Page 42 of Barefoot Lake

“I…” I don’t know how to answer. I look up at him. “Is your hand ok?”

I remember the surprisingly loud sound of Jake’s fist connecting with Reid’s face. It was startling.

“Are you seriously asking about my hand right now?” Jake looks incredulous.

I shrug again.

“Yes?”

He sighs and composes his face into something more neutral.

“You’re worth a thousand of him.”

“I wish I could see how terrible he was sooner. I’m so sorry to involve you.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m not sorry for hitting him, but I didn’t mean to frighten you. That’s why it took me so long to come by. When you didn’t answer my call or text, I wasn’t sure if you’d want to see me. I must have started to come over here a dozen times before finally making it.” He moves to stand, maybe to move away, but I reach for him, just touching his fingertips with mine.

“I’m sorry. I must have slept through my phone buzzing. I wasn’t frightened,” I say softly because loud noises suddenly seem out of place, and this conversation feels important.

But it’s true. Jake doesn’t frighten me.

“You were my knight in shining armor. Thank you.”

Jake is looking at our touching hands, and a flush rises above the collar of his shirt. He rubs the back of his neck, which is his nervous habit, I’ve noticed.

“It was nothing. I did what anybody would do if they saw somebody hurting somebody else. That jackass should try picking on somebody his own size.” Now Jake is looking anywhere but at me. He drops my hand. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

A wave of frustration hits me, and I stand. I walk around to the back of the couch to put something between us.

“Why do you always do that?”

Jake looks legitimately confused.

“Do what?”

“Downplay when you do something good? You did it when you talked about taking care of Scott and helping my mom and every time you’ve helped me since I got here. I think you’re so damn scared of anybody knowing you care that you try to convince even yourself that you don’t.”

I realize the irony of raising my voice at somebody right after thanking them for saving me, but I can’t help it.

“It was a big deal. To me. It was a huge deal for you to defend me like that. So, do you care, Jake? Or is it all in my head?”

“I care.” Jake’s on his feet now, too. I think his voice was louder than he intended because he lowers it as he continues, prowling toward me. “Sometimes, you drive me crazy, but I fucking care about you.”

His eyes are on fire, lighting up every nerve ending in my body. I must lose control over myself because I’m suddenly launching myself at him, standing on my toes, with a hand around the back of his neck to pull him down toward me and the other on his chest, and I’m kissing him.

His body is as solid as I’d thought it would be. All of him is warm, and his lips are soft on mine. He angles his head slightly to the side, and I spring back.

I clap my hands over the lower half of my face, speaking through my fingers.

“Oh my god. Jake, I can’t believe I did that. I’m⁠—”

CHAPTER 20

Jake

The second Alice’s lips touch mine, I completely lose my ability to think. All I can do is feel. One of her hands is searing into the skin behind my neck, and the other must feel the erratic beat of my heart leaping around my chest like a bucking bull. She smells like cinnamon apples, and I could drown in that scent. Her lips are warm and soft and demanding and — fuck, if I wouldn’t give her anything in this moment.

But that’s all it is, a moment.