Page 29 of The Runaway
Jogging up the six steps, Jacob knocked hard on the door, and already, the excited talking and sound of kids filtered through the cracks. I held my breath as anticipation gripped my heart in a vice, and he squeezed my hand gingerly. Tangling our fingers together, I clenched and released my jaw against the anxiety that clawed at the back of my tongue.
“Jacob! It’s good to see you!” Who I guessed was Jacob’s father opened the screen door with a warm smile— the same as his son’s. My heart lurched into my throat, and dull, blue eyes flickered to mine to brighten.
“Hey, Dad. This is Joci— my girlfriend. Mom probably mentioned her, right?” A deep, wry chuckle floated through the entryway, and I fixed a smile on my face. The tension in me rolled off my skin thickly, seeping through my clothes, and he held out a large hand for me. I took it without thinking, and the hairs on my arms bristled as goosebumps swept up and across my chest.
“You’re all Lisa has talked about, but don’t let her get under your skin.” He talked too fast for my frazzled brain to keep up, and I shot Jacob a puzzled look. Pulling back his hand, he gestured us inside, and I rubbed my palm against the butt of my pants absently. “So, how was the ride here, Jacob? Where’s Caleb? I thought you were coming together?”
“He’s mad I haven’t cracked yet and let him stay. I’d really rather not talk about it, Dad. If he’s not here within the next hour and a half, he probably won’t be coming. I wouldn’t put it past him to wait for another train with his petty ass.” Gingerly wrapping his arm around me, Jacob shook his head as he grumbled bitterly— that much, I could understand. “What’s Mom been telling everyone?”
“That you bought her off the internet for bigger and bigger amounts of money every time she tells someone, but— to be honest, I haven’t really paid any mind to it.” The house was alive with movement and noise, and I walked stiffly into the living room as Jacob’s father spoke. “I’d like some answers, but I know for sure you’re not stupid enough to buy a hooker, let alone someone from another country.”
“I’m from Russia.” Speaking up, I tensed when I suddenly became acutely aware of my accent, and Jacob’s dad smiled at me warmly. I could see the confusion in his eyes flash so briefly, and flames of embarrassment licked my face and threatened to melt my cheeks. “America is really nice.”
The awkwardness in the air spiked when Jacob’s dad simply nodded, and I cringed internally as he took a big breath.
“Well, I’m sure it’ll be great to get to know someone that’s not a native New Yorker. You want a drink, Joci? Jacob?” He sauntered off when Jacob nodded, and I closed my eyes to rub my outer thighs nervously. Jacob turned to me with pride shimmering in his blue eyes, his lips quirking up.
“Not so bad, huh?” I could only gulp down the dense lump in my throat, and he caressed my lower back soothingly. “It’ll get better.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” Gazing at the dozen or so people milling around the living room, some with cups in their hands and others without, I pursed my lips thinly. “Not so bad.”
“Jakey!” The stillness around us shattered at the high-pitched squeal, and I sucked in a sharp breath when a little body came bolting out of nowhere. Crashing into Jacob’s legs, the little boy smiled up without noticing me, his pudgy face glowing with happiness and excitement. “You’re here!”
“Hey, Pauly. What’s crack’a’lackin’?” The little boy giggled hysterically; he couldn’t have been older than five, maybe, with bright brown eyes and curly, rich brown hair. “You being a good boy?”
“Yes! Look! I lost a tooth!” Jacob’s arm slithered from around me, and he bent to pick up his nephew with a grunt. I was never around little children, and awkwardness flooded my veins as I just stood there. Paul opened his mouth wide, and Jacob made a show of looking inside.
“Wow! Awesome! Did you get any money from the Toothfairy?” Setting Paul down when he nodded furiously, Jacob smiled and patted his head. “Hey, where’s your dad?”
“Right here.” Everything happened so fast— people talked too fast, moved too fast— and I couldn’t keep up. “Hey, Jake. How’s life?”
They shared a hug, and I ignored their conversation to look around at all the unfamiliar faces. Jacob’s family wasn’thuge, but it was obviously too large for this house. Clearly, it was a struggle to get everyone in such a small space. Even the couch was only big enough to accommodate two or three people comfortably.
Yet, everyone around me seemed very comfortable and laid back, smiling and talking as if they weren’t crowded together. The houses I was accustomed to working for Makovich had an overabundance of space; Aleksander could fit his whole family in his mansion and still have extra room.
“Joci.” Blinking at the call, I turned to Jacob and his brother to hum in question. “This is my eldest brother, Roerich.”
“Oh. Hi—oh!” Roerich pulled me into a light hug, and my eyes widened in shock as I sucked in a whistle of a breath. Flames engulfed my shoulders and shot down my arms, but I was too surprised to be pained by his faint squeeze. He pulled back, his greyish eyes bright and his smile wide to reveal a single dimple on his right cheek.
“Mom’s been taking about you nonstop to anyone that would listen, so I was really excited to meet you. How long have you been in America?” My brain short-circuited, and I opened my mouth only for nothing to come out. Roerich watched me expectantly, his arms falling from around me to leave me tingling with apprehension.
“Um— Uh… A-Americ-ca… yes…?” Casting Jacob a pleading look, I clamped my mouth shut only for my lips to screw in utter mortification.Kill me now— holy fuck.
“She’s only been here a week. What did Mom tell you?” Drawing the attention off me, Jacob hugged my waist again, and I breathed for the first time in a while. Roerich was obviously an upbeat and cheery guy, giving me no hope to keep up with his words as they spilled from his mouth.
“That you paid $25,000 dollars for a Russian Mail-order Bride, and you’re using her as an excuse to be an asshole and kick Caleb out for no reason. There was a bunch of other stuff about how you got all that money because there’s no way a senior program developer makes that much, right? And that you’re probably not going to recoup any of your money when she skips out on you.” Roerich shrugged, his smile morphing into a slippery smirk. “The usual overblown gossip.”
“Jesus— I knew she’d blow it out of proportion, but that’s nuts. Do you know if Aunt Jess is here?” I could follow Jacob, a little, and Roerich shook his head as he reached to rub the back of his neck. Clearly, they were brothers; they had the same build, the same hair color, and the same nose and jaw line.
“She ran out fast about 45 minutes ago. If Caleb isn’t here, either, I’d guess they’re together. What happened? Did he try to bring up staying at your place again?” Jacob nodded a jerk of his head, and Roerich sighed as he clapped his little brother on the shoulder. “I feel for you, Jacob. Seriously. I told you when he asked to crash on your couch that he’d never leave. You should’ve listened.”
“I should’ve, yeah, but at least I won’t make this mistake again.”
30
Jacob
“Wanna step out in back for a smoke?” Joci didn’t hesitate to nod, but it wasextremelyobvious she’d taken 10 Advil Liqui-Gels when she could barely lift her head again. At least, now, she wasn’t nervous or in so much pain, but explaining once we were at the dinner table was gonna be tough. What could I say? That she’d damn near broken her shoulders trying to hug me, and she was just toughing it out?