Page 30 of Score to Settle (Oakwood Ranch #1)

“I won’t stay long.” He grins, ignoring my reply. “I realized I didn’t need to be at practice just yet, and thought I’d buy you lunch.”

Before we can say another word, a waitress hurries over. “What do you need?” she asks like she’s offering a lot more than what’s on the menu.

“Just water for me, thanks,” he replies, and I’m relieved when the smile he flashes her is polite, but nothing more. “Unless you ladies are ready for another cocktail?”

I shake my head. “I’m supposed to be spending the afternoon making sure I look presentable for tonight’s dinner. One cocktail is already more than I need.”

Mia takes a long sip from her own drink before she replies, “You’re going to need way more than one cocktail to be in the same room as Scott tonight. I almost wish I was going so I could tell that piece of shit what I think of him.”

“I think I would pay to see that,” I grin. Mia’s eyes light up and I know exactly what she’s going to say, so I cut her off. “But it’s my dad’s night so I’m going to pretend he doesn’t exist and not make a scene.”

Only when the waitress has brought Jake’s water does he stretch his arm over the back of the booth behind me, moving in close so I can smell the heady scent of him.

“You always look a lot more than presentable,” he says and there’s something in his eyes that makes me think he’s picturing the red two-piece swimsuit.

Then just as quickly, the arm is gone and he’s leaning across the table to Mia.

“So, tell me all the embarrassing stories about Harper.”

“Well, I’m guessing Harper has already mentioned the huge crush she had on you in high school?” Mia says with a devilish smile.

I yelp, almost spitting out my drink as heat floods my cheeks. “Mia,” I warn, knowing exactly where this is going. “Don’t you dare.”

Jake winks at me before fixing his gaze back on my soon-to-be ex-best friend. “Oh Mia, I think you do dare.”

She laughs. “I don’t think crush really sums it up. She was madly in love with you.”

I groan and concentrate on my cocktail as delight dances in Jake’s eyes. I want to kill Mia for this. But of course, I won’t. I know exactly what she’s up to. She’s trying to matchmake us.

“She had your timetable printed in the back of her notebook,” Mia continues with that cackling laugh that, even while I’m wishing the world would swallow me up, makes me laugh too. “She would hang around near your locker when she knew you’d be passing.”

Jake shoots me a curious look and I can see him raking over his memories of high school before shaking his head. “I had no idea.”

“That makes it worse,” I mumble, flames burning my cheeks. “But I was a sophomore and you were a senior. Hardly surprising you didn’t know I existed.”

“I was a total idiot back in high school,” Jake says.

“And all my friends were bigger idiots. All I cared about was football. I’m glad you didn’t know me back then because you’d probably hate me right now if you did.

” His comment lands at the exact moment Mia’s foot nudges mine like she’s making sure I’m listening.

I can almost hear her voice in my head, reminding me that people change.

She’s right. I think how much I’ve changed in the last ten years.

I was so certain this feature would prove Jake was an awful person.

That him opening up to me would be his downfall.

I even thought it would serve as payback for how much he humiliated me, but the truth is, he’s not the person I’ve spent the last ten years hating.

Mia cackles again, pulling me back to the restaurant. “And all those practices and games she made me watch. Sitting in the freezing cold.”

“Made you watch?” I laugh. “You only came with me to copy my homework.”

“Hang on.” Jake turns in the seat and the warmth of his leg touching mine stirs a heat in me I try to ignore. “You came to high school practices and games?”

I pull a face and nod.

“And you still didn’t pick up any of the rules or understanding of the game?”

I bury my head in my hands as Mia replies with another cackle of laughter. “She was watching you, not the game.”

“I’m so sorry,” Jake says, seeming genuinely apologetic. “I had no idea you had a crush on me. And honestly, you were better off without me back then.”

But what about now? The question pops into my head unbidden and I bury it before I can think about the answer.

“Maybe so, but you went off to college and broke my heart,” I say, shoving Jake’s arm playfully, pretending like I didn’t spend all those hours crying on Mia’s bed.

Jake checks the time and pulls a face. “I need to get to practice. Good to see you, Mia. It’s been very… informative.” Then he leans toward me and whispers in my ear, “Have you forgiven me for breaking your heart yet?”

I burst out laughing as my face heats all over again. Jake has no idea how close he came to me not forgiving him. “Yes. Now go. I’ll see you tomorrow. Try not to get into trouble while I’m not there to babysit you.”

He flashes me a final grin and I watch him walk away, unable to tear my eyes from his ass and those muscular legs.

“Perv.” Mia laughs, catching me staring.

“Mia,” I growl the second the door closes behind him. “I can’t believe you did that. I’m so telling Edward it was you who broke his blender. On purpose!”

She gives me a dismissive wave as our food arrives—two large plates of chicken salad with fries on the side.

“I was doing you a favor. Besides, I could’ve told him you killed bunny rabbits in your spare time and he’d still have looked at you all googly-eyed.

The sexual tension between you two is off the charts. ”

“No way.” I shake my head.

“The hell it isn’t. So if you want me to book a hotel tonight for me and Edward so you and Jake can have my apartment, that’s cool with me.” She waggles her eyebrows suggestively.

I bark a laugh. “Don’t you dare. Jake will be at the ranch tonight. And even if he wasn’t, nothing would happen between us.”

“I’m just being a good friend,” she says, popping a French fry into her mouth.

“Being a pimp, more like.” I laugh, deciding not to mention that with Dylan and Mama in LA for the next six days, Jake and I have Oakwood Ranch to ourselves. The last thing I need is Mia’s encouragement. I already feel like my professionalism is now hanging by the same tenuous thread as my career.

Mia grins, taking a long sip of her cocktail. When she fixes her gaze on me again, her expression is serious. “There’s something I have to tell you about Jake.”

“What is it?” I ask, my stomach knotting although I’m not sure why.

“Don’t be mad, but I spoke to Serena about the article you wrote on Jake.”

Heat floods my face. “Mia!”

“I didn’t mention you. I swear. I was super vague. I just asked if she remembered it, and get this—she swears Chase told her back then that Jake told him he didn’t make the copies. One of his friends did. Remember Bruno Arnolds?”

“Vaguely.” Jake told Chase who told Serena who told Mia, who’s now telling me. My head spins with how much this conversation sounds like high school.

“Apparently he snatched it from Jake’s locker and made copies before Jake even got to see it. And I know that doesn’t excuse what he said to his friends, but it kind of makes it not so bad, doesn’t it?”

I nod slowly. There’s still a pang of hurt when I think about what Jake said that day.

I’d rather die than meet the loser who wrote that!

Those words crushed me. Broke my heart. Destroyed my confidence.

Made me think I wasn’t good enough to be treated well in relationships.

Made me question every decision I made. Except—can I really blame Jake for all of those things?

I have a dad who’s barely been there my whole life, a mom who died before I was old enough to remember her, not to mention having my fair share of teen hang-ups about myself and my body.

And yet, all this time, as I’ve mostly steered clear of men to work on my own confidence, I’ve blamed Jake. Hated him for it.

Realization is hot beneath my skin. Jake might’ve been an idiot in high school, but I’ve been one ever since.