Page 21 of Love Medley (Med Wreck Romance #1)

Chapter fifteen

Lucy

S tanding in front of the mirror, I’m flooded with panic as I run my hands down the embroidered tulle overlay covering my evening gown.

The baby blue trumpet-style dress is sleeveless with the satin layer curving in a sweetheart neckline.

The tulle layer extends all the way up my chest where it fastens at the nape of my neck.

But even though the dress is everything I could have hoped for, I’m having an out-of-body experience—the stranger staring back at me is trembling. Something shifted between Jake and me at his apartment, and since then, it’s been hard to breathe.

Am I falling for the guy I’m fake dating? And that moment at the piano—could it be that I’m not alone in what I’m feeling?

But that doesn’t make sense. Isn’t Jake in love with Sam still?

And what about me? Even if Jake were interested, is this really the right time? I’m still caught up in Weston’s mind games. Am I truly ready for something new? And even if I am, would Jake even want to get attached to someone who is so broken?

As if he hears me, Weston’s voice rings in my head as I stare at myself. Are you sure you want to wear that? You look cheap. That’s too tight. I can see every extra pound you gained this year.

And then… I own you. Why do you think anyone would want to hear anything you have to say? You’re nothing without me.

I can already see my shoulders hunching in the mirror, my hands trembling and ready to cover my ears, as if that will block out his voice.

Instead, my eyes dart around my room. Three things I see.

My bed, my brush, my satin heels in the corner.

Three things I smell. Lavender from my body wash.

Aerosol from my hair spray. Vanilla from my lotion.

Three things I touch. My dress, my flowery bedspread, my hair.

Three things I hear. The whirring of my A/C, the honking of a car outside, the soundtrack of The Greatest Showman playing softly in the background.

Inhaling deeply, I sense my pulse dropping, but so is my gut. Jake taught me these skills in his quietly competent way when I was falling apart, and I needed his help.

We're so different in the ways that matter—Jake is solid and strong. And me? I'm not. I'm terrified that one day, whatever remains intact in me will finally shatter. And he shouldn't have to be the one to pick up the pieces.

So even if we could date? I can’t do that to him. I can’t do that to myself. Deep down, I'd know I was just holding him back. He deserves someone whole.

But the idea of him with Sam makes my insides crawl. She’s not good enough for him either.

Anyway, all of this is besides the point. The goal for tonight has not changed. I’m going to go in there and do my part. Jake is getting nothing out of this—tonight is for me—and I need to make sure it's worth his effort.

As I straighten my shoulders, I think the woman in the mirror at least gives off the vibe of strength. Even if the opposite is true.

Just then, there’s a buzz on my phone.

“Hello?” God, is my hand shaking?

“Hey, I’m downstairs.”

Smiling when I hear Jake’s voice is becoming automatic, no matter how hopeless the situation is. A flutter stirs deep in my belly. “I’ll be right there.”

When I catch sight of him as I exit my building, I pause, my breath hitching in my throat.

I love seeing him like this, unaware that I’m there. He’s completely relaxed, arms crossed in front of his chest, one leg draped over the other as his back rests against his Toyota Camry. He’s dressed in a light gray suit with a baby blue tie, his figure all sharp lines and quiet masculinity.

In other words, Jake is devastatingly hot.

Why did I have to meet this gorgeous man who has a heart of gold, only to realize that he could never be mine?

Stiffening my spine, I paste a smile on my face and take a step towards him.

Jake finally glimpses me—his eyes widening as he straightens. The seconds tick by, the world fading away as my attention becomes solely fixed on the man in front of me.

I move closer, detecting a hint of starch and deodorant mixed with a musky scent that is entirely Jake.

“You look gorgeous,” Jake murmurs, tucking a curl behind my ear. The sensation of his fingers against my skin sends a tremor through me. In slow motion, he leans towards me, and for a second, I think he’s going to kiss me, but then he reaches past me to open the car door.

My breath leaves me in a rush, and disappointment surges through me. “Thanks.”

“Your chariot awaits, milady,” he says, winking.

As Jake settles into the driver’s seat, his knee starts bouncing up and down. He keeps glancing my way, and I don’t know what to make of it. Is he stressed about where we’re headed—what we're about to do? Or…something else?

Why do I even care? I ineffectively attempt to squash my treacherous heart.

Tonight is going to be excruciating, and not because of Weston .

As Jake pulls away from the curb, I try to fill the space. “I apologize in advance. This is going to be a really boring event. But at least you’ll meet my friend Isabelle.”

“That’s okay. Tell me about her.” He sends me a reassuring smile that’s like a bear hug to my soul.

Heart kicking up in response, I’m trying to remember what I was going to say because Jake makes me forget everything but him.

“Isabelle is a total sweetheart, a huge romance buff, and the most artistic person I know. You should see her crazy craft room! By the way, Iz is aware that we’re fake dating, so we can relax a little around her. ”

More sentences tumble out, like a dam that’s been released.

“Oh! I should tell you about my other best friends too, Amelia and Zoe. They’re opting out of this snooze fest, which was super smart of them.

Amelia is like the mom of our group—she organizes everything and gives the best advice.

And Zoe?” I laugh a little self-consciously.

“She’s totally badass; she takes no prisoners.

After you meet her once, you’ll know what I mean.

Annnnnd I just realized I don’t know anything about your friends. ”

Just wow. Can someone just put a piece of duct tape over my mouth and call it a day?

Jake laughs as I suppress the urge to sink down into my seat.

“Well, we are cramming a lifetime of information into one week. I have two really good friends in the area. One is Luke Barrett, who I met in college. He just recently started as bar manager at TNT. The other is Trix Winstead, who is a high school friend. She’s brilliant and works on developing medical apps. ”

My eyes widen at the mention of a female best friend. Does Jake have a romantic history with Trix? He clearly thinks the world of her, and she certainly sounds impressive. Jealousy strikes me in the gut.

But all I say out loud is, “Okay, Trix and Luke. Got it.”

Jake’s mention of TNT reminds me that I’d love to see him play.

Maybe changing the subject will keep my mind off of the strange pulse of envy I’m experiencing.

“TNT sounds like a lot of fun. Do you think my friends and I might be able to swing by one night when you’re playing?

At the bare minimum, it probably makes sense for you to know what they look like.

And if Weston expresses any doubt about our relationship, we can even say I’m going to watch you perform there soon. ”

Jake nods, tapping his fingers on the wheel. “I’d love for you and your friends to come. I stopped playing for a few months because of my new job at Blackwell ER, but I’m about to pick up regular shifts again. In fact, I’m playing this Saturday night, if you’re available then?”

I pick up my phone, flushing at the thought of seeing him perform, and glance at the excel spreadsheet of our shifts. “Yes! That works. I’ll ask the girls if they’re available too.”

“Luke might be there. I’ll point him out if he’s working the bar. He still takes bartending shifts sometimes.”

As we approach the Hilton parking lot, I remember a question I was going to ask Jake. “Oh! You told me you had two brothers, but we only talked about Sterling last time. ”

Jake snorts. “My other brother is Wyatt, and he’d be pissed I forgot to tell my fake girlfriend about him.

He’s a lawyer and works way too much, so I rarely see him.

Since I don’t go to family dinners anymore, the number of those interactions has dropped even further.

That said, he’s still probably the person in my family I’m closest to. ”

The mention of me being his girlfriend sends tingles down my spine, but I remind myself there was a “fake” attached to it. “And your mom? You haven’t really talked about her,” I say, trying to regain my equilibrium.

Jake sighs. “Yeah…we’re not that close, but I don’t have the same issues with her as I do my dad and Sterling. I should probably call her more than I do.”

And with that, we’re in the parking lot, and I’m so not prepared for this.

As if Jake can hear my thoughts, he turns to me. “Ready?”

Nope.

And out loud: “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

When we approach the Hilton’s entrance, Jake glances down at me.

“Um, should we hold hands?” he asks. “I'll do whatever you’re comfortable with.”

The idea of walking into the event hand in hand with Jake sounds better than just nice…it’s scarily too close to what I want. And yet, I’m also quite aware that by doing so I’m sinking steadily into a pit of my own making.

But that’s not enough for me to say no. I have no self-preservation instincts after all.

I’m unable to speak, so I merely nod. Jake intertwines his fingers with mine, like we’ve done it a million times before. All of my nerves are going haywire with the sheer sensation of skin on skin.

“You’re right,” I say, my voice barely audible. “No one will believe we’re dating if we’re five feet apart. You have my permission to stand close and touch me like a real boyfriend would.”

I immediately flush. Did I actually say that out loud?

Jake’s Adam’s apple bobs up and down his throat as he swallows.

“Okay.” His voice comes out as a rasp.

Before I can make much sense of my roiling feelings, we run into Isabelle outside of the ballroom.

She’s wearing a long, satin royal blue dress with a high neckline and three-quarter sleeves and funky glasses.

Iz looks beautiful as she always does, but I wonder why she always feels the need to cover up so much skin when she’s out in public.

She clearly has a rocking body, and I wish she’d show it off once in a while with something better suited to her curves.

“Hey y’all, you look great!” Iz gushes, giving me a squeeze and a kiss on the cheek, distracting me out of my thoughts.

She immediately clocks our clasped hands and grins as my face burns. “Hi Jake, I’m Isabelle.”

Jake shakes Isabelle’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Ready to enter this wolves’ den?” Iz asks. “Holler if you need any backup. I’m sure I’ll be bored to tears talking to some random doctor that Daddy wants to introduce me to.”

Oh. Maybe she had a reason for her outfit after all. I know all too well about using clothes as a buffer.

“Thanks, Iz,” I say, grateful. “I really appreciate it.”

“Always,” she says, her brown eyes warm. “See you later.” She gives me a not-so-subtle wink as she walks off.

“She seems sweet,” Jake says as I hand him his ticket.

“Very,” I say. “Maybe we can hang out more later.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

After checking into the event, Jake and I stroll into the ballroom. The place is covered with white elegant long tables with nice table settings. Almost immediately, I feel Jake tense.

“What is it?” I whisper.

The conflict is clear in his eyes. “Sterling is here…with Sam.”