He was right. There’s something about Jake’s bluntness that I find incredibly attractive.
Jake’s expression turns sheepish. “One more question. Any chance you’re free this Saturday to join our family night? The longer I delay introducing you to my sisters, the more rabid they’ll become. I’m running out of excuses as to why we can’t hang out with them.”
“I thought we agreed you’d tell them the truth soon?” I worry my lip between my teeth.
“Riiight about that…”
“Jake.” I protest.
“I promise I’ll tell them before the summer. I just want to get the final confirmation that I didn’t bomb the midterm. Can we just keep pretending until then?”
“I don’t know. I get it’s a hard conversation to have, but I’m already nervous about how this fake relationship is going to be perceived once people learn I’m going to be working with your mom. Getting close to your family is definitely not going to help that perception.”
“Don’t researchers go out to happy hour all the time with each other? To discuss future collaborations?”
“Sure, but game night is different…”
“No one from school is going to see us there. And you can just default to talking to my family about research, so no personal boundaries are crossed.”
I guess that could work. Maybe. I stay silent.
“Just think about it, okay? I promise it won’t be anywhere near as bad as you’re making it in your head.”
“I’m not saying yes. But I do feel the need to state that I’m extremely competitive. Like it can be a little ugly to watch.“
“It sounds like you’d fit right in with my family.”
How does he always know the right thing to say? Though I loved my family, I can’t say I ever felt truly understood by my mom. Over the years, I’ve learned to accept the fact that Ialways felt like I was a stray puzzle piece that got thrown in the wrong box. I’d always hoped I’d finally find my place, and would feel like I not only belonged but I also helped complete the set. That I was someone’s missing puzzle piece. “I’ll think about it and get back to you."
Chapter 24
Jake
“Try not to get too upset when I embarrass you in front of your girlfriend,” Sienna teases as we walk into the familiar bowling alley in Fenway. To say my family gets competitive during our game nights would be an understatement. The last game night featured a very intense laser tag session and ended with Sienna refusing to talk to me for two weeks. Maybe I should’ve just opted for a family dinner instead of feeding Eliana to the wolves. The only thing that would outmatch their competitiveness tonight would be their nosiness. Maybe I could use that to my advantage.
“The only person who’s going to be embarrassing themselves tonight is me. I’m really bad at bowling,” Eliana chimes in.
“I find that hard to believe. You’re way too determined not to master anything you set your mind to.” I give her hand a gentle squeeze.
“I once got a ball stuck between the guardrails and the gutter.” Eliana blushes.
Normally I’d be stressed about losing my win streak, instead I’m fixated on the nervous look on her face as we stop at the table in front of our lane. My parents and Charlotte are already making their way through a pizza and a pitcher of beer.
Charlotte runs over to us, or really to Eliana, as she gently shoves me away. “I’m so excited you’re here. Jake’s never brought a girl to a family game night before. A bit of a bold choice if you ask me. Has he mentioned how competitive he gets?”
“How competitiveIget? Are we forgetting the paintball fiasco of 2012 from which I still have a scar?” I scoff.
“You were in the line of fire. What was I supposed to do?” Charlotte rolls her eyes.
“I don’t know, maybe not aim for my neck?”
“Let’s not rehash the past. I’m much more interested in learning about how this happened.” Charlotte eyes my hand that’s entwined with Eliana’s. She grabbed it the second we ran into Sienna at the entrance and hasn’t let go since.
Eliana tells the lie we both agreed upon. “I’m tutoring his friend Ollie. We ran into each other a few times at Hockey House.”
“Each time she made it clear how she wanted nothing to do with me.”
“But eventually he won me over.”
