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“I can take care of myself,” I said, flashing her my perfect teeth. It wasn’t like anything in the jungle could hurt me any worse than she had. Her pulling away from me earlier had really messed with my mind.
“Oh? Is that right?” She rolled her eyes. “Your ego is going to get you killed.”
“I’m just saying, I’m a big boy.” I chuckled as I tried to turn on the charm, but she rolled her eyes. Nothing I was doing was going to work. I had to do something to break the ice, but I knew if I kissed her this time, she would never speak to me again.
“Do you know how to spot the venomous snakes from the non-venomous, big boy?”
I was suddenly more aware of my feet and where we were standing at the mention of snakes. Even the nearby trees had me a little paranoid. “Okay, so maybe not. But I don’t see any snakes.”
“Do you hear those frogs?” She pointed her finger to the sky and twirled it in a circle.
“They sound like the frogs at home, but I guess they aren’t.”
“Oh, they aren’t. Most of these you hear can kill you.”
“Killer frogs. It’s really crazy if you think about it. Do they carry little guns? Pew! Pew! Pew!” I made hand gestures to go with my sound effects, but she wasn’t amused. “They seem so harmless. Remember how my mom liked frogs? She used to decorate her kitchen with them.”
“This isn’t your mother’s ceramic frogs, Jake. I guess you didn’t listen to me in my first meetings either. I guess I thought at least you’d take me seriously.”
“I did, but I have to admit, I was a little distracted.”
She nodded like she agreed. “Distracted makes sense. Austin and Tess were acting like children. Now they all wished they’d listened.”
“No, not them.” I reached out and lifted her chin so she’d meet my eyes. “I was distracted by you.”
Chapter Sixteen
Kate
I didn’t know what to say to Jake, so I just took a deep breath and changed the subject. “I love the jungle at night.”
I could tell he was disappointed in my response when he gave me a confused look.
“You wanted to know what I was doing out here at night, and that’s it. I came out here because I like to listen to the sounds. I know it sounds strange, but this feels like home to me.”
“It’s not a whole lot like Beloit,” I said. “Besides, isn’t it too dangerous for you to be out here too?”
“I know what I’m doing, and I’m at home here. Besides, I’ve spent enough time in the jungle that, when I go home, I actually miss it. I bet you won’t say the same.”
“No, you’re right about that, but I can relate.” He looked at me as if he were seeing me for the first time. “Do you remember Big Hill Park back home?”
“Yeah.” I turned my face to the sky as he continued. I could see the place in my mind. It seemed so far away, and I didn’t mean just in miles.
“I used to go there on my bike at twilight and ride until it got too dark to see.”
“That’s pretty dangerous.”
“I went to get away from my parents’ fighting. To me, it was better than staying home. I hated listening to them, screaming at each other, and how my dad would put his hands on her. She would scream at me to go. The one time I didn’t and tried to stay and help, the cops came. Mom blamed me for the old man going to jail. It was a mess, but that was my quiet place. And in the summertime, when the lightning bugs would swarm, they would light up with a soft glow that put me at ease. It made me feel a peacefulness and warmth that I never felt at home.”
I turned to look at him, and even though his face was mostly hidden by shadow, I had already memorized every detail enough to see the pain in his expression. He was still very much that young man he was in high school, still vulnerable deep down.
God, how I used to love him back then. The feelings were so intense and real that even now I could feel them. He had been my world, and when he’d told me he was leaving, with or without me, I had wished I could promise him forever and go with him.
I had thought he was speaking in what-ifs, feeling me out. I never really thought he’d up and leave without more. I had wanted to make plans for our future. I figured we would have weekends since it was a short commute, and he could always come and visit me in the city. I had never thought he’d leave the next morning, but I couldn’t just give up the life I’d had laid out.
