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I feel as though there’s this body of water I want to jump into, but I’m afraid because I only kinda-sorta know how to swim. What if it’s not safe? What if I drown? What if Jake is a shark who will swallow me whole?
On the other hand, one question circles my brain like a whirlpool and convinces me to take a leap a faith: what do I have to lose?
Chapter Twelve
Mia
When I walk into my apartment, I smell pizza. The delicious aroma is strong and too good to resist. But who ordered Italian?
Wait, that’s a dumb question. I know exactly who.
“Welcome home, baby girl.” Jake gives me a devilish grin when I clear the threshold.
I could protest his nickname for me again, but I’m too exhausted and too hungry to care. Besides, it’s more important I figure out what he’s up to.
“What’s this?” I scan the kitchen, gaping at the garlic knots, pizza, and cinnamon sticks spread across the island.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of grabbing dinner for us.”
“I don’t mind at all. But…why?”
“Can’t a friend get another friend some dinner?”
He asks the question like he wants to be my pal. He doesn’t sound remotely jealous that I have a “boyfriend.”
Dammit.
“So you did this out of the kindness of your heart?”
“I figured we earned it. I don’t know about you, but the first day back in the office after the holiday felt endless. I thought we’d both enjoy this.”
He’s not wrong. So why am I disappointed? God, I’m confused. I either want him or I don’t. I need to make up my mind. Why can’t I already?
Whatever. I’m too hungry to turn down pizza.If I hadn’t skipped breakfast and eaten so little lunch, I’d have a stronger will to say no.
“Just one slice.” Where’s the harm in sharing food, right?
“Perfect.” He plucks a bulging bag of popcorn from the microwave and shakes it. “Do you like popcorn?”
“With the pizza?”
“Yeah,” he says as if it’s obvious.
“Do you?”
“Absolutely.” He smiles, pouring the contents of the hot bag into a large, metal bowl.
In all the years I’ve known Jake Hall, I never knew he liked popcorn with his pizza.
Of course I didn’t. Until recently, I hadn’t talked to him in years.
“Since when?”
“I worked with this client from L.A. once. We started talking and got on the subject of pizza,” he says as he grabs two plates and napkins. “Long story short, he tells me that the next time I have pizza, I should try it with popcorn. So one night I did, thinking he was crazy. But when I took a bite of both, it was the perfect combination.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time you thought that, huh?”