Page 46 of Before You (Reckless Love #2)
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Marley
“I SWEAR, THIS boutique has the cutest clothes,” Charlie says, the added skip in her step causing her strawberry blonde hair to swing behind her. It doesn’t feel like November, despite the days getting shorter.
“If you want clothes, you could always go shopping in Bria’s closet. She doesn’t wear anything other than athletic clothes, but she has all these samples from brands trying to convince her to model for them,” I say, and her head whips around.
“Are you serious?”
I chuckle, wondering if I should ask whether she has whiplash now. “Ask her about it later.”
Charlie grins, spiking my curiosity. “Did I tell you what Asher told me?”
“No?”
“He said he asked Bria to be his girlfriend, and she said maybe! His goal is to get her to a game this season wearing his jersey,” she says, and I love the idea of Bria wearing a football player’s jersey, especially after how she complained about them being jocks— not athletes —at the beginning of the semester.
“I’m not sure I understand the fascination football players have with seeing their girlfriends wearing their jerseys, but I wish there was a way to accurately describe the look on JJ’s face the first time I put his on,” I say, laughing as she leads me down the sidewalk.
A smile forms on my face as I recall the way he looked at me the other day when I was wearing his sweatshirt.
I’ve been trying really hard not to compare my fumbling disaster with Leo and my times with Trent against the afternoon last week with JJ, but there isn’t anything to compare.
JJ was perfect in every way—listening when I liked and didn’t like something, and as someone who hasn’t made a whole lot of choices when it comes to being asked what I want, JJ’s eagerness to please made me feel so wanted .
“I’m afraid I’ll never know what it feels like because Asher would pull the overprotective cousin act if I even looked in the direction of a football player,” she says, but after everything with Trent, I can’t say I blame him.
“Hey, isn’t that JJ’s Jeep?” Charlie asks, pointing out the blue Wrangler parked on the curb.
For a moment, I almost say it can’t be his because the top is on, but I remember JJ telling me he was putting it on today since we’re supposed to get rain the next few days.
“Yeah, I think it is?” I say, trying to remember if he mentioned anything about going shopping when he was done with classes. I know he’s picking me up later tonight for our date, but I can’t remember if he mentioned anything else.
“ Hope’s Flowers, ” she reads out loud, looking at the sign above the store he’s parked in front of. Is this where he gets all the flowers from? “Let’s go inside,” Charlie says, hooking her arm with mine, changing our direction.
“What about the boutique?” I ask, letting her lead me into the store.
“Why would I spend my own money when I can shop for free in Bria’s closet? We’re basically cousins-in-law, so what’s hers is mine,” she says, and I snort.
“Yeah, I probably wouldn’t call her your cousin-in-law just yet. You might send her running in the other direction.”
“Noted,” Charlie says, opening the door for us to step inside. It looks like they’re in the middle of remodeling the store, or at least moving things around, because there’s buckets of flowers displaced everywhere.
“Sorry about the mess, I’m not as young as I used to be, and my help isn’t much help,” an elderly man says from behind the counter.
“I heard that, old man. I’d like to see you assemble these shelves and move them by yourself,” a deep voice calls from the back of the store, causing my skin to pebble involuntarily. I’d know it anywhere.
“Mind your manners, boy,” he says. “What brings you ladies in today?”
“Eddie, are you talking to yourself again?” JJ asks, walking from the back of the store, a streak of dirt smeared across his glistening chest on full display.
He falters, his eyes widening as they land on us, and then his handsome face transforms into a breathtaking smile.
“Sweetheart, what are you doing here?” he says, closing the gap between us to press his lips to my forehead.
“Don’t mind me, just standing right here,” Charlie mumbles, her voice laced with sarcasm.
“Hey, Charlotte,” he greets, and she rolls her eyes, giving him the finger as Eddie stands, tapping his cane on the ground.
“No kissing the customers.”
JJ laughs, the hearty sound rumbling from his chest as I lean into him.
“This is my girlfriend, and the reason I’m keeping your business open with all the flowers I buy from you.
” JJ looks down at me, the healthy glow radiating from him causes an automatic smile to form on my face.
“Marley, meet Eddie. I come here and help him sometimes with projects he can’t do. ”
“Can’t do,” Eddie mocks, scoffing. “I can do them.”
“Yeah, well I do them for free,” JJ adds, laughing, and my pheromones are going crazy as I breathe in the scent of JJ’s sweat mixed with soil and notes of floral.
Eddie is slow to come around the counter, offering his hand to Charlie. “I hope you’re not also his girlfriend,” he jests, and JJ’s hand slides to rest on my lower back. Even just an innocent touch has my body craving more, especially after he was gone this past weekend for an away game.
“ Gross , he’s like family,” Charlie says, wrinkling her nose.
“I’m honored,” JJ says, as Eddie turns in our direction, his dark eyes crinkling as they train on me.
“You’re too pretty for him, but it’s nice to meet you. I guess you’re the one I need to thank for giving Jonathan a reason to come into the store.”
My curiosity skyrockets as JJ sighs behind me. “Eddie, we’ve talked about this. I have two first names, and I don’t go by Jonathan. It’s JJ—just JJ ,” he says, turning to wink at me.
“Jonathan?” I ask, not letting my boyfriend, whose name I apparently don’t know, try to distract me. “But your dad’s name isn’t Jonathan so how can you be a junior?”
“I’m confused, what does JJ stand for then?” Charlie pipes in, and JJ’s cheeks flush.
“It’s embarrassing,” he says, scratching the back of his neck, and I try not to get distracted by how his bicep flexes.
“My parents couldn’t agree on what to name me, and my mom wanted to name me Jonathan, but my dad wanted Jacob.
I think I went without a name for the first three days, my mom calling me Jonathan and my dad calling me Jacob before my uncle called me JJ, tired of hearing them bicker, and it stuck. ”
Charlie sputters, laughter spilling from her. “So your name is Jonathan Jacob Walker?” she asks, and I giggle, because I can totally see them doing that.
The corners of JJ’s mouth pull up as he chuckles. “Actually, it’s Jonathan Jacob Alexander Walker. Alexander was my great-grandfather’s name, but talk about giving your kid the longest name on Earth to learn how to spell.”
I look at Eddie, curiosity getting the better of me because how have I never thought to ask what JJ stood for? “How do you know this?” I ask, astonished by this kernel of information.
“He didn’t believe how tall I was, so he asked to see my ID.” JJ snorts, his thumb dragging back and forth over my shirt, his fingertips grazing my skin.
“I thought your generation was supposed to be all interested in serial killers and stuff, and you didn’t think to ask for his ID?” Eddie asks, and JJ scoffs, but I mean, he has a point.
“Do I look like a serial killer?”
“I feel like his point is most serial killers don’t look like serial killers, so maybe you do, but I’m also literally never calling you JJ again as payback for all the times you’ve called me Charlotte,” Charlie says, beaming as Eddie chuckles.
“I think she means it,” I whisper, and JJ’s chest rumbles.
“Probably,” he agrees, stepping away toward an assortment of roses, plucking a lavender colored rose to pass to me. “Une belle fleur pour ma chérie.” 24
I recognize the flower immediately as the same one Bria found outside our door, confirming my suspicions it was JJ all along.
His green eyes twinkle like stars in the night sky, and Eddie’s cane taps the floor again. “I’m taking it out of your pay,” Eddie says, but there’s nothing but fondness in his tone.
“You’re not paying me, Eddie,” JJ says, shaking his head as he leans toward me, his mouth kissing the corner of mine fleetingly. “I need to finish up here, and in the nicest way possible, I won’t be able to focus with you here. I’ll pick you up later?”
“Can’t wait,” I say, my heart turning to straight mush. “Charlie has some shopping to do in Bria’s closet. It was nice to meet you, Eddie. You have a beautiful shop,” I say, smiling at the old man.
“It was nice to meet you both,” Eddie says, and on our way out the door, I smile, hearing JJ and Eddie’s conversation continue before the door shuts behind us.
This time, I’m the one with a skip to my step as we walk back to my car.
~
“Are you going to tell me what the plan is?” I ask as JJ stops at a red light.
I caved and ended up texting him to ask what the plan was for tonight, but JJ kept his answer vague, saying to wear something casual and comfortable.
It didn’t really help much, but I’m learning to adapt from the expectations of the city to find my own sense of style, despite how many people have been staring at me on campus since my relationship with JJ made headlines.
I picked a pair of denim shorts and a cute cropped top Charlie pulled from the back of my closet earlier, insisting I wear it tonight to bring out the blue in my eyes.
I kept my hair natural and went light on my makeup, but I’m dying to know what JJ has planned for this evening.
It honestly doesn’t matter what we do because the fact that he took the time to plan tonight means more to me than where we end up.
“We’re almost there,” he says, patting his hand resting on my thigh, temporarily distracting me. “You’re impatient tonight.”