AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You want to stay over?” he asks.
“Would that be okay?”
He nods. “Mom loves you. She’ll be cool with it. She’ll probably bring us breakfast in bed.”
I laugh at the idea of that. His mom is pretty great.
“What about your aunt?”
“I’ll tell her I’m having a sleepover with Jillian.”
She won’t question that. It won’t be the first time I’ve stayed the night at my best friend’s house.
It’ll just be the first time I spend that night in her twin brother’s bedroom.
Jake follows my car out of the parking lot, and I cast a glance at the body of the guy who attacked me as we drive past. There’s a pool of dark blood under his face. Jake really brutalized him. I shiver at the violence of it, but I know nothing less would have stopped him.
I’m glad he’s dead. He won’t get the chance to hurt anyone else.
Chapter thirty-nine
Amanda
Bythetimethecars park outside the Goldberg house, I feel ready to pass out. Jake seemed lost in thought on the drive over, and I was glad for the quiet. Making idle conversation would have been too hard when all I can really think about is how fate brought him to that beach just in time to save me. He acted quickly, and all he was concerned about was protecting me.
If that doesn’t make him my true mate, I don’t know what does.
“Wait there for a second, okay?” he asks, as he unbuckles his seatbelt.
“Sure,” I murmur.
I watch him get out the car and head over to his friend Ed.
They talk for a minute, and Jake passes him the keys to his car.
Oh, right. He’ll need a way to get home, I guess.
Jillian gets out of the passenger side of my car, and slaps Jake’s upper arm.
I can just imagine the hell he’s getting for dragging her away from that guy.
She looks pissed, but he says something I can’t hear, and she blinks at him, stumbling back a little.
Shaking her head, she pushes past him, stalking toward his car. Toward me.
Jake overtakes her and opens my door, taking my hand and helping me out of the car.
I feel kind of dazed when the cool air hits my face. We’re in the shade where he parked and it should be nice after the heat of the beach, but it only makes me feel shaky.
“Amanda!” Jillian exclaims, her eyes wide. “Are you okay?”
“I’m …” I start, not able to reassure her.
My vision blurs as I look at her worried face.
I’m so used to doing things her way, but I can’t pretend what happened today doesn’t matter.
“You put us both in danger!” I blurt, a spark of anger burning through me at the memory of how helpless I felt. “Those gators … You’re lucky you’re alive, Jillian. You’re lucky I am.”
