A Love Like Ours

Chapter 17

"So, let me get this straight... you fuck Jenna, you agree to see Madelyn even though you only just fucked Jenna, and then you proceed to tell her that you fucked Jenna when she gets here?"

I sighed, continued pouring myself a cup of coffee. "Go home, Jeffrey."

"Wha- no! I'm serious, man. I mean, don't you think all this is starting to get a little fucked up?"

I set the pot of coffee down, looked at him. "Starting to?"

Jeff rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. Why the fuck would you do something like that, huh? Are you trying to ruin whatever amount of trust you two have sort-of been building these last few days?"

I sighed once more. "O' course not."

"I thought you didn't want to fuck Jenna."

"I don't!"

"Then why would you -"

"Because I'm a fucking idiot, okay?!" I set my mug down on the counter and ran a hand through my hair. "I know. I shouldn't have done it, and I especially shouldn't have said a word. But she was talking about Rob, and you should've heard her—she sounded like she was talking about her actual doctor, for Christ's sake—and there I was trying to understand why the fuck she'd agreed to marry him. And it hurt. So, I lashed out. Wanted to hurt her, too. And I know. I'm a fucking idiot." I looked at him. "Now can you please leave? She's going to be here soon."

"So, she can know about you and Jenna, but she can't see me hanging out at your place? That seems reasonable."

I rubbed my eyes, but it did nothing to ease my frustration.

"Have you been online at all today?" he asked when I didn't answer, and his tone was much calmer, so I looked at him again.

"No," I said, though I already had an inkling as to where this was going.

Jeff huffed an unamused laugh. "Well... pictures surfaced of you leaving Jenna's."

I sipped my coffee, crossed my feet at the ankles and leaned back against the counter. "Figured they would."

"Mhmm," Jeff said, nodding his head and pursing his lips. "That would be one thing if you hadn't been pictured out with Madelyn as well. If people hadn't zeroed right in on her ring."

I stared at him, let that information sink in, and a strange mixture of horror and frustration filled my gut.

"Look," Jeff said, leaning forward when I didn't say anything. He considered his next words carefully before saying, "I support you. You know that. As a friend, as a brother... but as your manager, I've got to tell you that this doesn't look good, Harry. Not that I need to. I know you understand everything when it comes to your image and career, man, so I know you know that this isn't good for either of them."

"Fuck," I muttered, running my hands through my hair again. "Yeah. Yeah, I - I didn't think about it."

Jeff gave me a sympathetic look. "That's why you've got me. And I think it's time you hear her out when she says she'll tell you -"

"No," I said before he could finish.

"But -"

"Jeff, no," I said again, staring at him, hoping he'd understand. He only stared back. "Do you know what happened last night? When I told her about Jenna?"

"She left?" he offered.

"No. Well... yes," I said, "but not right away. She - she knew about me and Jenna already. From two years ago. She knew, and when she found out about the other night, she didn't get mad. She didn't lash out at me. She didn't get up and leave. She stayed. She only left because I wouldn't let her tell me the truth. But she... she understood."