Loving You (The Jade Series #3) (12 page)

I flip to the article about her. It’s just one page, mostly photos. My stomach drops when I spot a photo at the very bottom next to a caption that says,
Will they get back together?
The photo shows Ava and Garret at a charity function last fall. Garret has his arm around Ava, and even though I know it’s all for show I still cringe seeing them together.

I quickly scan the article.
It’s rumored that Ava is getting back together with Garret Kensington, a prep school classmate of hers. Some say they’re already a couple again.

Already a couple again? What the hell? Who’s saying this? They were never a couple. She was just his fake girlfriend. I keep reading.
Garret is the son of billionaire Pearce Kensington, owner of Kensington Chemical.

Billionaire? I thought he was just a millionaire. Everything I’d read about Garret’s dad said he was worth millions, not billions. But I suppose several millions make a billion.
 

The article continues.
Garret and Ava are currently attending Moorhurst College in Connecticut, an exclusive private college attended by several of their prep school classmates. Fans of Prep School Girls are hoping Garret will make an appearance on the reunion episodes. Ever since photos of this hottie were released last year, Garret has developed a large fan following with girls begging to get another glimpse of those famous swimmer abs. Check our website for more photos of Ava and Garret along with updates about the Prep School Girls’ Reunion episodes.

Photos? What photos? And since when does Garret have fans?
 

“Jade.” Ryan is nudging my arm. I’m in a complete daze. The magazine falls out of my hand onto the floor. Ryan picks it up and sets it on the table. “I’m going to meet with the doctor.”

My mind comes back into focus as I see Ryan standing there waiting for my response. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll wait here.”

Ryan walks off and I hear him talking to the doctor. The man’s voice sounds familiar. I glance up and realize that I know the doctor. The gray-haired man with black-rimmed glasses standing next to Ryan is one of the doctors who took Garret the day he was shot by Royce Sinclair. I’m 100% sure of it. I remember Garret’s dad talking to him while Garret was being carried out on a stretcher.
 

What is he doing in Des Moines? And what is he doing to Frank?
 

I race up next to Ryan. “Do you care if I sit in?”
 

“Um, no, I guess not,” he says, giving me an odd look.

The doctor glances at me. Does he remember me? I’m sure he does. The incident with Sinclair was just a few weeks ago. He extends his hand. “I’m Dr. Cunningham. And you are?”

“This is Jade,” Ryan answers for me. “She’s my younger sister.”

“I didn’t realize Frank had other children,” the doctor says.

“He doesn’t. She’s more like an adopted sister.”

“I see. Well, she’s welcome to come back with us if it’s okay with you.”

Ryan agrees and we all go to the doctor’s office where Frank is waiting. My heart is beating really fast and I’m tapping my foot on the floor. I need to calm down and act like everything is normal.
 

The doctor goes over Frank’s lab results which are all improving. Then he tells Ryan that he’s reducing Frank’s medications, saying that Frank will continue to improve when he doesn’t have the side effects of all those meds he was taking.

By the time the doctor is done talking, it sounds like Frank is doing really well. So is this doctor helping him? Or is he lying about Frank’s test results? I think back to what Frank said about the doctor who took care of my mother for all those years. He said Sinclair paid the doctor to give my mom pills that made her hallucinate so people would think she was crazy. What if this doctor is doing something bad to Frank? But Frank seems to be getting better. He definitely looks better.
 

Ryan and Frank ask the doctor some questions before we leave. Then the doctor escorts us back to the waiting room.
 

“It was nice meeting you, Jade.” The doctor smiles at me. He seems like a nice guy. So maybe he’s actually helping Frank. But he’s part of that secret medical group that only works with rich, important people, so what is he doing here?
 

As we’re walking out, I go over and take the magazine that had Ava on the cover. I know it’s stealing, but I have to show this to Garret.

During lunch, I keep quiet while Frank and Ryan talk. I don’t even hear what they’re saying. My mind is too busy thinking about that doctor as well as that magazine article. I really need to talk to Garret about all of this. But not over the phone. I need to wait until he gets here.

Garret arrives at Frank’s house around noon on Saturday. I greet him at the door, beyond excited to see him. A week apart seems more like a month. That’s completely pathetic and I’m ashamed of myself for even feeling that way, but it doesn’t change the fact that I miss that boy like crazy when he’s not around.

“It’s good to see you again,” Frank says as Garret walks in.
 

Ryan says hello as well. We all sit and talk for a few minutes, then I take Garret back to my room. We kiss the second the door shuts.
 

“Damn, I’ve missed you,” he says against my lips, his forehead resting on mine.
 

“Did you check into your hotel, yet?”

“Not yet.” He steps back and smiles. “Do you want to come with me to check in?”

“Definitely. Let’s go.” I drag him back to the living room where Frank and Ryan are watching TV. “I’m going with Garret to check into his hotel. I’ll be back soon.”

There’s awkward silence. I feel my cheeks heating up as Frank and Ryan look at me like they know exactly what I’ll be doing there. I race outside before either one of them can say anything.

At the hotel Garret and I can’t get to the room fast enough. He opens the door and we kiss as it closes behind us.
 

He takes my shirt off as we walk to the bed. I undo his pants, not breaking the kiss. In less than a minute our clothes litter the floor. I lie down on the bed and he gets on top of me.
 

“What about your chest?” I ask between kisses.

“Don’t worry about it.” His lips trail across my cheek and down the side of my neck.

“But I thought you couldn’t—”
 

“It’s okay.” His hand skims over my hip making me shiver. Going without him the past week has made my body extra sensitive to his touch. His mouth moves to my breast and I arch back as sensations ignite through my core. He rotates off me onto his side and his hand moves farther down. He runs it along the inside of my thighs, just barely brushing the area between and driving me crazy.
 

His lips return to mine and his tongue thrusts into my mouth as his hand finally hits the spot that is now aching for him.
 

I reach down and touch him.
 

“Jade.” His voice is deep, his eyelids heavy. His kisses grow slower and deeper.
 

My body’s on fire, desperate to be with him again. I pull on him to get on top of me, but he resists.
 

“What are you waiting for?” I whisper.

“What’s the rush?” He runs his tongue along my bottom lip, then slips it back inside my mouth. I’ve really missed this. His kisses. His touch. Him.
 

He’s right. There’s no rush. I want this to last.

We keep it going as long as possible, which isn’t that long since it’s been a whole week since we’ve been together.
 

After what might be the best sex we’ve ever had, we lie back on the bed, sweaty and out of breath.

“I don’t know what you did just now, Garret, but that was amazing.”

“Thanks.” His famous cocky smile appears. “I thought so, too.”

“It must be the week off. I told you we do it too much. We need to take longer breaks.”

“I don’t think that’s it. And I have no intention of taking a week off from this again anytime soon. Or a week off from seeing you.”

I turn on my side and place my hand over the bandage that still covers his wound. “So this must really be healing if you were able to put weight on it like that.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot better. Last week I was even doing some laps in the pool. The doctor said I was healing faster than he expected.”

His comment reminds of Frank’s doctor. “Garret, I have to tell you something. I met Frank’s new doctor yesterday and he’s the same doctor who was there the day you were shot.”

“I just saw my doctor yesterday, so it couldn’t have been him. It must’ve been someone who looked like him.”

“It wasn’t the doctor you’re seeing now. It was one of the other doctors who showed up at your house that day. I’m 100% sure. I memorized their faces as they took you out of that room on a stretcher.”

“Why would the guy be in Des Moines? His team works out of the East Coast. Mostly New York and DC.”

“I know, but I swear it was him. And he
does
work in New York. He’s only working here part time.”

“Unless…” Garret pauses. “I’m just guessing here, but maybe my dad had something to do with it.”

“Your dad? What do you mean?”

“My dad might be trying to help Frank. He knows Frank is like a father to you and because of that, he might’ve sent that doctor out here to see if he could help Frank.”

“Why would your dad do that?”

“Because you’re like part of the family now.”

“No, I’m not. Katherine hates me.”

“It doesn’t matter. My dad knows how much I love you and he knows that you and I are getting more serious.”

“That’s not enough of a reason for him to send that doctor out here to help Frank. I think it’s something else.”

“Like what?”

“I think your dad is trying to keep me quiet. If he helps Frank, I’ll owe him. I’ll owe him my silence. It’s a way to make sure I never say anything about Sinclair.”

Garret sits back, distancing himself from me. “Can’t you just accept that maybe my dad did something nice for once?”

“Why are you getting mad about this? You’re the one who told me your family is all about bribes and favors. So it makes sense that your dad would bribe me into keeping quiet.”

“He didn’t even tell you about it. If he was bribing you, he would tell you. And you said you’d never tell anyone about Sinclair so he doesn’t have a reason to bribe you.”

“I don’t want to fight about this. Just forget it. Frank’s getting better and that’s the only thing that matters.”

Garret doesn’t respond. I figure since he’s already annoyed with me I might as well bring up the other topic that’s bugging me.

“So I saw this magazine when I was at the doctor’s office. It was one of those celebrity magazines. And it had a story about Ava. And um, you.”

He glances up. “What about me?”

“There was a photo of you and Ava at a charity event last fall. The article made it sound like you two really dated and that you might get back together. Actually it hinted that you already
were
back together.”

“And?” His eyebrows creep up. “You’re not telling me you believed some stupid article in a gossip magazine, are you?”

“No, but I’d like to know where they’re getting this information. Is Ava telling them this?”

“I haven’t talked to Ava for over a month. I have no idea what she’s telling people.”

“The article said the show has all these photos of you. Where did they get those?”

“I don’t know. Probably from the show last year.”

“You were on Prep School Girls?”

“No, but they made it look like I was.”

“I don’t understand.”

“On the last few episodes of the season, Ava made it sound like she and I were dating. She started talking about me, making up all these stories about us going out. Then the producers got footage of me at school and at parties and the way they edited it, it looked like Ava and I were dating. It’s just fucked-up Hollywood shit. Those reality shows are anything but reality.”

“They did that without your consent? Why didn’t you do something about it?”

“I was only in a couple episodes so my dad didn’t want to make a big deal about it. If we sued Ava’s family or the production company, it’d be bad publicity for the Kensington name and my dad didn’t want that. Plus Katherine actually liked my brief celebrity status. It got her invited to more social events.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“There’s nothing to tell. It’s just Ava making up lies. I was never even on the show.”

“Well, apparently the fans are hoping you and Ava get back together during the reunion episodes that come out in March.”

“Yeah. So the fans will be disappointed.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that a national magazine is making it sound like you two are a couple? Because it bothers me.”

“Just ignore it. Why are you getting all upset about this? It’s a gossip magazine. They make up shit like that all the time to get people to buy the magazine.”