“I’ve been alone every night this week. It’s just that tonight, I don’t know, that call scared me. But I’m probably overreacting.” I let go of him. “I guess I can go back downstairs.”
“No, you’re staying here with me.” He leads me over to his bed.
“But what about your lack of control problem?” Saying it makes me laugh.
“I’ll deal with it. Now get into bed.” He pats my backside.
“Hey. Watch it there. You’re already losing control.”
He laughs. “It’s gonna be a long night, isn’t it? I can already tell.”
He goes over and plugs in his blue ceiling lights, then joins me in bed. “How’s that? Now it’s not so dark. And you’ve got me here. You should go right to sleep.”
He’s lying on his back. I lift his arm up and sneak under it, sliding my body as close as possible to his and resting my head on his chest. His arm lays back over me and he kisses my forehead. “You’re safe now, Jade. I won’t let him hurt you.”
5
In the morning, I try to sneak out of bed and go back downstairs. I don’t want Garret to think I’m trying to spend every minute of the day with him. If we start dating, I don’t want to come across as the clingy girlfriend type. We both need our space.
“Where are you going?” He rolls over and catches me as I try to get up.
“I’m going downstairs. It’s already 8. You have to study.”
“Not this very second. Come back. I’m not done with you yet.”
“Not done with me? What does that mean?”
“I need you here.” He yawns. “I’m not done sleeping yet.”
“So you’re using me now?” I lie down again.
“I don’t hear you complaining.” He rests his head on mine and falls back to sleep.
We get up an hour later and agree to meet after lunch to go to the pool. Frank calls just as I’m walking in the door to my room.
“Jade, I keep calling you and you’re not there,” he says. “You must have a full social calendar.”
“No. School’s just been really busy lately. When did you call?”
I’m sure Frank wasn’t the person who called in the middle of the night but I have to at least ask.
“Last night. Probably around 6.”
“Yeah. I was at dinner. I really need to set up voicemail on this phone. Anyway, how are you feeling?”
“Pretty good. I’m tired but that’s nothing new.”
There’s silence. Frank and I don’t have a whole lot to talk about so our calls are usually short. And ever since I asked him about my mom’s letter, they’ve been even shorter. He’s hoping I’ll avoid the topic, which is exactly what I’ve done. “So what’s new in Des Moines?”
“This political nonsense. That’s all they talk about on the news. The ads are nonstop. I can’t even watch TV anymore. And we’re getting those polling calls constantly. I’d unplug the phone but I don’t want to miss any of your calls. Damn caucus. I’m already sick of it.”
“Well, it’s November. It’ll be done in January.”
“Yes, I suppose. You know, you’re almost finished with your first semester. It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is just a couple weeks away. I feel terrible that we can’t get you home. Do you have someplace to go? Maybe a friend’s house?”
“No. But it’s okay. They’re letting me stay in the dorms. I’ll be fine. I don’t really care about Thanksgiving. Although I will miss going out with you and Ryan and seeing how much you two can eat.”
Growing up, my mom didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving or any of the holidays. She was too out of it to even know what day it was. Sometimes for Thanksgiving, I’d go to the store and get us frozen dinners with turkey and stuffing. They were disgusting, but at least I felt like we were attempting to have Thanksgiving dinner.
When I started living with Frank and Ryan, we always went out for Thanksgiving dinner, usually to a hotel with a buffet. Every year Frank and Ryan have a contest to see who can eat more. Ryan always wins.
“Jade, I can’t have you sitting there all alone on Thanksgiving.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I’m actually looking forward to just catching up on sleep during the break. Hardly anyone will be around so it’ll be quiet for once.”
“But what will you do for food? The dining halls are closed.”
“I’ll go get some stuff before everyone leaves on break. I’m sure Harper will give me a ride to the grocery store.”
“Well, we’ll definitely get you home for Christmas. You just need to tell us what day you’re done with classes. Ryan’s already planning the trip out there. He was thinking of bringing Chloe with him this time but I don’t think she can get the time off from work.”
Chloe is Ryan’s girlfriend. She’s in her first year of med school but she works part-time at the mall. Ryan’s in his senior year of college and then he, too, is going to med school. But he took this semester off to get a job to help pay the medical bills that are piling up and to take care of his dad because Frank hasn’t been doing well the past year.
As for Chloe, I’ve only met her once. She seemed okay but I don’t want to drive halfway across the country with her so I really hope she has to work. It’s a 22 hour trip back to Iowa and I was kind of looking forward to road-tripping it with just Ryan and not his tag-along girlfriend.
If I had the money I’d fly home. Then again, I’ve never been on an airplane and being suspended in midair really freaks me out. So the car is probably a better option.
“I don’t know my schedule for finals yet but I’ll call you as soon as I do. And don’t worry about Thanksgiving. I’ll be fine.”
“Maybe that Kensington boy would invite you to dinner. I’m sure his family wouldn’t mind having you over.”
“No, I don’t think so. They’re too formal anyway. That wouldn’t be any fun.”
The thought of me showing up at the Kensington’s Thanksgiving dinner is almost comical. If Frank only knew what was really going on. But I’d never tell him. He’d be furious if he knew how Garret’s family was treating me.
“I should let you go. I just wanted to check in.”
“Thanks for calling, Frank.”
He hangs up, probably thrilled that he made it through another phone call without me asking about my mother. I open my desk drawer and see the letter still sitting there. I’m tempted to read it again but I don’t. I know what it says. I’ve practically memorized it. I shut the desk drawer and get to work on my art history paper.
I meet Harper for lunch at noon. She’s wearing white for a change instead of her usual pink and she’s in a really good mood.
“What’s up with you?” I ask as she sits down at the table with one of her heaping bowls of salad.
“I met this great guy last night. His name is Sean. And oh my God, Jade, he’s so sweet. He even opened the car door for me. Who does that?”
Garret opens doors for me all the time, but I don’t tell her that. “Does he go to school here?”
“No. We didn’t go to one of the Moorhurst parties last night. My friend, Kerry, knew some guy and we ended up at his apartment. He had like 20 people over there. The party was really loud so Sean and I left early and went and got something to eat so we could talk.”
“So where does he go to school?”
“He doesn’t. He went to culinary school and now he’s training with a chef at some fancy hotel. You should see him, Jade. He’s really muscular and has this shaggy blond hair that is so damn cute. Oh, and he has these adorable dimples when he smiles. When I first saw him, I thought I was back in California. He’s got that surfer, beach bum look that I love.”
“You seem really excited about this guy.”
“Yeah, but I’m not going to get all crazy about him like I did with Cole. I’m going to take things slower with Sean. He’s making me dinner at his apartment tonight. He wants to show off his culinary skills.”
“Are you sure you should be goin
g over there so soon? You just met him.”
“It’s a dinner party. It’s not just me going. Some other friends of his will be there.”
“Well, I’m glad you met someone. He already sounds way better than Cole.”
“So what happened with Garret? Did he explain why he blew you off for a week?”
“He didn’t blow me off. He tried calling. I just didn’t answer. And he talked to his dad and apparently his dad’s not going to bother us anymore.”
“Really? Then why didn’t he talk to his dad sooner?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t matter.”
I need Harper to stop asking questions about this. I can’t tell her that Garret had to resort to blackmailing his dad.
“So you two can finally date and end this just-friends thing you’ve been doing for the past two months?”
“Um, maybe. We have our first date tonight.”
She laughs. “First date? You guys go out all the time. What makes this a date?”
“I don’t know. Garret insists on having this official first date, so that’s what we’re doing.”
“Where’s this first date taking place? Let me guess. Some super fancy restaurant? Or is he taking you somewhere in his dad’s jet? He seems like he’d do something over-the-top like that.”
“We’re going bowling.”
Lettuce almost shoots from her mouth as she laughs. “Garret Kensington is going bowling? Are you kidding me? Has he ever been to a bowling alley? Does he even know how to bowl?”
“No, but I can teach him. It’s not that hard.”
“And he agreed to wear those shoes?” She’s still laughing.
“Yes.” Now I’m laughing, too. Imagining Garret at a bowling alley wearing those checkered shoes is pretty funny. “If you see him, don’t make fun of him. I don’t want him to back out and not go. He’s only going because I suggested it.”
“Knowing how stuffy and snobby his parents are, it’s just funny to think of their son being at a bowling alley. I hope they don’t find out. They’d totally die of embarrassment.”
“It’s just bowling. What’s the big deal?”
“Bowling is beneath them, Jade. They only do things like play golf or tennis or croquet. Rich people sports.”
“Your family’s rich. Did you guys ever go bowling?”
“Sure. We used to bowl all the time. But I told you, West Coast rich people are different. We actually have fun.” Harper’s phone rings and she looks to see who it is. “It’s my mom. I have to talk to her. She’ll be out the rest of the day and I’ve got to tell her about Sean.” She gets up from the table. “I’ll see you later.”
“Hi, Mom.” Harper takes her tray in one hand while holding her phone with the other. “So I met this guy last night. He’s a chef. How awesome is that?”
I watch her walk away. Her family is so different than Garret’s. And yet her parents are super rich, just like his.
I didn’t tell Harper, but a few months ago, I did some research on her family and her dad is really well known. He’s worked on all these blockbuster movies. Her parents are even on those richest people in America lists. But unlike Garret’s parents, they’re not telling her who to date or who to be friends with. And now she’s telling her mom about this guy she likes who isn’t even in college. Her mom’s probably excited about it. Maybe Garret’s family needs to move to California to loosen up.
After lunch, I work on my paper some more until Garret arrives. I just saw him a few hours ago and yet I get butterflies in my stomach when he appears at my door. What the hell is wrong with me?
“Ready to swim?” he asks.
“I’m not swimming. I’m bringing a book. I’m just going to read.”
“You said you were swimming. You’re backing out now?”
“I said I might swim. It wasn’t definite.”
“When’s the last time you went running?”
“I don’t know. Probably a week ago. The weather’s been crap. I haven’t been able to get out.”
“Then you need a workout. You need to get in the pool and do some laps.”
It is true. I feel the need to burn off some stress. Usually I do that by running, but since I haven’t been able to run, the stress has been building up. “Okay, but I’m not swimming the whole time. Let me grab some stuff.” I throw some books in a bag and get my coat.
Warm humid air greets us as soon as we walk into the pool area. It feels good after being outside in the cold wind and rain. We go in the locker rooms to change. As I put my swimsuit on I start to get nervous. Last time I was here I broke down. I completely lost it. But there’s no reason for that to happen now. So much has changed since the last time Garret and I swam together. We’re closer now and he knows my past.
Garret’s already swimming laps when I get to the pool. Last time I took forever to get in the water and Garret made fun of me for it. So this time I jump in, holding in my scream as the cold water shocks my system.
“Going all in today, huh?” He swims over to me.
“The slow approach wasn’t working for me. So are we racing or what?”
“We don’t have to race. Just do what you want.”
“I want to race. It’s not fun if you’re not competing.”
He smiles. “All right. If you really want to. Do you want to warm up first?”
“Yeah, okay.”
We do a few laps at our own pace. There’s no way I’d ever beat Garret at swimming but it’s still fun to try. He’ll never beat me on the track either but that doesn’t stop us from racing. We’re both competitive. I am even more than him. And competing with each other is a total turn-on. For him and for me.
“I’m ready,” I announce, already in position at the end of the pool.
He gets in line beside me. “Three, two, one. Go!” He takes off, putting himself way ahead of me. I race to catch up. I really should’ve practiced the past few months. It sucks when he’s that far ahead. Even though I know he’ll win, I like to at least be somewhat close behind.
“Had enough?” he asks after his win.
“No. I’m still warming up,” I say, completely out of breath. “You know, I should really get a swim cap. It’s my hair that’s slowing me down. That’s why I lost.”
He rolls his eyes. “Yeah. I’m sure that’s it. It couldn’t possibly be the fact that you never swim and I swim almost every day.”
“Nope. That’s not it at all.” I pull my long brown hair over to one side. “It’s just this stupid hair of mine getting in the way. If it weren’t for that, I’d be faster than you.”
“They have swim caps in the locker room. Why don’t you get one and we’ll test your theory?”
“Nah. Those things give me a headache.” My eyes focus on his wet lips and all I can think about is kissing him.
“Of course they do.” He smiles and his lips look even more inviting. “Even with the swim cap, you would not be faster than me.”
“Let’s go again,” I say, challenging him. “I’m warmed up now.”
We get in position. He counts down and we take off. I swim as fast as I possibly can. He still beats me, but at least I’m not as far behind.
“You’re practically a foot taller than me, so it’s really not fair.” I hold on to the side of the pool, trying to catch my breath.
“How many more excuses you got up in that head of yours, Jade?”
I try not to laugh but I do anyway. “I’ve got a few more.”
He swims over and stands up right behind me, placing his hands on the edge of the pool around my head. He’s so close I can feel his warm breath on my neck and it sends a shiver down me.
“When are you gonna admit I’m a better swimmer than you?”
“Never.” I flip around and let go of the pool, quickly grabbing his shoulders so I don’t sink since I’m too short to touch the bottom. But now my legs are dangling awkwardly and I’m having a hard time holding myself up. Garret notices and casually puts his arms around m
e, pulling our bodies together.
My heart is beating wildly but I try to keep my breath steady to hide it. “When are you gonna admit I’m a better runner than you?”
“I’ve already admitted that. I’ve told you that several times. I’ll say it again. You’re a better runner than me. Now do you have anything to say to me?”
“Hmm.” I pretend to think. “Nope. Nothing.”
He smiles. “You just can’t give me a compliment, can you?”
“I give you compliments all the time!” I wrap my legs around his waist. He doesn’t even react.
“Like what? Because if you gave me one, I totally missed it.”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure I’ve given you one.”
“I’m sure you haven’t.” He keeps his eyes on mine, barely blinking.
“I told you how much I liked those lights you gave me for my birthday. That was kind of a compliment.”
“Not really.” He slides his hands down under my thighs supporting my weight. It allows me to loosen my grip on his shoulders but it also makes me completely breathless. “Jade, is there anything I do that you like? Anything you think I’m good at?”
I know what he’s implying and yes, there are many things he does that I like. And he’s definitely good at them. Like the way he’s holding me right now? Definitely good.
Before I can speak, he slowly licks the water from my lips until they part, then slips his tongue in my mouth. I wrap my hands behind his neck as his tongue explores my mouth in a way that gets my body so scorching hot that even the water can’t cool me down.
After a few incredible, mind-blowing minutes, he slowly pulls away.
“Do you like it when I do that?” There’s that cocky smile I know and love.
I smile back. “I’ll admit you’re pretty good at that.”
“Finally! A compliment.” He lets me go, forcing me to grab the edge of the pool. He sets himself up in the lane next to me like he’s preparing to swim laps.
“Hey, where are you going?”
“I have to practice.”
“So we’re just done here?”
“We haven’t even been on a date. I was only kissing you because I was trying to find something you thought I was good at. And I did. So we’re done.”
Knowing You (The Jade Series #2) Page 4
