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"Anytime," he replied with a grin.
"Hey any of us would have loved to carry you," Matty said as he slapped Jake's back.
"Hey, calm down, that's my sister." Frankie wagged his finger at Matty.
"Relax, Frankie." Rex shook Frankie's shoulders. "He was kidding."
Desperate to change the subject, I said the first thing that entered my mind. "Don't you think it's weird dad hasn't even called?"
The group fell silent at my question, and I instantly regretted bringing it up. My dad had been distant since my mom's death, and it had only gotten worse in recent months. I knew he had his way of dealing with things, but it still hurt that he wasn't there for us like he used to be.
"I'm sure he's just busy," Sammy offered, but even she didn't sound convinced.
"Yeah, probably swamped with work," Rex added, but his tone was tinged with doubt.
I sighed, knowing that they were just trying to make me feel better. But the truth was, I was worried about my dad. I missed him, and I didn't know how to bridge the gap between us.
We continued in silence, lost in our thoughts. As we made our way back to the lake house, I couldn't stop the turning in my stomach. Something was off, and I didn't know what it was.
When we finally arrived, everyone scattered to do their own thing. Rachel went to the kitchen to start making dinner, while Frankie joined her to help. Matty went down to the dock to fish, Sammy went to our room to read, and Rex disappeared into the guest room.
Jake lingered behind, looking at me with concern in his eyes. "You okay?" he asked, his hand hovering over my shoulder.
I nodded, but he didn't seem convinced. "Is it your ankle?" he asked.
"No, it's not that. My ankle is doing much better," I replied, swallowing hard. "It's just...I don't know. Something feels off today."
Jake nodded, understanding in his eyes. "I get that," he said. "Today is a tough day for you. You're allowed to feel off."
I smiled at him, grateful for his understanding. "Thanks," I mumbled.
Jake leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. It was a gentle kiss, full of tenderness and affection.
I pulled back, terrified that at any moment Frankie would walk in and see. He would flip if he found out I was hooking up with his best friend. He would kill me if he knew it was all three of them.
"I think I'm gonna call my dad." I bit my lip and pulled out my phone.
"Would you like privacy or company?" Jake took my hand and kissed it.
"Company, thank you." I clicked on my dad's contact.
After a few rings, he finally answered. "Hey, what's up?" There was laughter in his voice mixed with heavy breathing.
"What's up? You know what today is." I ground my teeth. How did he sound so carefree?
"Oh, yeah. I know, honey," he sighed. All his laughter was gone.
"Honey? Who are you on the phone with?" A woman's voice asked in the background.
I hung up.
How could he? How dare he? I tried to concentrate on my breathing.
Jake wrapped his arms around me, sensing my distress. "What happened?" he asked softly.
I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. "He was with someone else," I whispered, feeling the weight of my dad's betrayal crushing me.
Jake held me tighter, his hand rubbing soothing circles on my back. "I'm so sorry," he murmured, his voice full of sympathy.
