want to get into this conversation. She was opening up to him for the first time. If he told her what Theo had insinuated about his intentions, would she believe it? She was in a vulnerable state right now.