I cringed at the mention of Tom’s teammate.
“Evan isn’t that bad. Seriously. You need to give him a chance.”
“Even if Evan likes me, you’re forgetting one important detail.” I scrunched up my nose, frustrated with the situation. “I can’t date until I’m sixteen.”
“We’ll figure something out.” Sarah, ever the optimist.
“Sure we will.” I rolled my eyes.
Sarah picked up the magazine again and shoved it in my hands. “Here, why don’t you read this article? It’s all about how to make that special guy notice you. It can work for either one tonight. It’s up to you. I need to fix my makeup.”
Sarah hopped off of the bed and applied another layer of mascara and lip gloss, leaving me to stew over the ten ways to attract the attention of that special love interest. As if it wasn’t hard enough, I now had to remember ten strategies to get me through tonight. That was if Jackson even decided to stay in and watch a movie with us.
JACKSON
Sarah walked in the kitchen and opened the fridge. “Hey, Jacks, you want to join us?”
Tom, Sarah‘s boyfriend, and some of the guys from the team were over for a movie night. I didn’t have anything better to do. Also, I liked Tom. He was a great guy, and treated Sarah right.
“Sure. What movie are you guys watching?”
“We rented Finding Forrester. It’s supposed to be good. Something about a writer.”
“Chick flick?”
“Do you think the guys would have picked a chick flick?” Sarah moved on to the pantry, adding to her array of snacks.
“Valid point.” I moved closer to Sarah so I could whisper something for only her to hear. “Why are they over?” I meant why would the guys want to hang out on a Friday night with Tom and Sarah cuddled up together on the sofa, watching a movie?
“Evan, one of Tom’s friends,” as she whispered Evan’s name, I looked over to see him talking to Jane, “he’s got a thing for Jane. Tom promised to set them up.” I knew Evan from school. He was an okay guy, I guess. Not as tall as me, but not short, either. I could admit that he wasn’t ugly. Girls might even think he was hot, with his blond hair, dark brown eyes, and olive-toned skin.
I suddenly developed a serious dislike for the guy.
Tom joined Sarah and started hauling the food downstairs.
“Jackson, grab the drinks, will you?” The rest followed, and I looked up to find Jane in the throng of them. Evan rested his hand on her lower back, both of them walking down the stairs together.
The night just took a turn for the worse.
The movie had been going for about twenty minutes, but I had no idea what it was about.
Evan secured one of the twin seats and got Jane to sit with him. Five minutes in, he did the whole yawn and stretch move, draping his arm around her. The idiot. Such a lame move.
“You okay?” I heard the twit ask her as she got up. Jane walked toward the stairs, in my direction.
“Fine, just need a restroom break. Don’t bother pausing it.” Her face read pure relief. “The sooner this is over, the better,” she muttered under her breath. I snickered, causing Jane to look up in alarm. I winked, and she smiled. It did funny things to my insides.
“I’m going to get a Coke,” I whispered to Sarah, noticing Tom finish the last can. The perfect excuse. I knew I should leave it, but the pull this girl had on me was beyond my control.
“So, Evan, huh?” I blurted out, when I found her in the kitchen, snacking on chips.
“Don’t even start. I don’t know what your sister was thinking.”
“You both looked awful cozy in there.” I winced, noting the jealous tone. Jane wasn’t mine, and I hadn’t done anything to change that.
“Real cozy.” Jane’s sarcasm lifted my spirits. “I love Sarah, but sometimes she makes it hard for me to remember that.”
“Yeah, she can be a handful.” I wasn’t happy with this setup, either, but if it gave me time with Jane now, I wasn’t going to complain.
”If Evan puts his arm around me once more, I might punch him.” That mental image plastered a smile on my face.
“So why did you agree to this ‘date’ if you don’t like the punk?” Must be a loaded question, because Jane turned a cute shade of pink as she fidgeted with her sleeve.
“I don’t really know. Sarah thought it would be a good idea, and then she made me read a magazine article on how to make him like me. I don’t even want him to like me.”
That sounded like Sarah, all right.
“So, what are you supposed to be doing to get him to like you?” I couldn’t help myself. Her fidgeting and blushing were too tempting to leave it alone.
“I’m supposed to flirt. But I think he’s doing enough of that for the both of us.” She huffed and averted her gaze.
“Does it make you uncomfortable when a guy flirts with you?” I closed the distance between us and leaned into her personal space. The nearness forced her gaze up. She looked confused, like she was trying to figure me out.
“No, just incensed.” Her voice came out breathless.
“Incensed?” I raised my brows. Her choice of word had me smiling, but not backing off.
“You know what it means.” She caught on to what I was doing.
“Am I annoying you now?” I raised my hand and rested it on the cabinet, right next to her head. She gulped but didn’t move to push me back. Her eyes dipped down to my lips. “Are you irritated, Jane?” I whispered, so close I felt her breath fanning my face. Her hand came up to rest on my chest, my muscles tightening under her touch.
“There you both are.”
Jane jumped back and bumped into the counter at the sound of Tom walking into the kitchen.
“We ran out of chips.” He grabbed another bag out of the pantry, unaware of the tension between us.
“We better get back down there.” She made a move, and I caught a hint of coconut, inhaling deeply. That might be my new favorite fragrance.
We got downstairs, and Evan’s face broke out into a huge grin. The poor guy was smitten. He was about to be crushed.
I tried to focus on the film, but Jane cuddled up so close to Evan made it hard to think.
All of a sudden, Jane got up and came and sat right next to me.
“What’s up?” Her hair tickled my jaw as I leaned in to whisper.
“Can you believe he tried to hold my hand? And it looked like he was going to lean in for a kiss.”
Poor guy. She blew him off in front of everyone.
“You don’t mind me sitting here till he goes, right?”
Did I mind? I’d been hoping for this all night. “No problem.”
With her next to me, I relaxed and tried to tune into the storyline. It didn’t help that she was sitting with her thigh pressed against mine.
Calm down, dude! I told myself. I had to pull it together before she noticed the effect she had on me. Jane started to yawn. I guess she wasn’t the only one who’d had a long week.
Twenty minutes later, she’d fallen asleep. Her head rested lightly on my shoulder. Before I stopped to think twice, I put my arm around her and pulled her close. She stirred but didn’t wake. Her closeness brought that fragrance from earlier back in full force, and her hair tickled my jawline. I guess she used some kind of coconut shampoo. It suited her perfectly.
I saw Evan shooting bullets at me with his stare. He must have been hoping for this outcome. I didn’t care. All I could focus on was how right it felt to have Jane in my arms. She fit perfectly there. With Jane so close, it was simple to lose sight of why I couldn’t have her. It was easy to forget her dad would skin me alive if he knew I wanted her, or that she was almost three years younger, my sister’s best friend, and therefore totally off limits.
The movie finished, and Sarah switched off the TV. After a few peeks at a sleeping Jane, and me with my arm still draped around her, the guys gathered the empty bowls and headed up to the kitchen, leaving us in the basement.
“Hey, Jane.” I nudged her gently, trying to wake her up.
“Mhm?” She stirred.
“It’s time to get up.” I didn’t know what I said, or maybe I moved too quickly, but her eyelids fluttered open and she looked straight up at me. She seemed confused, but then understanding dawned. Her cheeks darkened, and she fumbled to straighten herself. Man, how I loved it when she blushed like that.
“Sorry about that.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Don’t worry about it. You only slept like,” I checked the clock on the wall, “forty-five minutes.”
“Oh my gosh, Jackson, why didn’t you wake me?” She squirmed.
“What, and miss out on that beautiful snoring?” I teased.
“I do not snore!” She swatted me as I blocked her attacks with one of the throw pillows.
“Well, maybe not snoring, but it was entertaining all the same.” The seriousness from earlier returned as our eyes met.
“Now you’re being mean.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
I grabbed her hand as she began to fidget and gave it a squeeze. “Jane.” I didn’t know how to tell her how I felt. This girl had me on fire. How I wanted to let the fire consume me. Before I could lean in and throw caution to the wind, I was interrupted, again. This time by Mom.
“Jackson, Sarah’s off to bed. Weren’t you supposed to get to bed early for the game tomorrow?” Mom’s gaze on my hand wrapped around Jane’s was a sharp reminder of why I needed to leave her alone. Our parents were tight. Mom wouldn’t let me mess around with their rule.
“Thanks for keeping me safe from Evan.” Jane smiled before she disappeared upstairs. I could swear she looked disappointed.
Even though I couldn’t start something with Jane, I couldn’t deny the way she made me feel, how perfectly she fit in my arms, and how great it felt to hold her close.
Present Day
This Girl - Kungs
JANE
My last class ended over an hour ago. I seemed to finally be getting the hang of my job. The freshman classes were fun to teach. I only had one class that proved a handful with their smart-aleck attitude and many students falling behind. But that kept things challenging. I loved a good challenge.
“Will you be joining us for practice this afternoon?” Graham popped his head through my open doorway. Work on the play had progressed fast. Graham was a natural with those kids. I didn’t understand why the job required both of us.
“I can, I just need to make it out of here in time for Emma.”
His smile brightened, and he stepped into my classroom.
“I’m so grateful for your help.” Graham sat on the desk opposite mine. I noticed how his shirt fit nicely around his broad chest. His hair looked like he had run his fingers through it too many times already today, giving it that messy look. He really was an attractive man.
“Honestly, I don’t know why you need me. You do a great job with those kids.”
“Oh…” He waved me off.
“I’m not kidding. I don’t know what use I am.”
Graham smiled, and I noticed green flecks in his dark eyes. He had great eyes.
“Having you there means a lot to the kids…and to me. It’s nice to have your support.” His statement seemed innocent, but with his earlier invite to dinner, I cringed. I didn’t want to lead him on. I wasn’t ready for this. I missed David.
“Anything for the kids, right?” No reason to give him any false hope. I was doing this because Sarah demanded it, as my boss. I wasn’t there to spend time with Graham.
“Hey, Jane. Graham. How’s the play coming along?” Sarah walked in.
Speak of the devil.
“Great. Thanks for suggesting Jane work with me. Her input and help has been invaluable.” Graham directed the comment to Sarah, but she looked to me before answering him.
“Has it now?” She smirked, as if in on some joke I missed. Knowing Sarah, that might be true. “I’m glad I suggested it. The drama club needs a good team this year after Miss Walters retired.”
“I better get going. Practice starts in a few minutes.” Graham walked to the door but paused before leaving. “I’ll see you later, then?” He waited for my answer.
“Sure, I’ll come by for a bit before I leave.”
With that, he left us alone. His retreating footsteps were the only sound heard for a few seconds, before Sarah broke the silence.
“So… Graham.” She trained her bright blue gaze on me.
“Don’t start, you hear?”
“What?”
“Don’t ‘what’ me. You don’t need any encouraging. I’m not interested in Graham, or anyone else. So leave it alone.” David was the man of my dreams. I wasn’t ready to move on. Would I ever be?
“Sure you aren’t.” Sarah crossed her arms and gave me a smug look. “Have you taken him up on his offer for dinner?”
“No. I told you, I’m not interested.” Didn’t she understand the hole David left when he died? I was broken, damaged. I wasn’t healed up yet.
“Interesting.” She gave me another one of her looks, the one that had gotten me in lots of trouble in the past.
“Whatever you’re planning, stop.” Best to nip it in the bud before she got too far.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her innocent look didn’t fool me one bit.
JACKSON
Today had been a grueling day of back-to-back meetings for the school construction project and a meeting with a potential new client up near Lake Peekskill. If I could make a good proposal, I might have landed my second job, a big stepping stone for JW Architecture Ltd.
After the pressure of today’s busy schedule, I looked forward to kicking back and taking it easy tonight. As I considered my options for takeout, I felt my cell vibrate in my pocket.
Sarah: Made lasagna tonight. Loads. Want to come over? About ready to eat.
Sarah’s lasagna was amazing, so going over would normally be an easy choice. After her stunt the other day, I wasn’t so eager. I just wanted a quiet, early night before I got up early to work on the new proposal.
Spending time with Sarah and her family was one of the reasons I’d moved home, though.
Jackson: Sure, be there in 5.
The lasagna was even better than I remembered. Sarah knew how to cook, something I missed a lot in Boston. My ex-wife, Ainsley, cooked, but it was never anything like what Mom or Sarah could do.
“How are you settling in?” Tom plopped down onto the sofa next to me. After all these years, he was still a good friend. Seeing him and Sarah together hit me hard. They fell in love as kids and made it work. Sixteen years, and counting. And if you paid attention, you could still see Tom had lovesick eyes when he looked at my sister. It gave a guy like me hope that true love really did exist.
“It’s been great so far. The house needs some work, and running my own business means long hours, but it’s work I love. I’m not complaining.”
“Sarah told me you ran into Jane the other day?”
“Ran into would be the right word.” My lips curled as I recalled her soft curves smacking into me, the shock on her face at seeing me. It took me back fifteen years.
“A first love is always hard to forget.” Tom smacked me on the back. I winced. He could read me so well.
“How would you know about forgetting? You married your first love!” I play punched him in the arm.
“See what I mean!” Tom shook his head. “I never could’ve let Sarah go. I knew I loved your sister the moment I set my sights on her. When you have a good thing staring you in the face, you don’t let go. You hang on, Jacks.”
Tom’s words kept playing in my mind long after I left their home that night. I found it hard to fall asleep, remembering the times I didn’t hang on to Jane and chose to let go instead. Would it have worked out differently if I fought for her and held on?
Fifteen Years Earlier
Disappointment -The Cranberries
The school bell rang. I stuffed my book into my backpack and walked out the double doors. I was done for the day. The sun was shining, but my mood was dark and gloomy because of the English paper in my pack with a red C scrawled on it.
I bombed that paper bad, even though I worked hard on it. How would I get into the English program at Fordham if I couldn’t ace English? I’d been busting my butt for the last year to get into and stay in Honors English.
Mr. Rooney took the time to give me feedback so I knew where I messed up, but I still couldn’t believe I screwed up in the first place.
As I walked through the front door of my house, I shouted out to Mom. After a second holler, I remembered she wasn’t home today, something about a meeting with the town festival committee. As if knowing I’d forget, she left me a note and a snack in the fridge. Bless her, she always did take excellent care of me.
I downed a glass of milk and located my plate of apple slices. Before dropping down on the sofa, I took the jar of peanut butter out of the cupboard and added a generous helping to my snack. It was time for some real comfort.
I flipped the channels, not really seeing what was on, but enjoying the distraction. After twenty minutes, and way too much peanut butter, I switched off the TV. The loud noise and the bright lights annoyed me.
I took off walking, no destination in mind, the content of the paper playing over and over in my mind like a morbid tape on a loop. I still wanted to kick something because of it. I found my way over to the bank of the Hudson River and sank down on the soft, grassy edge. Watching the current moving the water soothed my troubled mind. I probably sat there for about a half hour, when a movement to my left side caught my attention.
I turned to see Jackson standing there, wearing his letterman jacket in the customary green and white colors of our high school. He looked mighty fine in his fitted jeans. I noticed a white T-shirt peeking out from under his jacket. My sullen mood lifted as I took in his presence.
The Songs of You and Me Page 3
