Chapter 3
Grant
It’s been two weeks since New Year’s and I’ve kept my distance from Jessa. If she wants me, she knows where to find me. I’ve been working out like crazy at Barbells, even bench pressing with some of the guys to work off the frustration Jessa’s built inside of me.
There are two major problems with what happened that night. First, I did the one thing I’ve been promising myself since high school I wouldn’t do…I kissed another guy’s girl. Second, I have no room in my life for someone right now. The last thing I want is Jessa getting the wrong idea. As much as I like her, she deserves better than me. Not to mention, I can’t afford any distractions this semester. I need to keep my eyes focused on finding the job that’ll get me the hell out of this town.
A double major is an excruciating feat, and my spring semester is jam-packed in order for me to complete my education in four years, as my father requested. Paying for my schooling is the one thing that asshole has done for me. As far as the fraternity fees, spending money, and anything else, I work for every last penny.
After I graduate, I intend to cut off what little communication I have with him for good. The whole four years of college has come down to me making it on my own, with no help from him. I’ve busted my ass to make sure I become the successful advertising executive that gets rewarded with a large bank account, never wanting for anything.
The snow still carpets the landscape of campus, the plowed sidewalks forming a serpentine maze from building to building. Bypassing the pockets of ice, I walk into my second home, McHenry Hall, for my Human Resources Management class. The last thing I want to learn about is how to handle people in a workplace. I’ll be damned sure not to have that as part of my job description when I accept my dream job. That’s why I have delayed this course until I could no longer avoid it.
Dreading the torturous class, I shuffle into the lecture hall and her unique smell of coconut and vanilla hits my nostrils. My eyes eagerly comb through the students, like a drug dog that has located his scent. I find her two rows up from where I’m standing with her back to me. Her slim legs are crossed under the desk and she scribbles on her notepad, ignoring everyone around her.
I slowly walk up, taking the seat behind her. Leaning over her shoulder, I say, “Hey, sweetheart. You want to come home with me tonight?”
“Fuck off ass…” Jessa stops talking when she sees it’s me and I laugh at her angry comeback. “God, Grant, I thought you were some asshole trying to hit on me.”
“I like the sound of that,” I joke.
“What?” she shakes her head, obviously still surprised it was me. “I almost hit you. Wait, you like the sound of what?” her words stumble and she questions me again.
“God, Grant. I’d love to hear you screaming that,” I admit, continuing to laugh.
“Shut up,” she responds, but I don’t miss the blush that fills her gorgeous high cheek bones.
“What are you doing in here? I thought you were an art history major?” I ask, standing up to take the seat next to her.
“Minor in business,” she says, turning her body to face mine. “So, will you be my tutor?” she asks, nudging me in the arm.
“How will you pay me?” I give her a light-hearted smile.
“Hmm…let me see,” she contemplates, while placing her finger to her pink moist lips. After tasting those two weeks ago, I’ve relived every moment of that kiss and the feeling of those lips on mine.
“If you need help, I can think of something,” I jokingly whisper, leaning in closer to her, but she backs away quickly. The pit in my stomach just got bigger, realizing she regrets the kiss.
“It’s a good thing I don’t need a tutor then,” she says, abruptly backing further away, straightening in her seat, and studiously facing forward. I can’t help but feel as though I made her uncomfortable.
“Yeah, good thing,” I mumble, turning my body to the front of the room. If she wants to ignore what happened, I’ll happily oblige. As much as I want to feel her small body under mine, I don’t need this drama in my life.
Professor Lincoln walks down the steps to the podium and starts the class, while the teacher’s assistant passes out the syllabi. My fingers graze Jessa’s when she passes them down to me, leaving a flutter in my stomach. The two of us remain quiet, paying attention to Dr. Lincoln talk about the class objectives and expectations. I keep my head down, trying to ignore the awkwardness between us. I push aside the urge to grab her and feel that cold stud ring against my tongue.
Dr. Lincoln excuses the class after only twenty minutes, stating that we need to read chapters one through five regarding the practices of hiring and firing employees. It astonishes me that there are five chapters regarding that subject matter. Isn’t it just an interview, and you either get the job or not? As far as the firing goes, if someone does a shitty job, then you fire them. What is so complicated about that? Just another reason why I never wanted to take this class. But I am glad for the distraction of the blonde rocker girl that is now walking away from me.
“Wait up, Jessa,” I shout, scrambling to get my notebook in my bag so I can join her.
She stops at the next stair and moves to the side to let a couple other students make their way up the stairs. The look on her face frightens me. It’s a cross between embarrassment and anger, neither of which I want to see. Zipping up my backpack, I reach her and we both walk up the stairs together.
“Do you have another class?” I ask, placing a hand on her arm to stop her outside of the room. There goes that shock of electricity through my fingertips again.
“No, but…” she hesitates. In the short time I’ve known her, she’s never been so timid and indecisive.
“But what?”
“I’m meeting Rob in an hour at Zen’s Tattoo,” she quietly answers, almost embarrassed.
“Come have some coffee with me, my treat,” I request, motioning with my head toward the doors.
“Grant, I need to tell you something,” she says and I can tell that whatever it is, she really doesn’t want to tell me.
I place my hand on the small of her back. “Let’s just get coffee and we’ll talk about it then, okay?” I suggest, nudging her toward the doors.
We arrive to find that the Student Center is packed. With winter in full force, everyone has no other option than to congregate inside. I motion for Jessa to grab us the one small table I see open, and I go get our coffees. During the week we helped Sadie decorate, I found out that Jessa likes her coffee strong and black. After ordering us two Americanos, I make my way over to her. She’s looking down at her phone, completely distracted. I end up startling her when I approach and the way her body stiffens defensively, it scares me to think what she’s hiding from her past.
“Thank you,” she says, graciously taking the drink from my hands.
“You’re welcome.” I take my seat across from her and watch while she fidgets with the coffee sleeve.
“I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, Grant. That wasn’t my intention,” she divulges, staring up at me. I never noticed until now the way her hazel eyes resemble the color of the moon as it casts down on the ocean right after sunset. Suddenly, I want to take her to the beach to compare the two sights.
“You lost me, Jessa,” I say, even though I know exactly what she’s talking about. I want to hear her say it. If she’s going to tell me she regrets the kiss that could have easily brought me to my knees in that kitchen, she has to tell me.
“The kiss…on New Year’s. I shouldn’t have done that. It put you on the spot and I’m with Rob and…,” she starts rambling and I don’t want to hear anymore.
“Do you think I didn’t want it?” I ask her. Doesn’t she realize that I probably wanted it even more than she did?
“I didn’t really give you a choice, and it was wrong of me to put you in that situation.” I hate this Jessa. She’s insecure and unsure of her actions. I prefer the take charge, accept no bull-shit Jessa.
“I don’t do anything I don’t want to,” I assure her, taking a sip of my coffee.
“I’m with Rob,” she says again, bringing the cup to her lips, effectively hiding her expression from me.
“So you keep saying. Are you staying with him?” I ask. Deep down I don’t want to know the answer because, even if she doesn’t stay with him, I’m not sure I can be her knight. That’s the last thing I can be for anyone.
“We’ve been together for a couple months. I’m not ready to end it, even if…”
“You want me?” I say, finishing her sentence for her.
“Aren’t you sure of yourself?” she jokes, and I’ve never loved the sound of her laugh more.
“Well, look at me and then Rob. I don’t see what the dilemma is,” I laugh, making sure she knows I’m not that full of myself. Not to mention, if I don’t bring humor into this situation, I might actually hear the punch she just delivered to my gut.
“In all seriousness, Jessa, it’s fine. If you want to be with Rob, no hard feelings. But if you ever change your mind, and decide you want a man who’ll treat you like you deserve, you know where to find me. I’m warning you though, there are two things I won’t do. I refuse to take another guy’s girl behind his back and secondly, I won’t wait around like a schmuck for someone to pick me either. The choice is yours.”
I stand up and walk away without looking back. There’s no way I can bear seeing if my words upset her or worse, if she’s relieved. I’d rather remain in the dark.
Jessa
He still has that confident demeanor as he walks away from me. Waving to a couple guys and girls seated at a table by the doors, he doesn’t stop to talk nor does he look back at me. Instead, he continues out the doors as though what I just told him didn’t faze him. One of the girls glances back my way and I wonder if she wants him, or worse, has already had him.
Based on what he said, I can’t decipher if he wants me for sex or a relationship. The swell of my heart is slowly overpowering the confusion in my brain. He’s all I can think of, and now every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I’ll have to sit next to him, smelling the crisp scent of his soap.
I stand up to make my way out of the Student Center when I see a familiar face at the table Grant passed by moments ago. She looks my way as I walk by and I give her a small wave. The tight smile across her lips is proof that she dislikes me, most likely due to my friendship with Grant.
Pushing the doors open, the cold air hits my face and I zip my jacket up a little more, attempting to shield the wind. I put on my gloves and peek at my watch, seeing that I only have fifteen minutes to get over to Zen’s. Making my way to the bus stop, I can’t help but feel someone in back of me. I stop and turn around, finding Emily two steps behind me with some other girl.
Grant should go out with her. She’s hot, with her long legs and tiny waist. And unlike me, she’s just his type too. “Emily,” I acknowledge her and she stops right in front of me. Her impractical heels make her tower over me by a good six inches. The fact that she wears heels to her classes tells me we’re nothing alike.
“Jessa.” Her brisk tone reveals that this isn’t going to be a pleasant conversation. I glance at my watch and then back to her, hoping she gets the point that I have somewhere to be.
“What’s up, Emily?” I ask in my friendliest tone.
“I thought you were with Rob,” she says bitterly.
“I am,” I inform her with a nod.
“Then how come I’m always finding you with Grant?” she asks and her friend shifts her stance, glaring at me as well. Why do I feel like this is high school and I just stole the head cheerleader’s boyfriend?
“Um…we’re friends.” I’m not lying, just not stating the whole truth.
“Yeah, right. You don’t think he would actually be interested in you, do you?” she sneers and I’m taken aback. The hurt and pain caused by Jason tears through me before I realize, I could give a shit about this chick or what she thinks of me.
“Actually, Barbie, he is interested in me. Very interested, actually. See that little exchange between us in the Student Center was him asking me to break it off with my boyfriend.” I raise my eyebrows up to her, and her friend tries to conceal the giggle escaping her mouth.
Emily looks at her friend in annoyance, and the girl quiets instantly. Turning her attention back to me. “He just wants you because you’re an easy fuck,” she spouts and walks away with her heels clicking on the cement sidewalk, while her friend frantically tries to catch up.
I continue walking to the bus stop and sit on the bench in the alcove, which shields me from the wind. Fuck Emily. Who the hell does she think she is? As much as I try to not care what she says, it rings too close to home, taking me back to my time at Boulder when girls like that thought the same thing. The fact that I was actually friends with girls similar to Emily makes me shudder with regret. Girls like that don’t have true friends, they have followers. People who kiss their ass and think that hanging out with them makes them something. I should know. I had my own group of followers at one time, but I learned the hard way that as soon as you drop down from that tower, they desert you. As though that’s not already enough, they are also quick to alienate you from others.
That’s why when I first saw Sadie, I almost ran down to my RA to ask for a room switch. But then I saw her eyes, and I knew she was as damaged as me. We were able to become best friends in such a short time because it turns out that two fucked-up people can bond over the smallest things.
I’m pretty sure Sadie would never tell Brady my secret, and I sincerely hope not, because I’d never want Grant to find out. Shit…why is he still in my thoughts? Jessa, remember your boyfriend, I try to remind myself. The one who knows my past and doesn’t care what Jason did or the repercussions that could still come from it.
By the time I get to Zen’s, Rob is almost finished with his tattoo. He’s getting some guitar on his forearm and it looks pretty cool. Trey is propped up on the counter talking to Kate, the owner’s daughter. Since at least one of us is here a couple times a month, it’s like our second home.
“What’s up, Jessdoll?” Trey asks, jumping off to come greet me. “I heard a little rumor about you,” he whispers in my ear and I pull back and look at him, confused.
“What?” I raise my eyebrows.
“You’ve been holding out on him,” he smirks.
“He told you that?” I ask, shocked and annoyed that Rob’s sharing information regarding our sex life.
“It’s Rob. Does he ever stop talking?” Trey makes a good point and I nod my head in agreement. “Jessa?” he says my name softly, but I know what he’s asking from the tone.
“There isn’t anyone else, Trey,” I lie, although I’m not exactly with Grant. He just consumes my every thought lately.
“I wouldn’t blame you if there was,” he tells me and kisses me on the cheek.
“Can you put your lips on here?” Kate places a black ink pad in front of my face and Trey buckles over in a fit of laughter.
I glance questioningly down at the ink pad and then up at Kate, who is attempting to conceal her amusement. “Why?” I hesitantly ask her.
“You’re going to kiss Rob’s arm and then he’s going to have it tattooed next to the guitar,” she reveals, I stand there, staring at her in disbelief.
“Um…no,” I reply and Trey laughs harder and louder. I venture to where Rob sits while they finish the final touches of color.
“Did you do it already?” Rob asks and I scrunch my eyebrows at him.
“Are my lips black?” I sarcastically answer, and he gives me a look that could kill. He never likes it when I come back at him in public.
“Go and do it,” he demands and I place my hand on his shoulder.
“Do you think that’s a good idea? Are you sure you want my lips on you forever?” I ask as nicely as possible, since this whole scenario is absurd. Even Trey thinks so, and that boy tattoos anything and everyth
ing on himself.
“Hey, if we don’t last, I’ll just cover it up,” he states and I suddenly feel replaceable. Will it be that easy for him to erase me from his life? I wonder if he’s doing this to somehow get us back to where we were a couple months ago.
“If you want it, I’ll do it. But just for the record, I think it’s a really stupid idea,” I tell him and grab the ink pad from Kate.
“Seriously? You’re doing it?” Trey asks in disbelief.
“Hey, if he wants my lips on him, what can I do? He’s the idiot who’ll regret it, not me,” I say, placing my lips to the ink. The spongy pad forms around my lips and I move over to Rob’s arm, kissing where the artist directs.
“Thanks, babe, it’s gonna look killer,” Rob calls out to me as I make my way to the bathroom.
Once I get into the small bathroom in the back of the shop, I stare at myself in the mirror, rubbing the black ink off my lips. The transformation I’ve made still astonishes me some days. I’m more comfortable in my skin now than I ever was before, though maybe I went a little far with the hair. It seems so short and blonde, but I was desperate to lose my former appearance.
After I finish in the bathroom, I find Rob at the counter talking with Kate. She tenses and quickly backs up when she sees me coming, causing Rob to look over his shoulder at me. The white bandage on his arm makes me remember when I went to get my first tattoo. My dad took me to his favorite place and I picked the one on the back of my neck. The cringe on my dad’s face was unmistakable; he didn’t like the thought of it being somewhere so visible. But I wanted it to be seen. To let everyone know that I’d been through hell but survived. And for the most part, my demons have disappeared. With the introduction of Grant in my life, however, they’re starting to resurface. I’m confused why with him and not with Rob.
Let Me In (The Invisibles #2) Page 3
