Page 4

"Are you sure?" Kay asks for the tenth time, her voice edging on concern as we sit outside, the cold creeping into my bones while we wait for the guys to pick me up. After Keven went to check on Silas, I packed the little stuff I had here and went outside to call Kendra, letting her know I was down to hang out with her and the guys.

Jake never did text me back after he got caught, which is fine. I wouldn't have responded anyway.

“Yes, we’re just going to Kendra’s house. And you know I can take care of myself.”

“Elle,”

she looks at me like she still sees me pressed against the wall, his hand over my mouth and tears in my eyes. I shake my head, a silent plea.

“Fine, but I'm taking a picture of his license plate when he gets here,”

she says, like it’s the most logical thing in the world. I can’t help but smile a little. I’d expect nothing less from her.

“Now’s your chance. There he is.”

I say, my voice coming out shaky as I look down the street and spot the headlights coming around the corner before he pulls into the driveway. I take a deep breath and try to calm my racing heart and tuck my shaking hands into my pockets as I stand up and make my way to the car.

I thought I was prepared to see him, thought what happened earlier would ruin my night, but my cheeks heat when he rolls his window down, sticking his arm out, waving hello. All I can think about is what his fingers felt like inside me. How different he felt pressed against me than Silas did tonight. He’s even more handsome now, not covered in sweat and high off his ass.

I do my best to ignore him, though, focusing instead on Brandon as I greet him and give Jake a small nod before sliding into the back seat while Kay takes her pictures. First, his license plate, then him and Brandon, before warning them that if I don't text or call to check in every thirty minutes, she’ll call the cops. They both look back at me like she's crazy, but I just shrug my shoulders.

"How’s your day been?" I ask Brandon, keeping my tone light as we get on the freeway, determined to act like Jake doesn’t even exist, even though every part of me is aware of how close he is.

"Same old,”

he says, shrugging casually like I know his schedule, “Work, gym, the usual. But this is definitely a nice change of pace." He says, turning around in his seat to look at me and smiling.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat and stare down at my feet. I’m not interested in him in the slightest—not just because of what almost happened tonight with Silas and not because he’s nowhere near as good-looking as Jake. My eyes drift to Jake in the rearview mirror, and I'm surprised to see him already watching me. I look away quickly, heat rushing to my face and my stomach twisting at the memory of his hands on my body, his voice in my ear.

My phone buzzes with a text and my head whips back to the mirror to see Jake smiling as he puts his phone away.

you look beautiful tonight.

I shove my phone back into my pocket, shaking my head, and go back to ignoring him completely. I turn my focus to the window, watching as we pass through Fife, anything to keep from meeting his eyes. It’s late, so the road is clear as we make our way to Kendra’s, and I use the short drive to clear my head of everything Silas.

I can still feel Jake’s eyes on me, though. My jaw clenches, my breathing shallow, as he watches, like a game of chicken, and he's waiting for me to break first.

“My dad’s upstairs sleeping, but don't worry, he sleeps like the dead,”

Kendra says 15 minutes later when we pull up to her house. She grabs my arm and leads us inside, whispering about how excited she is and how good Jake looks tonight.

“Drinks, anyone?”

She asks as we gather around her kitchen island. Brandon stands next to me and smiles my way when I look at him. I smile back only because Kendra asked me to make him comfortable, ensuring Jake stays longer.

I couldn't stay at Silas’, but having to sit here all night and watch Jake and Kendra flirt doesn't sound like a good time either. I don't get it. She knows what happened with me and Jake; she was there and actively participated in what happened on the dance floor.

“I brought Vodka,”

Jake says, pulling out a bottle of Smirnoff and holding it out.

I snatch it from his hand, bringing it to my lips. Smooth and bitter, the liquid hits my tongue, and I swallow hard, feeling the liquid snake its way down my throat. A slow warmth immediately spreads through me, easing the tightening in my chest.

“Damn. A woman after my own heart,”

Brandon jokes as I hand him the bottle next, eyeing me with a raised brow as he takes a smaller swig and then hands it to Jake.

“Who wants to play a drinking game?”

Brandon asks after everyone has had a drink. I start to shake my head no, but I see Kendra out of the corner of my eye mouthing yes. I knew what I was getting into tonight, but I had planned to do the bare minimum. Games feel like too much effort right now.

Brandon keeps up his flirting as we play Never Have I Ever, sending what I can only assume are supposed to be flirty looks my way and tossing out jokes left and right. I toss out basic, safe questions when it’s my turn and mostly lie during theirs. Never have I ever been in an orgy, no drink, lie. Never have I ever had a one-night stand, no drink, not a lie. Kendra uses her questions like they're foreplay, and Brandon scoots closer to me, clearly seeing where she’s trying to lead the night.

Across the table, Jake watches with an unreadable expression as Brandon puts his arm on the back of my chair. His lips are pressed together, and he gives Kendra a hard smile when she touches his arm, turning his attention back to her.

I take the opportunity, with his eyes finally not on me, to excuse myself and slip into the kitchen. As I pour myself another shot, I hear footsteps behind me. I take a breath and turn to see Brandon leaning against the doorframe, his smile still in place, but lopsided as he squints his eyes at me. I scolded myself for the way my heart skipped a beat, thinking it might be Jake.

“Hey, where’d you go?”

“Just needed a breather,”

I say lightly, turning back to my drink and trying to focus on pouring it, but listening to keep a mental note of where he is behind me, slightly uncomfortable with being alone with him after what happened with Silas.

"Oh, come on, you sure it’s not because of me?”

He walks into the kitchen, a playful look in his eyes as he comes to stand beside me.

“No, it’s not you,”

I laugh softly, shaking my head. “Just not really in the mood for all this.”

I gestured vaguely back to the room, “Raves in two states this weekend and not enough sleep.” I add, wanting him to understand without hurting his feelings. He seems like a nice guy, and I hate that I’m leading him on.

Brandon pauses, processing my words, and then responds with a nod. “Fair enough. No pressure, okay?”

he says, reaching out and placing his hand on my shoulder and giving it a small squeeze before walking back into the room with the others.

“So, how old is your son?”

Jake asks a little while later. It’s the first time he’s spoken to me tonight.

“Damian’s 13 months now.” I smile.

“My little girl, Caylee, is four,”

Jake replies, a wide smile spreads on his face when he talks about her.

“Caylee is the cutest. She’s such a little daddy’s girl, too.”

Brandon chimes in, leaning back in his chair. He hasn’t touched me again since our encounter in the kitchen, and his chair is a few inches further away.

“She really is cute. Jake sent me a picture of her earlier today.”

Kendra gushes, laying her head in her hands and staring at Jake like he hung the moon. He sent me the picture today too, before I found out about him and Kendra talking, and she really is adorable, but I don't say any of that. I just smile and nod my head, Jake watching with a small dimple appearing as he smiles back.

He eats up her attention with a smile on his face, but his eyes are on me as he slips his hands behind his neck and leans back in his chair.

“Hey, it’s getting late, or, I guess, early,”

Kendra laughs, glancing at the clock. “My dad will be up for work soon. You guys wanna head back to your place and keep hanging out or something?”

The guys exchange a quick look, and before Jake can say anything, Brandon jumps in eagerly. “Yeah, sounds good,”

he says, flashing a grin. Jake just nods and smiles before asking where the bathroom is, as I head back into the kitchen to clean up so Kendra’s dad doesn't notice. But as I reach up to put the now-clean glasses in the cabinet, I feel someone come up behind me.

“Here, let me”

Jake says, reaching over me to put a glass away, boxing me in. I turn to face him and take a deep breath as he places both hands on the counter behind me, the subtle scent of sandalwood and citrus surrounding me as I stare up at him.

“You can ignore me all you want, but you do look beautiful tonight,”

he whispers, leaning in, “I’m only here because he wanted to see you,”

he nods to the room behind him, “and I have a feeling you're only here because she wanted to see me.” He smiles, lifting a hand to tuck my hair behind my ear, “Are we sticking with that?” he asks backing away, an eyebrow raised as he walks backward, only turning when he’s at the doorway.

I shake my head as I turn, placing both hands on the counter in front of me and hanging my head. It looks like we were both taking one for the team tonight. Being around him feels like I’m in a constant state of whiplash. I shake my head and smile as I walk back into the room, the way he whispered the word beautiful playing on repeat in my mind.

“Here, Kendra, you take the front.”

Brandon offers once we’re outside at Jake’s car, and I take the opportunity to text Jake back.

9:00 PM: you look beautiful tonight.

NOW: Keep your eyes on the road this time ;)

Brandon continues drinking in the car, finishing off the bottle that Jake brought and staring at me longer, like the conversation in the kitchen earlier never happened. I keep my focus on him, watching him closer now that he’s clearly drunk. His voice grows louder as the 45-minute drive to Lacey goes on, his eyes growing glassy and unfocused as they roam over me.

The longer this goes on, the more uneasy I feel. My skin prickles, a knot tightening in my stomach, but I can’t look away. I wish I could, but I’m stuck, unsure if I’ll become trapped under a man's hands for a second time tonight.

But I can feel Jake’s eyes on me from the rearview mirror, lingering too long, long enough to make me worry Kendra will notice, but she doesn't. She just continues talking, filling the silence when Jake gives short, clipped responses back. Jake was right earlier, but he doesn’t need to know that.

I don’t want to think about why that makes me happy, why being near Jake feels like a pull, why every part of me wants to meet his gaze.

“So, he’s definitely hammered,”

I say, glancing through the window as Brandon spills his drink on the floor, laughing like it’s the funniest thing in the world. I hate drunk people. Kendra and Jake have been out on the patio, leaving me alone with him since we got here half an hour ago.

“He’ll be fine,”

Jake says and shrugs. “Don’t worry.”

He's leaning against the railing on the patio, his back to me.

“You good out here?”

I ask Kendra, keeping my tone light, hoping I can stay out here and that I don't need to go back inside.

“Don't worry about me. Go have fun.”

She’s either drunk or oblivious to how not fun Brandon is, and I don't know which one is worse.

Jake shifts, looking over his shoulder and glancing at me for the first time since we arrived, before smiling and giving a small, almost amused shrug. “Yeah, go have fun. It looks like everyone’s having a blast.”

“Yeah, fun.”

I let out a short, sarcastic laugh and take the hint, heading back inside.