“You’re the smartest person I know, you know that?” There’s a teasing bite to his tone, and I know that he’s fully out of his spiral and in this moment with me.
“Yeah, but it’s not hard, considering the company you keep.”
“Hey, Brayden’s your brother. That’s kinda mean.”
“Exactly, he’s my brother.” Laughter bubbles from my lips as we go back and forth. “Plus, how do you know I wasn’t talking about Brandon or Lainey?”
“One, Brandon is a super genius, and he’s the sweetest guy I know. He could never hurt a fly. And two, Lainey is a sweetheart. She’s also just like her sister, so I think it’s safe to say I’m not talking about her.”
“Fair. But I love all my siblings and I’m lucky to have them.” My relationship with them means everything to me. I’m lucky to have two older brothers that care about me and are great people to look up too. I’m also grateful to have a sister that I get along with. She’s my best friend, outside of Bellamy, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
PRESENT DAY
I stir awake, the bright afternoon sunlight peeking through the curtains and blinding me temporarily.
I hold up my hand to shield my eyes as my senses start to come back to me. I sit up slowly and the sheets fall to my lap, revealing the bottom of a sweater I don’t remember putting on. The scent of cedarwood and apple consumes me, and my mind instantly replays the last few hours.
Jake calming me down, leading me into his room, tucking me in his bed, and holding me as I fell asleep on his chest.
I look over and see the crumpled sheets, but there’s no sign of the man in question. He brought me into his room and left me?
A wave of sadness takes over me. I shouldn’t be upset. He was just helping me like he used to, but that doesn’t mean the sting of him leaving hurts any less. It makes sense, especially because his roommate could’ve walked in at any time.
I guess he was just being kind. Maybe I should go before he gets back and save myself from further humiliation.
A noise from the bathroom startles me, and it’s then I notice the light under the closed door.
It opens a moment later, revealing Jake, who’s shirtless and towel-drying his hair. He steps out of the bathroom and walks over to his luggage, tossing the towel on the chair and rifling through his bag. He grabs his white button-up and turns around, coming face to face with me. He lies it down on the edge of the bed and walks back over to the side he left abandoned, sliding in over the covers and facing me.
My heart calms, and the sadness dissipates at the sight of him.
“Hey, you’re awake.” His voice is gentle and soft.
He reaches over and swipes the loose strands of hair from my forehead, tucking it behind my ear. He leaves his hand there for just a moment before he lets it fall to the bed in front of him.
“Yeah, I just woke up.” My voice thick with sleep, I look down at my hands that are drowning in the sleeves of his sweater.
“Do you remember what happened?”
“I remember.”
My mind is in a fog, but I know I’m tired of this self-pitying I’ve been doing. I already made my choices, and I need to accept them and grow from them. Repeating this cycle is only going to drown me further.
But when you’ve spent so much time thinking one way, it’s hard to break those bad habits.
By him bringing me up here, it’s a sign of trust on his end. He saw the panic on my face, and chose to be there for me, laying all his cards out on the table and showing how committed he is to us, and I have to do the same thing. I can’t keep hiding behind those insecurities anymore. I’ve done too much work on growing myself to start taking steps backwards.
Emilia’s words from earlier play back in my mind. Maybe she’s right that taking it slow isn’t the right move, not when there are so many emotions and so much history between us.
“Where’s your roommate?” I shift topics, giving myself a second to breathe in this moment between us.
“Connor’s wife and kids came for the game, so he’s been with them all day.” He smiles softly, his thumb still gently moving back and forth against my hand.
I can’t help but to let my eyes drift down from his faceto his chest, his pecs glistening with water droplets that are still clinging to him from the shower. He’s always been fit, but he’s only gotten stronger and more defined over the years. I can’t help the way my gaze lingers on his broad, muscular chest, and the abs I used to run my hands over when he would sit me in his lap, still as toned as ever.
His hand comes up to my chin, tilting my head up so I’m making eye contact with him again. “My eyes are up here.”
He chuckles a light laugh as I blush profusely at his statement.
