“Yep,” I said.
“Okay, I’ll let you go then, but I expect a full explanation when you get home. When will you get home?” He asked.
“Um… at least a week from now,” I twisted a strand of hair around my index finger.
Rollo sputtered. “I must have woken up in some parallel universe, because I do not know the person I’m talking to.”
“Hey,” Jared said, behind me.
“Hang on,” I told Rollo, pressing the phone to my shoulder. “Yeah?” I couldn’t help getting a last peek at Jared’s chest as he pulled a sleeveless shirt over his head. At least his beautiful arms were still exposed to my viewing pleasure.
“Would you want Rollo to come over for dinner?” Jared asked me.
“Yes!” I responded immediately, a smile lighting my face. My enthusiasm dampening, I said, “But he doesn’t have a car.”
“We’ll go out then, and pick him up. Ask him if five o’ clock is good?” Jared said.
“Rollo?” I asked, thinking he might have hung up.
“Yeeeees, baby cakes?” he chortled.
“Jared wants to know if you’d like to go out to dinner, you, me, him and Karlie around five?” I asked.
“You got me all excited for nothing! I thought hot bod was asking me out on a date! Seriously though, that would be great. I miss you and I need to look you over with my own two eyes to make sure you’re okay,” Rollo said.
“We’ll pick you up at your dorm, okay?” I continued to play with my hair. I could feel Jared’s eyes boring into my back and it was making me nervous.
“That would be great. See ya later, baby cakes,” Rollo cackled before disconnecting.
I turned to find Jared studying me.
“What?” I asked, looking down, assuming there was something wrong with me.
“Nothing,” he said. “I just can’t believe you’re standing here, in my room.”
I blushed. “I’m here,” I said.
A grin spread across his face, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. “Yes, you are. A man could get used to this.”
My face colored even more.
He chuckled and ran a hand through his messy brown hair. It had grown longer since I’d met him.
“I better go wake up Karlie so that she doesn’t miss the bus,” he headed for the door. “Feel free to use the shower. Just don’t forget to cover your cast,” he pointed at me before disappearing.
A shower sounded nice, but taking one in Jared’s shower would be scary. I mean, I’d be naked… in his house.
I put my head in my hands. I was absolutely ridiculous. I’d taken a shower at my house, with him only a few feet away in the living room. It was the same difference.
I shook my head and grabbed a pair of jeans and a loose purple sweater. The late September weather was too nippy to be going around in a t-shirt. Plus, I’d promised Piper that I’d lay off on the tees.
I scampered into the bathroom, dropping my clothes onto the vanity. I could hear the low hum of Jared and Karlie’s voices coming from the kitchen and occasionally the pop and sizzle of bacon.
I locked the door and then opened the vanity cabinet. Jackpot. I pulled out a clean gray towel, very masculine, and threw it over the glass shower door. Despite the bathroom’s small size, it was nicely done. Gray tile floor, white walls, a black cabinet vanity with a white countertop and vessel sink. Tucked behind a door was the toilet.
I turned the shower on and waited for it to get warm.
I was about to strip when I realized I had forgotten the plastic covering for my cast. Dang.
I went back to the bedroom and found the box. I pulled one out and managed to get it on.
I’d forgotten my toiletries so I grabbed those and headed back to the bathroom, praying that the water was still warm.
I stuck my fingers in and… Yes! Thank you, Jesus! Warm water!
I didn’t take long in the shower. I towel dried my hair, letting it hang down in its loose, natural, waves. I dabbed on mascara and swiped on a streak of violet eyeliner.
I packed up my toiletry bag and grabbed my pajamas. I padded back into Jared’s room and dropped the items in my suitcase before going downstairs.
Downstairs, I found Karlie sitting at the breakfast table eating a piece of bacon while Jared made scrambled eggs.
She patted the empty space to her left.
I settled on the cushioned, built in bench and rested my elbows on the round wooden table.
“Want some?” Karlie pointed to a full plate of bacon. “You better get some before Jared sits down or it will all be gone.”
Jared chuckled and separated the eggs onto three plates. “That’s not true, Karls.”
“Oh, it is,” she crunched another slice.
“You better hurry,” she slid the plate closer to me.
To get her to be quiet, I took a slice. It did smell good. I took a bite and found that it was crispy, my favorite way to eat bacon.
“Yummy,” I said.
“Jared’s a great cook,” Karlie said.
Jared slid a plate in front of her and then me. I half expected him to be wearing an apron, but he wasn’t.
He came back with glasses of orange juice. “I don’t know about great, Karls,” he said.
“He can make anything,” Karlie informed me, devouring another piece of bacon.
Jared smacked her hand. “Save some for me and Katy.”
“Sorry,” she giggled and dropped the bacon onto her plate.
Jared sat his plate and orange juice down on the table and then grabbed a basket of biscuits.
“They’re not homemade but they’re good,” he pointed to them.
I grabbed one, ripping it in half.
“Want some butter?” Karlie asked me.
“Do you have honey?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Jared jumped up.
“I can get it,” I said, but Jared was already sitting down, handing me the bear shaped bottle.
I squirted some honey onto the biscuit and took a bite. “Mmmm, delicious,” I moaned.
“Told ya,” Karlie grinned. “I can’t cook to save myself.”
Jared laughed. “She burns everything.”
I added some honey to my eggs as well and took a bite of those. Sparks of flavor burst across my tongue. “What’s in these? I’ve never tasted scrambled eggs like this before.”
“It’s my secret recipe,” he winked.
“Jared has a secret for everything he cooks,” Karlie commented, sneakily stealing another piece of bacon while Jared wasn’t looking.
“I like to keep people on their toes,” Jared chucked, putting butter on his biscuit. He took a bite and a crumb sat adorably in the corner of his mouth.
Oh, how I longed to be that crumb.
My cheeks flamed at my thoughts.
What had gotten into me?
“What?” Jared asked, wiping his mouth. “Why are you blushing?”
“No reason,” I said with a shrug of my shoulders. “This is nice,” I motioned to the three of us.
Karlie’s brows knitted together. “It’s just breakfast.”
Jared looked at me quizzically. “Did you never eat meals as a family?”
“No,” I shook my head. “My mother couldn’t be bothered by me. The nanny usually made me dinner but she wasn’t allowed to eat with me and once I got older, I cooked for myself.”
“That is… really sad,” Karlie looked at me sympathetically. “Like really sad.”
“Katy,” Jared said, causing me to turn and look at him. “You shouldn’t have been alone like that.” He looked at me sadly.
“It is what it is,” I shrugged. “It was the only thing I knew.”
“But it shouldn’t have been like that,” he swallowed a sip of orange juice.
I sighed. “My mom didn’t want me and I don’t know my dad. Family dinners weren’t something I even knew existed… I thought they only happened on TV.”
“Katy,” Jared said, and he l
ooked like I’d torn his heart in two.
“It’s true,” I put my hands up in defense.
“Well,” Jared put his fork down, “That’s in the past. What matters is that you’re here, now, with us.”
23
Karlie left for school and I ended up helping Jared wash the dishes.
Cleaning the dirty dishes was actually fun, when you were doing it with someone you cared about. Jared resumed the ‘get to know’ session we started last night.
“Where’d you grow up?” He asked.
“Not far from here,” I shrugged. “About an hour’s drive. What about you?” I tried to get the conversation steered away from my family and life before Greenville.
“Born and raised here.” I handed him a plate and he patted it dry before opening the white cabinet and putting it away. “You had a nanny… So, I take it you come from money people.”
I gripped the plate in my hand so tightly that my knuckles turned red and then white. “My mom and grandparents have money, not me,” I ground out.
“Hey,” Jared put his hands up in surrender, “I’m not interested in money, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m just trying to figure you out.”
“Jared,” I took a deep breath, “when I came here, I left that person I was, behind. Preston, destroyed what was left of that person. I was a stuck up, rich snob.” I snorted. “Actually, that’s a lie. I pretended to be those things because I thought it was what my mom wanted. It didn’t take me long to learn that I would never be anything that she wanted. I was simply the mistake that my grandmother wouldn’t let her abort.”
“Katy, don’t say that about yourself,” Jared took the plate from my hand before I dropped it.
“It’s true. She never wanted me. All she’s ever cared about is money and status. It’s who she is. She only wants me around when she’s trying to impress somebody because she’s trying to prove she cares about family. It’s a bunch of baloney. I’m sick of being a puppet in her games. That’s why I haven’t been back. Not that she’s even asked to see me,” I gripped the stainless steel sink. “I won’t be used, Jared,” I looked up at him through my lashes.
He reached out but let his hand drop away. “I would never use you, Katy. You know that.” He peered at me and I swear I saw all the way down to his perfect soul.
“I’m sorry,” I shook my head. “I know that.” I wrapped my arms around myself. “It’s just one of those things that really bugs me.”
He chuckled. “I can tell. Remember…” he peered at me through those thick, dark, lashes. “If you ever want to talk about something, I’m here to listen. I’m not like most guys. No selective hearing, here,” he pointed to his ears. “When you’re telling me something, I’m absorbing every word you’re saying.”
I shrugged, something I was doing a lot of, lately. I was going to have to work on controlling that before I dislocated a shoulder. “Back… home,” I said, for lack of a better word, “pretty much everyone around me, all my friends and acquaintances, came from money. But I still worried about someone getting involved with me because of my family’s bank account. I don’t want someone to love me for selfish reasons. I want to be loved, for me, not for what I can give someone.”
Jared bent his head down, pressing his forehead against mine. He cupped my cheeks in his large hands. For a minute, he just looked into my eyes, not saying a thing. “Katy,” he finally said, “I love you, for you. I love that you care so much about your friends. I love that you’re strong and caring. I love that you came to the gym to learn how to defend yourself because you didn’t want to be helpless. I love that you brushed me off at first, because it only made me fight a hundred times harder to win your heart. I love that you love my sister. I love that you opened up to me and shared your past with me. I love that when you’re with me, you smile, and laugh because I know, that I’m the one that made you happy. I love you, Katy, because you are my everything. I don’t love you for what you can or can’t give me. I don’t love you for your bank account. None of that matters to me, Katy,” he stroked my cheek softly with the pad of his thumb. “I was in love with you before I knew you had money. I would never string you along like that. The love I feel for you is something I’ve never experienced. It’s a once in a lifetime feeling. It’s like, when I saw you, my soul recognized you and I couldn’t rest until I made you mine. So, never, ever believe that I love you for any other reason, except that you are you.” His lips pressed slightly against my forehead for a few seconds, before he pulled away. I swayed slightly and he grabbed my wrist to steady me.
“Whoa there, kitten,” he chuckled.
“I think I need to sit down,” I stuttered.
Jared led me over to the breakfast nook.
I plopped clumsily onto the bench.
“You okay?” He asked, bending down in front of me.
“Yeah,” I said, smiling slightly. “You always seem to make me feel lightheaded.”
Jared grinned crookedly. “Good.”
“You want to me feel dizzy?” I asked.
“No, of course not,” he chuckled. “It’s just… if I affect you that way then you must really care for me.”
I reached out, fingering the dimple in his chin. His stubble grated against my skin.
“I already told you that I love you. In fact, I said it first,” I let my hand fall back to my lap.
“True,” his eyes crinkled, “but most of the time you’re not affected by me, the way I am by you.”
I laughed. “You must be blind if you can’t see the way you affect me. You always manage to put my stomach in knots, good ones,” I added before he thought otherwise. “I’ve never had anyone make me feel the way you do, without you even saying anything. That night, at the club,” I swallowed, “when you grabbed my hand, for the first time in two years, I felt safe. You are my safe haven, Jared. It’s always been you that I’ve been searching for, even after I stopped looking.”
He closed his eyes as a smile spread across his face.
Opening them, he said, “I would go through every horrible thing in my life, over and over again, as long as I knew you’d be waiting for me on the other side.”
I took his hand in mine and smoothed my thumb across his knuckles.
“Neither of us is perfect, not by a long shot, but somehow, together, we are.”
~***~
“Karlie!” Jared yelled up the steps. “Hurry up! We have to go pick up Rollo!”
Karlie bound down the steps. “Rollo? Who’s Rollo? Do you have a dog?”
I laughed. “No, Rollo’s my best friend, he’s pretty much human, at least most of the time.”
Karlie laughed. “That’s a weird name.”
“His real name is Rolland,” I supplied.
Karlie’s mouth formed a perfect O. “Gotcha. Now I get it.”
“Have you called him to let him know we’re on our way?” Jared asked me.
“Yep, he’s ready,” I said, heading out the front door.
Karlie was already climbing in the backseat of Jared’s car.
Jared locked the front door and then helped me into the car.
“Ugh, Jared?” I said as he backed out of the driveway. “What happened to my car?”
“It was damaged beyond repair. You’ll have to get a new one,” he said, heading towards the college.
“Greeeaaat,” I drew out the word. Honestly, it wasn’t that big of a deal. My mom wouldn’t even notice the missing money from the bank account. I would, however, have to make sure and get the same car. She’d notice if I showed up at home driving something different. I chuckled to myself. Not that I planned on showing up there anytime soon.
“What are you laughing about?” Jared asked, eyes on the road.
“Nothing,” I waved his concern away with a flick of my hand.
~***~
Rollo was waiting outside, pacing along the sidewalk in front of his dorm.
Once in the car, Rollo asked, “Where are we going?”
> I looked at Jared, who shrugged.
“Is Italian good with everybody?” he asked.
Nobody complained so Jared drove about a mile down the road to a popular local Italian restaurant.
Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long.
Jared slid into the seat across from me and winked before picking up a menu.
My cast thumped against the wooden table.
Graceful, Katy, real graceful, I scolded myself.
Rollo clucked his tongue and tapped the blue plaster. “I can’t believe you got into a car wreck.”
“I can’t believe I have to wear this stupid thing,” I glared at the offensive cast, covering my arm. In a way, the pain in my ribs was more bearable than the clunky cast.
“You better let me sign it,” Rollo turned to look at me.
“I don’t want anybody to sign it,” I mumbled.
Rollo looked at me like I was insane. “Don’t make me come after you, I’m signing that thing.”
“I want to sign it too!” Karlie put her menu down on the table and leaned towards me. “I have a sharpie in my purse!”
“Who carries sharpies in their purse?” I asked incredulously.
“Sharpies are man’s best creation. I always have one,” she said, digging around in her leather purse.
I looked across at Jared, pleading with my eyes, for him to save me.
He just chuckled and gave me a look that told me I was on my own.
Karlie pulled out a silver sharpie and handed it to Rollo.
“Give me that arm, baby cakes,” Rollo grabbed my cast.
“Rollo,” I whined, but I knew there was no changing his mind once it was made up. “Fine, at least don’t write anything offensive.”
“Who said anything about writing it,” he cackled.
My eyes widened. “Or draw anything!”
Jared snorted and hid his face behind a menu. I glared at the plastic sheet, knowing he could feel the burn of my stare through it.
“I’m so happy you think this is funny,” I said.
Jared chuckled, still hiding behind the menu.
When he continued to laugh, I found my own lips turning up, and pretty soon I was giggling.
“All done,” Rollo grinned, letting go of the cast.
I brought it up to my eye and read what he’d written:
Unraveling Page 17
