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“These are better than jewelry. Now I’ll actually be able to read stuff at work without having to squint.” She sets the glasses down.
“You want to try them? I didn’t know which power to get so I got the lowest one. I can exchange them if you need stronger ones.”
“I’ll do it later, when my eye’s not so swollen.”
“Oh, yeah, I was going to get you some ice.” I open a drawer and take out a clean kitchen towel.
“Jake, I can do it.”
“I got it,” I say, putting ice on the towel. “An ice pack would’ve been better than loose ice, but we’ll make this work. Let’s go sit down.”
We go to the couch and I hand her the towel. “Just put it on there gently.”
As I watch her lift the towel to her eye, I get a flashback of my mom doing the exact same thing. I can see her sitting on the couch with Dean beside her, making sure she put the ice on her face. If he didn’t watch her, she wouldn’t do it. She’d tell him she was fine and to leave her alone. She wasn’t fine. She was just too drunk to realize how badly she was hurt.
“You can go study,” Tara says, holding the towel to her face. “I’m good.”
I get my backpack and bring it to the couch. I take out my English book, because that’s my weakest subject and the class I need to study for the most.
“I’ll go to the bedroom,” Tara says, getting up.
“No, stay here. I need to keep an eye on you.”
“Jake, you need to study. I don’t want to disturb you.”
“You’re not. Lay down, but keep your head elevated.”
“I can just—”
“Would you just let me take care of you?” I put my book aside and set her down on the couch. “Stay there.”
She laughs. “Where are you going?”
I go to her room and get a pillow. I set the pillow at the end of the couch, lay her down, then sit back where I was and lift her feet up, resting them on my legs.
“You good?” I ask, grabbing my book.
“Yes.”
I open the book and flip to the second chapter.
“Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I keep my eyes on the book, feeling angry again. I’m angry this happened to her, angry that her so-called boyfriend doesn’t give a shit, angry that she’s choosing that asshole over me, and angry at myself for falling for her.
Why do I keep doing this? Why do I keep falling for girls who don’t want to be with me? First Haley, now Tara. But the thing is, I get the feeling Taradoeswant to be with me. She just won’t. And I don’t know why.
18
DEAN
“He won’t answer my calls,”I say, setting my phone on the nightstand.
“He just started college.” Brook settles herself under my arm and rests her head on my chest. “He’s busy.”
