AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jake groaned but took the club and plastered a fake smile on his face. After four days of him sulking about Valerie and battling to find out who was blackmailing him with no luck, he was seriously lacking in fun and happiness.
I was desperate to fix that.
I had spent all week thinking of ways we could convince people at school and around town that Valerie was a liar, but Jake wouldn’t agree to any of my ideas. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I had been working on a video, diving into who Jake is as a person. Talking about how at first, I didn't like him, but after seeing him for the kind and loving person that he is, my feelings changed.
But Jake didn't know about it, and I didn't plan to tell him until after I posted it. Tonight was all about having fun. It had taken about twenty minutes of begging to get Jake to agree to come out to Sybil's Sand Trap, the mini golf place mostly frequented by tourists and teenagers on first dates. The kooky courses wound through sprawling gardens that resembled an acid trip about to go wrong more than the charming fantasy land it was supposed to.
Soon I was howling at Jake's creative trash talk and even more imaginative expletives after his ball sailed over a creepy clown's top hat and landed somewhere in the woods beyond.
"Hey, no cheating," I admonished as he climbed over the wooden fence to find his errant ball.
"It wasn't cheating. It was just a bad stroke. And the hole is too fucking small. This course is clearly designed for smaller balls."
I cackled. "That's what she said."
His lips quirked upward. "Very mature."
"You're smiling, though. I count it as a win," I said, wiggling my brows triumphantly.
"You're such a dork," he muttered.
"Hey, I heard that," I shot back, bumping his shoulder.
"Oops, my bad."
"Ass," I huffed, feigning outrage.
He grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me back against him. I shrieked with laughter as he pressed his face into the crook of my neck and kissed me.
"Stop distracting me and help me find the ball."
"You're the one who started it. But fine." He let go, and I stepped away, still feeling the heat from his body and his touch. His acting was getting better, which made things worse for me.
We found his ball and headed back to the clown.
"So, how's your house coming along?" he asked as he putted and watched his ball sail through the clown's nose.
"Not great, apparently the lines beyond my house are bad too. Now the town has to fix those, so even if my house is finished, I could be waiting for a bit longer."
"I'm sorry."
"Eh, it is what it is. I'm so grateful that Amy is letting me stay at her place."
"Of course, I know Amy's happy to help," Jake replied, lining up his next shot. "At least you've got a decent neighbor!"
I chuckled as we walked on. The evening breeze ruffled Jake's hair, he actually looked at ease.
"So, were you and Amy always close?" I asked, not sure where the question came from.
"You could say that. My dad was career military—a real hardass..." Jake trailed off, pain flickering across his strong profile. "Amy and I kind of shielded each other from him. He wasn't a bad dad; he just had his ways. Besides, I hardly recognize him now. He and my mom retired to Florida, leaving Hailey and I the house and he practically became a hippy. Total plot twist."
"Wait, your house is the house you grew up in?"
"Yep, and Amy's was my aunt and uncle’s. It was basically an extension of my house. Their door and yard were always open to us."
"That's so sweet."
"They were the best. I still miss them. They passed away a few years back," he said wistfully.
