“Well, all I can say is that you should expect a visit from her soon.” The fucker dared laugh after he’d said that. I needed a new friend.
“Thank you. Such a big help as always,” I stated dryly.
“Always happy to help. Now rest so you can heal properly. I need your help beating the next quest.” I rolled my eyes. I was glad I hadn’t asked Jackson to grab my gaming system, there was no way I would’ve missed out on getting to know Jackson better these next few days. Dylan would simply have to wait on us gaming together until then.
“Love you,” I sang, then hung up when he’d sung it back to me.
I chuckled as I placed my phone down on the table. “Your mom knows about your job?” Jackson asked.
“Well, yeah. She’s my mom?” Like I could hide anything from her. Not that Jackson knew we worked together, but still.
“And she’s cool with you having such a dangerous job?” Oh, was he worried about me? I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading.
“She is. Are you?”
He frowned. “Honestly, I’m not sure. You just seem so fragile. Not in a bad way! But I feel like I need to protect you.”
“I think that’s cute,” I replied, smiling even wider.
“I’m not cute,” he defended, smiling softly.
“Fine. You’re sexy, is that better?” I was beaming with happiness. I couldn’t believe I was sitting on Jackson’s couch and calling him sexy. Was this my life?
“Much. Now, let’s make some dinner together. I’m starving.”
Chapter 10
Jackson
I was still reeling a bit as we sliced the vegetables. Pete had been into me since he was sixteen. That was over two years ago! Had he never dated during that time? I didn’t dare ask about his dating life yet, it seemed like a topic that could sour the good mood we shared as we moved around each other in my kitchen. It felt so domesticated. So utterly perfect.
“Where do you have the tomato sauce?” he asked, looking through my cupboard.
“In the pantry.” I gestured to the door. He went inside and picked out two cans the sauce. I wasn’t big on cooking, but it seemed Pete knew what he was doing. I was just glad I had some freshvegetables in my fridge. I’d never been afraid of someone judging the contents of my fridge before, but then again, no one had been Pete.
“Since you don’t have fresh garlic, we can use garlic spice instead.” I was just nodding along as he moved around. I doubted I’d ever had fresh garlic. Was that normal to have in a kitchen? Wasn’t the spice good enough? Also, why did I find it sexy as he cooked for us? There was just something about him wearing my T-shirt, his legs bare, as he moved around making us food.
Pete’s phone rang from the living room and he gestured for me to get it. “If it’s my mom, we’re out.”
I chuckled at how bossy he was, then left the kitchen to answer it.
It was Dylan so I happily greeted him. “Hi, Dylan. Jackson here.”
There was a beat of silence before he replied. “Um, hi, Jackson. How is he?” I frowned. Hadn’t he just asked Pete this exact question not even an hour ago himself? “I know he said he was okay, but I know you might see it differently.”
“I um, think he’s fine. Still sore around the neck, but he has no trouble eating or drinking other than discomfort. When he ate hisburger at lunch, he opted for using a knife and fork to get smaller bites down. But otherwise, nothing seems amiss.”
“Good, that’s good, because Linda is on her way right now.”
Pete’s mom was coming? Fuck!
“And you couldn’t have started with that?” I hissed, looking around at my rather messy apartment.
“Well, I could’ve, but then you answered and I figured I could get your honest opinion about how he was doing.” I sighed. He was truly a good friend.
“Thank you for the heads up,” I groaned, getting ready to hang up and warn Pete.
“You’re welcome! By the way, he loves praise! But don’t you dare use degradation, he hates that! Byeeeee!” Then he hung up and I was left gaping at Pete’s phone.
