It was her heart taking the reins now. Thumping in her chest with a strange kind of expectation. What was she supposed todo? Why was he holding her? Did he need something? Was he going to say something?
“Jacob…” she said on an exhale, her lungs finally deciding to work.
His thumb lightly caressed the inside of her wrist. Goosebumps rippled along her skin even though it wasn’t cold enough. Jacob seemed to be stuck in a trance. But that couldn’t be right. They were still navigating their friendship.
When he didn’t say anything, she tugged her hand free and cleared her throat, looking anywhere but at him. “So… popcorn?”
Jacob nodded. “Yeah,” he rasped.
Hours later, they were seated on the couch as the credits for the movie she’d picked started to roll. The only sound in the cabin was the music coming from the speakers. Jacob had settled on the couch before she did, and she’d scooted to the far edge so none of her body touched his. Up until tonight, she hadn’t really noticed whether her thigh grazed his or if their hands collided when reaching for popcorn at the same time during their various movie nights.
But tonight, something had shifted.
Jacob never initiated touch. Not when they were friends. And especially not after she’d put her foot in her mouth.
“Hallie?”
She startled, popcorn going flying from her still nearly full bowl. Strange. She could have sworn she’d eaten more than that. She’d fixed them each their own bowl so she didn’t have to share with him.
Was that too obvious?
Hallie shot a look in Jacob’s direction. “Yeah?”
“You okay?”
She smiled. “Of course.” Then she grimaced at the squeak in her voice. “I’m good, Jacob. Really.”
He huffed through his nose, his eyes searching her. Hallie was familiar with that look. Jacob was an expert at digging things out of her even if she didn’t want him to. Of course, he had to want to figure her out which was probably why he’d never realized she had developed feelings for him in the first place.
Standing suddenly, she placed her bowl on the coffee table. “It’s getting late, though. I’m heading to bed.” She didn’t wait for him to stand. She didn’t offer to help him up. And it wasn’t until she was behind her bedroom door that she realized just how out of character she’d been behaving tonight.
They had finally found themselves in a good place. It was like they both stepped into a happy bubble of the past. She didn’t want to pop that bubble.
Hallie leaned against the closed door and screwed her eyes shut as she slid down the wood and landed on the floor. There was only one problem with being in this bubble. And that was her feelings. It was far too easy to remember all the reasons she liked Jacob.
The longing was returning with a vengeance. It was so much easier when their friendship was on the rocks and she knew he didn’t even want to look at her.
Now?
Now she was in trouble.
Because when he’d been holding her wrist, caressing her skin, she could almost imagine him saying something sweet or standing to pull her in for a kiss. Her imagination had taken on a life of its own.
Then while he’d stared at her throughout the movie, she’d gotten so distracted she didn’t even know what was happening on screen. That distraction was also the culprit for why she didn’t eat the popcorn she’d made herself.
She just needed to forget that anything had happened. Tomorrow was a new day and as long as Jacob didn’t bring up that strange situation between the two of them, then everything could continue status quo.
Hallie heard the familiar thud, thud, thud, of Jacob’s cane and his booted foot coming down the hall toward the bedrooms. The music had been cut off, indicating he’d turned off the television.
The thudding stopped right outside of her door. Her whole body tensed and she waited for him to knock so they could discuss her strange behavior. She couldn’t breathe again. Or perhaps she was holding her breath out of fear.
Fear that he might tease her for overreacting.
Fear that he might apologize for acting weird.
But worst of all, fear that he would tell her he was starting to feel the same.
Because that would ruin everything. She didn’t trust him. She definitely didn’t trust herself. And the last thing she wanted was to lose the friendship she knew was dangling by a thread.
