Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Jessica’s POV

We arrived at the upper deck, and the wind whipped my hair across my face. Aaron held me tight, his arm wrapped around! my waist as if he were afraid the wind might blow me overboard.

Tables groaned under platters of finger foods. A bar served colorful drinks, and soft music played from speakers hidden in potted palms.

I spotted Aaron’s family scattered around. It was a vision of old money: linen, silk, and diamonds.

Wendy’s face lit up as we approached.

“There you are! Jessica, dear, come here.” She pulled me into a hug that was surprisingly genuine.

She smelled of vintage Chanel and undisputed authority.

“I’m so glad you came. This trip wouldn’t be the same without you.”

I wanted to ask why my presence was so damn important to her, but I choked the words back. There was no point in poking the bear.

I just stood there and smiled, playing the part of the grateful guest while my stomach tied itself in knots.

“Thank you, Wendy,” I said, feeling a rare spark of warmth.

But that warmth was snuffed out the moment my eyes traveled past her. Standing near the bar was Fiona.

She was draped in a cream-colored silk dress that cost more than my tuition, looking like a literal goddess.

She caught Aaron’s eye, tilting her head with a practiced, sultry confidence, clearly/waiting for the usual flicker of recognition-or better yet, the lingering gaze he used to give her.

Aaron’s eyes swept over her as if she were just another piece of deck furniture. He didn’t pause; he didn’t even blink.

He just turned his attention back to me, adjusting his grip on my waist to pull me a fraction closer.

I saw it then-the sharp, stinging flash of hurt that crossed Fiona’s face before she could mask it with a cold smirk. A savage, petty bit of joy bloomed in my chest.

For years, she had looked down on me. Seeing her become invisible to him was better than any drink on this ship.

Fiona drifted over, her heels clicking like a countdown.

“Aaron. You look… well. I see you’ve brought your little shadow along again.” She turned her gaze to me, her eyes tracking up and down my outfit with a pitying thinness.

“It’s so brave of you to wear something so… vintage, Jessica. I suppose on a student budget, one has to make sacritices for the sake of the ‘experience, right?”

The insult was wrapped in a silken tone, designed to make me feel small in front of his family.

I didn’t flinch. I gave her a slow, serene smile-the kind you give a child who’s just said something particularly stupid.

“Oh, Fiona, don’t apologize for me,” I said softly.

“I’ve always found that the most expensive things in the room are usually the ones that have to work the hardest to be

13:15 Mon,

Chapter 48

noticed. It must be so exhausting for you-having to rely entirely on what you’re wearing to keep people interested I prefer to let my company be the reason I’m here, rather than my price tag.”

I watched the gears turn behind her eyes.

She opened her mouth to retort, but the complexity of being called “shallow” and “desperate” in a way that sounded like a compliment kept her frozen for just a second too long.

“Come on, Jess,” Aaron muttered. I could hear the vibration of a laugh in his chest, a dark, satisfied sound.

As we walked away, I didn’t look back, but I could feel her eyes burning into my spine.

“That was cold,” Aaron whispered, his head dipping close to mine. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

“Too late for that, Tyrone,” I teased, though my heart wasn’t in it.

“Aaron! My man!”

The voice boomed over the wind before I even saw him. David.

He didn’t just walk toward us; he practically invaded our space, grinning with the kind of high-energy charm that made the rest of the Tyrones look like they were made of stone. He was extremely vibrant and different.

Before I could even offer a polite hello, I was swept up in a bone-crushing hug.

David lifted me clean off the deck, the scent of expensive gin and expensive sunblock clouding my senses as my feet dangled in the air.

“And Jess! You look incredible,” he laughed, setting me back down but keeping his hands on my shoulders as he scanned me like a long-lost sister.

“If this guy gets brooding for more than ten minutes, come find me. My cabin is bigger, and I actually know how to smile.”

The air around us suddenly dropped.

Aaron didn’t say a word. He just hooked his arm around my waist and jerked me back into his side with a possessive, hard tug that nearly made me stumble.

It wasn’t a gentle “excuse me”-it was a claim.

His fingers dug into the fabric of my dress, his entire frame vibrating with a low, dangerous hum of irritation.

“Back off, Dave,” Aaron growled. His voice was a low warning, the kind a dog gives right before the teeth come out.

David just barked a laugh, completely unfazed, holding his hands up in a mock surrender.

“Ooh, look at that. Someone’s getting territorial. Careful, Jess, he might start marking his turf next.”

David kept talking, teasing Aaron about his “overprotective streak, but the sound of his voice started to blur into the background.

I was too hyper-aware of the way Aaron’s heart was thudding against my shoulder-heavy, fast, and agitated.

My gaze drifted away from the banter, pulled by a magnetic chill toward the upper deck.

Kennedy.

He was standing by the VIP railing, flanked by three men who looked like they’d been carved from cold marble. He wasn’t participating in the party; he was presiding over it.

Chapter 48

He caught my eye and, with agonizing slowness, lifted his glass toward me. A silent, terrifying toast.

Fill youchd

The warmth of David’s laugh and the heat of Aaron’s body suddenly felt miles away. My throat felt like it was closing, my heart hammering a frantic, uneven rhythm against my ribs.

I was standing in the middle of a celebration, but all I could taste was the metallic tang of fear.

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13:15 Mon, Jan 12