Chapter 14
Renee
Once Jason had pulledout of the driveway and was out of sight, I paused at the front door and leaned back against the wall, trying to compose myself. I was still trying to catch up with everything that had happened tonight. The double date, Carly getting sick in the bathroom ...
Jake is taking care of her.
I hadn’t expected that from him, that’s for sure. I remembered Jake best as a bully from high school, the guy I’d avoid in the halls because I couldn’t face his lame insults and sneer. Never in my young life did I ever think I would see someone like Jake holding his date’s hair back as she lost her entire meal in a public restroom.
I shrugged off my jacket and shoes and went upstairs to check on Carly. If anything else had happened tonight, I would have followed them straight up the stairs to make sure Jake wasn’t up here trying to take advantage of a drunk girl. But as I pushed open Carly’s bedroom door, she was there on the bed, and Jake was removing her second shoe. She was still dressed, but he’d removed her jacket and shoes. He looked up as I came in, and my grateful smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.
“Thank you,” I whispered as Jake plugged in her cell phone and went to the chair in the corner for a throw blanket. He laid it over her, and I noticed that he’d even filled a glass of water from her bathroom sink for her. Carly didn’t wake during the commotion, and she was snoring again when we backed out of her bedroom.
For a long moment that seemed to go on for centuries, Jake and I stood facing each other in the dimly lit hallway. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his jeans, and he looked sheepish, like he should know what to say to break the tension in the air. Finally, after what seemed like hours later, he smiled just a little bit and turned to leave.
“Could you have her call me in the morning so I know she’s okay?” he asked, making his way towards the stairs. My mouth opened and closed again like a dying fish, and something odd in my gut made me speak the words I said next.
“Wait,” I called, and Jake stopped at the top of the stairs, his back to me. I saw his shoulders tense, and then he turned around. He was still smiling. Holy crap, I loved that smile.
All the girls did.
“Would you like to warm up before you leave?” The words tumbled from my mouth before I could stop them, and I saw Jake’s shoulders visibly relax. The smile on his face grew just a bit more, and he shrugged one shoulder and nodded. His defined quarterback muscles flexed under his t-shirt, and my knees trembled.
“Sure.”
“I have a coffee maker in my room.” I cleared the lump in my throat and looked down at the ground, wishing I could kick myself. “Wanna just join me there?” The words spilled out before I could stop them, and I wanted to lodge my foot down my throat and take everything back.
But I didn’t. I said nothing more.
This bright idea of mine seemed to take Jake by surprise, as well, because he hesitated for a moment, eyebrows shooting straight up.
“Uh, sure.”
“I mean, you didn’t have to, but I—” I trailed off, cutting myself off before things got even more awkward. I nodded once and stepped past the bathroom door to the second bedroom, which was my room. I pushed the door open the rest of the way and flipped the lights on as Jake came in, stopping in the middle of my bedroom floor to look around, eyes scanning the décor on my walls.
“So,” he said with a low whistle. “This is the famous Renee Lyon’s bedroom.”
“Yeah. Welcome.” Without thinking twice about it, I turned and closed my bedroom door behind us, hoping we hadn’t woken Jami with all the drunk-roommate ruckus. Jake pretended not to notice me do this and instead walked over to the photos hanging on the wall, admiring them.
“How old were you here?” he asked, pointing at the framed photo of my parents and me on a beach vacation I barely remembered.
“Around seven, I think.” I joined his side, hyper-aware of how physically close we were, standing in my bedroom, completely alone.
“You were cute,” Jake said, glancing sideways at me. “What happened?”
I was surprised at the giggle that slipped through my lips, but I stopped it abruptly when I saw Jake smiling too. It was impossible to forget that Jake and his crew had made my life a living hell at one time.
“I was only teasing,” Jake said softly, turning his body to face mine. I kept my eyes on his face, mostly because I knew if I didn’t concentrate, I’d end up staring instead at the lump in his jeans that I was suddenly desperate to reach out and touch. “I love these photos.”
“Oh, do you?” I couldn’t stop the sarcasm from weighing heavily in my voice. Jake looked surprised at the change in my demeanor, and his brows crumpled again, clearly confused.
“Yes, I do,” he said earnestly. “It looked to me like you’re close with your family. You’re lucky to have them.”
“I know I am.” I dropped my gaze and walked away from him, sitting on the edge of my bed. I felt tense suddenly, wondering if I’d made a mistake inviting this man into my bedroom so late at night.
