Page 23 of Love Medley (Med Wreck Romance #1)

Chapter seventeen

Lucy

W hile I was ready to go to war with Sterling and Sam for Jake, I instantly lose all of my righteous rage when we cross paths with Weston.

Objectively, he looks good in his tux, his bright blue eyes probably still a draw to the opposite sex. But for me, seeing his chiseled face just makes me want to cut and run.

Jake squeezes my hip, and I take a deep breath. I’m so glad Jake is here, otherwise I’m not sure what I would have done. Let Weston drag me somewhere just because I didn’t have it in me to fight?

The thought makes me want to vomit.

“Lucy,” Weston says, ignoring the fact that Jake is there too. His eyes sweep over the dress, and his jaw clenches, but he immediately forces a phony, relaxed expression on his face. I could pretend I never saw that reaction, like I have in the past, but I know it was there.

“Weston,” I say, and I’m proud that my voice comes out even.

“You look…nice.”

I stiffen at his insincere words. “Thank you,” I say, my words coming out stilted.

“How about we meet up on Saturday when we can have…” His cold, blue eyes drift over Jake with unconcealed disdain before sliding away again. “More privacy.”

Weston’s arrogant disregard of Jake, this incredible man who no one seems to acknowledge or value, is what ultimately pushes me to speak up.

“Jake and I have plans on Saturday. He’s a dueling pianist at Tunes and Tonic, and I plan to go see him play.

In fact, I think my days and nights are booked for the foreseeable future. Come on, Jake.”

I don’t bother watching for Weston’s reaction as I tug Jake with me.

“Damn, Lucy. That was hot,” Jake says and pauses as if he is surprised the words made it out of his mouth. But then he rallies: “You’re, uh, getting the hang of this assertive thing, aren’t you?”

But I’m so glad Jake said those words—they make me glow inside. I grin, my heartbeat remaining at a quick clip, the elevated rate no longer related to the confrontation with Weston. “Yeah, maybe.”

Glancing at Jake, I marvel that he's helped me see what I might be capable of. Here is a man who makes me wonder if sometimes risks are worth taking…for the chance of something bigger and better.

As I’m gazing into Jake’s eyes—is that admiration I see in them?—I think of something that I’ve wanted for ages but have been denying myself because of Weston.

I’m done with that. Fuck him , as Zoe so aptly put it.

The words are out before I can overthink them. “Want to get out of here? Maybe grab some burgers?”

For a second, I panic—was that the wrong thing to say? I’ve never managed to beat back that no-good impulsivity of mine.

Jake’s hesitant grin becomes a full-fledged wonder. At the sight, I feel a rush of fresh air, the sense of breathing freely for the first time in years.

And then, he says, “Thought you’d never ask.”

Fifteen minutes later, Jake parks in front of a freestanding restaurant with the neon sign “Bill’s.” The place looks like it could use a few repairs.

But when I get out of Jake’s car, none of that matters. I immediately close my eyes in bliss and inhale deeply. I haven’t had a burger in over a year. “Oh my, that smells so good. ”

Jake laughs, looking incredibly relaxed. I had no idea how tense he was until just now.

“You’re in for a treat. You’ve seriously never been here before?”

“Never. This seems like a secret local place.” I’m betting Bill’s is more than just a restaurant to Jake, and the notion of seeing him in his comfort zone thrills me. I’m craving more insider info about this man.

“You’re probably right. In high school, I used to come here on a regular basis after playing video games with Trix.”

Yes, I knew it! And even though the mention of Trix jars me, I’m able to recover. “You're such a nerd.”

Jake shrugs. “I own it.”

That one motion of his shoulder, the casual but very real confidence that I’ve rarely seen in him, undoes me, and something warm seeps into my chest.

Then he holds out his hand to me, a question in his eyes, and the last bit of resistance in me falls away. I take it.

As we enter the restaurant, a sense of rightness overpowers me. The heat of his hand combined with the delicious smells feels like cuddling by a fireplace, wrapped in the most comfortable blanket. Bill’s is old-timey, familiar, and cozy, and I immediately feel at home.

No wonder Jake is completely at ease here.

To the left, several people sit on stools facing a long, white counter and a central grill where several cooks are flipping the sizzling meat.

On the right side of the restaurant, there are battered-looking wooden booths with cracked vinyl padding on the seats, some of the holes covered by duct tape.

“Hey, Bill,” Jake says, waving to a middle-aged man with graying hair at the grill.

“Jake, good to see you! It’s been a while,” Bill says with a twinkle in his eye, raising his eyebrows when he sees our interlocked hands. “And who is this?”

“This is Lucy,” Jake says. “She’s my girlfriend.” His eyes cut briefly to me, a furrow in his brow.

I almost stumble over my feet when he says that, but then I thrill at the word. Of course, he’s probably just continuing our facade just in case. But despite all my reservations, I wonder if…maybe?

To Bill’s credit, he has a decent poker face. “I don’t think you’ve ever brought a girlfriend here.”

“You’re probably right,” Jake laughs. “She’s special.” He doesn’t look at me, but he squeezes my hand, and my stomach flip-flops.

“She must be,” Bill says, assessing me, while my face burns. “Well, welcome, Lucy. I hope you like burgers and fries.”

“I do,” I manage. “They smell delicious.”

Bill pauses, looking at both of us more carefully. “You two look really nice. Are you going somewhere after this?”

As one, Jake and I immediately lock eyes, a smirk appearing on both of our faces. Obviously, we're thinking the same thing.

“We just came from somewhere, actually,” he says finally. “But it was kind of a lame dinner, so we decided to get some actual food.”

Bill laughs. “Well you’ve come to the right place. Do you know what you want? ”

Jake turns to me. “Do you have any allergies or any food restrictions?”

I shake my head. “Nope.”

Jake flashes me a dimple. “Do you trust me?”

His gray eyes are focused on me, and somehow, I know he’s asking about more than just my dietary preferences.

I…never thought I’d trust another man after what happened with Weston. But I know the answer.

Jake is gentle, kind, and sweet. He stayed by my side when I was panicking in the ER parking lot.

He made sure that my patient Tanya was okay.

He jumped in to help me with Weston, no questions asked.

He’s my firm ground—steady, solid, something to cling to in the chaos.

A beacon in a sea of turbulent waters. A safe haven.

I’m so gone for this man.

“Yes,” I say, squeezing his hand. I try to impart everything I’m feeling into that one touch.

Jake holds my gaze for a beat and nods. “Bill, let’s introduce Lucy properly to your food. Two burgers all the way, and the trifecta of onion rings, fries, and cheese curds. Do you drink beer?”

I grin. “Beer always goes well with burgers. I’m partial to wheat beer.”

Jake’s eyes glow. “A girl after my own heart. Add two wheat beers, whatever’s on tap.”

“You got it,” Bill says and turns back to the grill. “You guys grab a seat anywhere you want. ”

Jake and I only release our hands when we settle on opposite sides in one of the beat-up wooden booths. When have I ever felt this…content?

“This is way better than staying at that stuffy event,” I say.

Jake loosens his tie and somehow manages to look more handsome than he did before. He was already looking more settled in the parking lot, but now, he has an easy calm about him that fills me with an unexpected joy. “I was up for anything, but I admit I’m really excited for a Bill’s burger.”

“Me too.” I pause. “Jake, I’m sorry if I made things worse between you and Sterling. I didn’t realize how bad he was until I met him myself. You really were downplaying what he’s like.”

Jake runs a hand through his hair. “Honestly, while I appreciate your apology, it’s unnecessary.

Nothing you could do or say would have made a difference.

I was pretty much disowned after I told my dad I dropped out of medical school and became a nurse.

And Sterling and my dad pretty much agree on everything. ”

My jaw drops open. “Your dad disowned you? For that?”

“My dad is old school when it comes to what kinds of jobs are acceptable for men to have. He cut me off financially after that night, not that I wanted to touch any more Whitlock money. I’ve never wanted to be a trust-fund kid.

” Even though Jake is much more himself here at Bill’s, the mention of his father galvanizes his leg to move up and down.

There’s nothing I want more than to ease that tension.

“That took a lot of guts,” I say firmly. “I feel like I’ve been drifting a lot, especially lately. I know better than most how hard it is to pursue your own dreams in the face of parental disapproval. You should be proud of standing up for yourself.”

Unlike me.

Jake grins, but there’s a sad tinge to his smile. “It almost sounds like you have personal experience with that.”

I sigh, tracing a napkin with my fingers.

“Yeah. I spent a lot of my life trying to be perfect for my parents so they wouldn’t have another kid to worry about.

Like I told you before, my brother Peter is…

troubled…so they have enough on their plate to deal with.

I pretty much did what they wanted without protest.”

Talking about this with Jake makes me want to be braver, but I don’t know how to be.

“That sucks that you felt pressured into being a certain way for your parents. I get that on a molecular level.” He pauses for a beat. “And then you went from them to…Weston.”

Jake’s right. I felt caged in by my parents and then just perpetuated that prison with Weston. What is wrong with me?

“I shouldn’t have said that,” Jake says immediately, an apology in his eyes. “What do I know?”

“No, you’re absolutely right. This is me making the connections that you took about five seconds to make.” Will I ever be really worthy of Jake when I still have so far to go?

Jake sighs. “I think it’s tough for people, me included, to see things clearly when it deals with their own lives.”

Then our food and beers materialize, and I suppress my churning emotions. This is literally the best meal I’ve had since…well, pr e-Weston. My stomach isn’t used to this type of food, but I still manage to eat quite a bit. The tastes are glorious in my mouth.

My eyes cut to the man across from me, who is watching me as well. A hint of red creeps up his neck when he realizes I’m looking back. He immediately returns his gaze to his plate.

Jake Whitlock. He’s everything I never knew I wanted. I can admit that now.

But then my heart seizes in my chest. My mind recalls something I should have been thinking of this entire time. The confrontation with Weston, the giddy journey to Bill’s, holding hands with Jake, being called his girlfriend—all of that made me forget.

That look on Jake’s face when he saw Sterling and Sam together at the Centennial—that was real. He’s still not over her, and I can’t discount that no matter how I feel.

Once again, my damned impulsivity is going to be my undoing. I’ve fallen for the guy I’m fake dating.

But he’s still in love with someone else.

And that knowledge swallows me whole.