Page 94 of The Other Room

“Yeah?” She leaned against the doorframe and pushed a piece of blonde hair back into her casual ponytail. “About what?”

“Jo. Nikki. My hellish life.”

Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. “Oh, boy. I’ll get the coffee.”

“Thanks, Cassie.” I set Poppy down and reached into the back of my truck and snagged my fishing pole.

If there was anything that could help me dig myself out of this hole, it was a little fishing therapy with Jake. I walked around the house and back to the dock he had on Kangaroo Lake. Jake stood on the edge of the dock casting into the still water.

“Welcome home, buddy!” I called as I came down the dock.

“Hey, man! What’s up?”

“Everything.” I heaved a sigh. “I need help.”

Jake arched a brow then reeled in his line before setting his pole down on the dock. “What did you do?”

“It’s what I didn’t do that has me in trouble. And I wanted to come tell you about it in person, since last time I was in this situation I didn’t come to you right away and all hell broke loose.”

“Is this about Nikki?” he said, his accusatory eyebrow lifting with a playful smirk.

My mouth fell open for a heartbeat but then I remembered where I lived. “Christ. You’ve already heard. Freaking people and their damn rumors. It’s not what it looked like, okay?”

“I know,” he said convincingly.

“You do?”

“Yeah. I mean, my phone blew up with pictures of you and Nikki, and texts saying you two were together, but I didn’t buy it. I knew it was a misunderstanding. I trust you man. I know you wouldn’t do it twice.”

“Thank you!” I tossed my hands up in the air. “Now why can’t Jo have come to the same damn realization as you? Of course I wouldn’t do that again. It was all just smoke and mirrors manipulated by a self-centered bitch.”

“Jo?” he asked, then crossed his arms as Hank settled at his feet.

“Here, coffee.” Cassie came up behind me and stuck a mug in my hand.

“Thanks, Cass.”

Jake stood waiting while I shook my head. “You two can’t go out of town anymore. A lot has happened since you’ve been gone, but I’ll give you the short version. So, you know I moved in with Jo, who hated me.”

“Yep,” Jake said.

“Well, I got her to forgive me, and we got to be friends again. Which was great. But I’ve been hiding something from everyone, myself included. I’m head over heels in love with Jo.”

“No way!” Cassie slapped my shoulder.

“Yes way.” I nodded. “Like soooo in love. Like for forever.”

“And how does Jo feel?” Jake asked, then gestured for me to pick up my pole.

I set down my coffee mug, then unhooked my lure from the eye and stepped to the edge of the dock. Jake picked his pole back up again, and together we cast into the water.

“Well, I fessed up a few nights ago, and it turns out she loves me, too.”

“No way!” Cassie squealed and clapped her hands. “This is amazing!”

“Yeah, it was amazing... for about two seconds.”

“Uh oh,” Jake said. “Is this where Nikki comes in?”