14
Jackson pulled up to his house just as Mia pulled up to hers. She parked her car and stalked toward his place, carrying the two coffees. He couldn’t help himself and chuckled.
She glared. “What’s so funny?”
“You’re still packing those coffees around.”
“Well, you haven’t taken yours out of my hand yet, so I’m not sure what you expect. I should have given it to Ethan. He would have at least appreciated it.”
Jackson rolled his eyes and unlocked his door, letting her inside. Kittens immediately greeted them. Jackson went upstairs, kittens following him, and sat on the couch. Mia sat down beside him, setting the coffees on the coffee table.
“Why don’t you want the coffee I got you? You’re being awfully ungrateful,” Mia said, picking Blitz up and stroking his head.
“Did you get it, or did Jeff?”
Mia looked at him in confusion before it suddenly cleared. “You saw me with Jeff this morning.”
“Ding, ding, ding.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why are you being such a man-child? There’s this thing called communication.”
“Why are you throwing insults left and right?”
“Considering you’ve been a brat since I saw you, I think you deserve it.”
“There you go again.”
Mia set the kitten down and threw her hands in the air. “Jackson, what is your problem? I went to Brewbirds to get you coffee, since I knew you had a rough night with the kittens. I saw Jeff, so I spoke with him about us.”
“You saw Jeff, so you spoke with him… about us?” His voice started out in a mimicking tone, but then changed to confusion as he gestured between the two of them.
“Yes!” Mia tossed her hands in the air and stood up, pacing across the room while gesturing wildly. “I thought it was clear I want to be with you. Especially after our little…” She motioned toward the couch. “Session on the couch.”
“But you were holding his hand.” He realized how stupid it sounded now, but it looked intimate. Despite always priding himself on using common sense when it came to everything, somehow all clear thoughts went out the window where Mia was concerned. He had gotten possessive far too quickly.
“He took my hand to tell me he understood I wanted to be with you and give it a chance. Jeff told me he could see the way you look at me and that you love me. He knew no one stood a chance against you. Did it ever occur to you to justaskme about it? Do you honestly believe that after loving you and wanting to be yours since we were kids, I would just change my mind overnight?”
She loved him? He knew that. Deep down, he had always known that. Of course, he knew she did as friends, but he had known that it was beyond that for a very long time.
Everyone around them insisted they were meant to be together and they would eventually realize it. He insisted it wasn’t true, but now he realized how far in denial he had been. He wanted her, and seeing her with Jimmy and then with Jeff was the eye opener he needed.
She was making sure Jeff knew she wanted to be with Jackson. She was trying to do right by them, and Jackson took it all wrong. He stood and strode toward her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her into him.
“What are yo?—”
He silenced her with his mouth. Her body was rigid at first, but immediately relaxed into him, her lips moving with his.
“I’m sorry,” he said once he pulled back. He rested his forehead against hers. “I completely read it all wrong.”
“Obviously.”
He chuckled. “I just got jealous. I thought you wanted him, and all rational thought was lost.”
Mia wrapped her arms around his waist. “You need to talk to me rather than doing the brooding thing.”
“I’m just not used to feeling this way. I didn’t realize how much I wanted you.”
She smiled shyly.
