Brett’s eyes widened in alarm. “Do you have to tell them? What if I just promised never to talk to her again?” he pleaded desperately.
Officer Kent shook his head, his eyebrows raised. “Oh, I’m not going to tell them. You are.”
Brett looked over at me with an emotion I was unable to read lurking in his eyes. He caught Jake’s gaze and their eyes locked, contempt covering both of their faces. Blind to the silent conversation taking place, the officers exchanged words with each other and then turned back toward us.
“I understand that your parents are out of town this week?” Officer Kent asked, looking directly at Brett.
“Yes, sir, they are,” he answered, dragging his eyes away from Jake.
“In that case, you’re going to have to come to the station with us and we’ll give them a call from there. You can find a ride home afterward.”
I looked around and for the first time noticed that Brett’s friends were nowhere to be seen. Their presence had dissolved, along with the rest of the crowd. Brett was left all alone. I hoped he would have to walk home from the police department, just as I had walked home from the dance.
“You let us know, miss, if there is any more trouble,” the second officer said to me. They turned and guided Brett toward the awaiting police car, leaving words like “Breathalyzer” and “underage drinking” in their wake.
I somberly watched as their vehicle pulled away, taking my assailant with it. Vaguely, I wondered how our circle of friends would react when they caught wind of what happened.
“I’d like to take Addison home, if you don’t mind,” I heard Jake say to Ruby.
My eyes widened as I looked back and forth at them.
“That is, if it’s okay with you,” he asked, turning toward me.
I closed my eyes and raised a shaky hand to my head. What is he going to say to me? What am I going to say to him? I sighed warily.
“Addy, are you all right?” Ruby asked anxiously. “Do you want me to take you home instead?”
I opened my eyes and gave her a tight smile. “No, it’s okay, Ruby,” I answered, shaking my head. “I’ll be fine.”
I need to get this conversation over with now instead of having to face him tomorrow, I reasoned.
She gave me another hug before walking to her car. “Call me when you get home,” she added protectively. Ruby glared at Jake for a moment before pulling away.
Alone in the street, we stood there awkwardly and stared at one another, neither of us knowing what to say next.
Chapter Five
I cleared my throat, “I just want to thank you—again—for dealing with Brett.” I addressed Jake with averted eyes.
“Addison,” he began, and then hesitated.
I looked up and noticed he was struggling for words, his eyebrows creased with uncertainty. “How long has this been going on, your trouble with Brett, I mean?” Jake looked down at me in concern.
I shrugged, avoiding his gaze. I didn’t want to admit that things had gotten increasingly tense since prom night. “He’s just upset about what happened at the dance.” I shrugged, trying to make light of the situation.
“And you think that excuses his behavior?” he asked in surprise.
“No! Of course not. But what am I supposed to do, Jake? Things are different when you live in a small town. There are politics involved. He would make my life a living hell if I gave him trouble.”
“So you’re just going to let him get away with harassing you? Spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder?”
I swallowed hard, overcome by my own guilt. “That won’t be an issue. Next year I’ll be in college, far away from this place. Once Lakeside’s in my rearview mirror, everything’ll be fine . . .” My voice trailed off.
Jake let out an ill-humored laugh and ran a tanned hand through his hair in exasperation. I watched him intently and wondered why he even cared. After all, we had only just met.
He looked back at me with intense eyes. “You think you’ll be free from assholes like Brett once you’re in college?” he asked. “Have you even told your parents?”
“God, no! Are you crazy?” What is he thinking? I could never tell my parents.
“Look, I want you to tell me if you have any more problems with him. Promise me you will, Addison,” he added urgently. “I mean it.”
I rolled my eyes and reluctantly agreed, completely embarrassed by the conversation. I felt like a child; defiant, stubborn, and completely unskilled at dealing with problems. After a minute of standing there, I broke the awkward silence. “Can you please take me home now?”
Suddenly, he shot me a funny look. I looked away, not ready for a lecture. “Do you have to leave right away?” The promise of something more laced in his voice.
My head turned back toward Jake so quickly I could practically feel the whiplash from his abrupt change in mood. “Why?” I asked suspiciously. “You want to lecture me some more?”
“I thought maybe we could hang out. I came downtown to grab a bite to eat before heading home. Besides,” he added, regarding me through long, black eyelashes, “I was hoping to see you again.”
I stared at him, open-mouthed. Breathe, Addy, I reminded myself, and quickly tried to regain composure. “I think I might have some time.” Real smooth, Monroe.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, the hopeful look on his face reminded me of a child on Christmas morning, and I had a hard time believing he was actually talking to me.
I felt my face grow warm at the prospect of eating an actual meal with him, never mind I had just walked out of the café. “I could eat,” I said cautiously. “So . . . is this a date, then?”
Mischief and utter mayhem filled his gaze and he laughed lightly. “Unofficially.”
I could feel my eyebrows hitch together in confusion. What does that even mean?
Jake and I ran into the Big Cheese and ordered a pizza, then headed out to the lake to have an impromptu late-night picnic. We settled down on an empty wooden table overlooking the shore. Goose bumps covered my bare arms as I bit into my warm slice of pie. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the soft breeze blowing off the lake or because of the company I was keeping.
“Hey, this pizza’s not half-bad,” I commented, at a loss for clever conversation.
“What? Don’t tell me you’ve never had a supreme before?” he asked in surprise.
“Nope,” I answered, shaking my head. “I’m what you would call a pizza minimalist. Ham and bacon, occasionally onion . . . but that’s as adventurous as I get.”
“So, what’s gotten into you tonight?”
I laughed and tossed my hair over my shoulder, just as I had seen Ruby do when in the presence of an attractive guy. “I guess it’s because I don’t want to be difficult. I’ve already caused enough trouble this evening. If I start acting like a princess, you might never ask me out on another unofficial date again,” I teased.
“Addison, what would you say if I asked you out on a real date?” he asked, suddenly serious.
I tried to swallow the bite of pizza I had in my mouth before I choked. “You mean a real, official date?”
“A real, official date.” He nodded.
“Where you pick me up, pay for dinner and everything?”
“Wait a minute! I paid for this pizza,” he said defensively.
“Unofficially,” I shot back with a cocky smirk, and pretended to think carefully for a moment. “I think I would say yes. Does this mean you’re asking?”
Jake’s mouth tipped into a lazy grin. “Not yet,” he responded, with just the right amount of charm.
I threw him a smile, hoping to appear nonchalant, as if the game of cat and mouse did not affect me in the slightest, but my insides were turning into a gelatinous mess. Oh. My. God.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” he asked casually, but I had a feeling he had more than a walk on his mind. Or at least I hoped he did.
Nodding in agreement, I caught my lower lip with my tee
th—a nervous habit I’ve had since I was a child. We set the pizza down and removed our shoes before heading toward the shoreline. The gentle waves and full moon added to the moment, and Jake must have felt it, too. He reached for my hand and grasped it gently. I tried not to let it affect me, the feel of his skin against mine, but in that moment all I could do was focus on the pressure of our hands intertwined. Shyly, I looked over and found him watching me. My God, he was so perfect! I couldn’t believe I was there with him, walking hand in hand along the lake.
We walked for a while, neither of us saying a word. Suddenly Jake stopped and turned to face me. Our eyes locked underneath the moonlight and my heart started skipping like a deranged madman in my chest. He stepped closer and gently brushed the back of his fingers against my cheek, causing me to bite my lip . . . again.
He gave a soft chuckle and slowly rubbed the pad of his thumb over my mouth, forcing me to drop my lip. “Is this okay?” he asked huskily, closing the gap between us. The intimate gesture caused my head to spin, and I vaguely wondered if I had pizza breath.
Numbly, I nodded as my heart began to race. He leaned in and gently lowered his mouth onto mine. His mouth was amazingly soft—for a rugged, hard-working cowboy—and I felt myself sigh. The way our lips teased each other, his stubble tickling my face—I had never experienced anything like that before in my life. I could have stood there for days kissing him, but I suddenly swayed backward, and the moment was over.
“Are you all right?” Jake asked, concern covering his features.
“Um . . . yes,” I admitted, slightly embarrassed. “I think I forgot to breathe.”
Jake laughed and put a well-toned arm around my shoulder, steering me back toward the lights of downtown. “Come on, Addison. Let’s get you home.”
No! Damn it . . . I sulked all the way to his pickup.
* * *
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my cell beeping repeatedly, alerting me to several new text messages. What the heck? I wondered crankily, and reached for my phone.
Well??? What the hell happened last night?! the message screamed back at me.
“Ruby,” I seethed under my breath. Doesn’t she know what time it is?
Sleepily, my eyes wandered over to the clock at the side of my bed. Ten o’clock! Oh my God—I missed breakfast! Jake would already be hard at work and I had missed my one opportunity to see him before he started. “Maybe that’s for the best,” I said out loud in my best big-girl voice. “I need to play it cool.”
“My night was amazing; it was incredible; it went better than I ever expected!” I texted back, my finger positioned on the answer button, waiting for the phone to ring. Ruby did not disappoint.
Ring! Ring!
“Hello, Ruby,” I said, smiling into the phone.
“Oh. My. God! What happened, Addy? Did you guys go out? Is he going to kick Brett’s ass? Did you kiss him?” She bombarded me with an onslaught of questions.
“Nothing much. Yes. No, but I think he wants to. And yes, definitely, but it was the other way around.”
“He kissed you? Holy shit! Was it amazing? Tell me everything!” she shrieked in a voice that reminded me of a mouse with its tail caught between the sharp teeth of a hungry feline.
Laughing at her excitement, I answered, “Ruby—it was amazing! He is amazing!” I blushed with pleasure as I thought of my night with Jake. Sighing with satisfaction, I admitted, “I think I’m in love.”
“Oh, Addy, it’s not love. It’s way too soon for that—believe me, I know. Infatuation, maybe. Or lust.”
It felt like all three, but reluctantly I had to agree with her. It couldn’t possibly be love.
“Have you spoken with him today?”
I stretched in bed and shook my head, my hair tumbling around me in tangled waves. “No, I overslept. He’s already working. Maybe it’s for the best, you know.” I shrugged. “I don’t want to seem overeager.”
“Overeager? By a phone call?” Ruby dramatically exclaimed. “You need to mark your territory, Addy. Jake is way too cute to stay single for long in this small town. And you know hospitality runs rampant in the South . . .” Her voice trailed off triumphantly, proud of her wise observation.
I felt an uncomfortable prickle crawl up my skin as I contemplated Ruby’s reasoning. It was true; Jake was unbelievably attractive, and Southern girls could be particularly. . . friendly. But he was not in Lakeside looking for love. He was here to work. Or at least that’s what I kept telling myself. “I don’t know, Ruby . . .”
“At least text him! Tell him to have a good day or something. Or tell him you had fun last night! You’re a resourceful girl, Addy—think of something! But don’t not talk to him—you’d be digging your own grave!” she emphasized.
Ruby was making some good points, but I was unsure. I didn’t want Jake to believe I was some silly, immature high school girl. I wanted him to think I was a mature woman who knew how to handle herself—even if it was just an act on my part. I chewed on my lower lip, trying to decide what to do next.
“Stop chewing on your lip, Addy. I can feel you doing it from miles away,” Ruby blurted out suddenly. “I know! Invite him to the Friday Night Bonfire at my house tonight!” she exclaimed, using the title we’d given her weekly summer ritual.
“Oh, shit, the bonfire! I totally forgot about that.”
“What?! Don’t think for a second you’re getting out of it again, Addison Victoria Monroe,” she scolded, using my full name, indicating she would have my head if I was a no-show. “You missed my last one. You have to be there tonight!”
“You know, Ruby Nichole Sinclair, you have them every Friday night. I may not be able to make it to every single one,” I patiently explained. Ruby lived on Lake Lanier and she loved showing off her family’s excessive property. Although I had to admit, it was pretty impressive. Ruby’s parents were both real estate moguls, and Ruby’s spoiled ass always reaped the annoying benefits.
“You’d better be there,” she warned again. “The pool is open and you haven’t even come over once since school let out. Besides, you can check me out in my new suit.”
I rolled my eyes, remembering Ruby’s latest purchase when a horrifying thought came to mind. “If I am going to invite Jake, I need a new swimsuit!” In a panic, I jumped out of bed and began searching for clothes through a freshly laundered pile on my bedroom floor. I didn’t have much time to shop if I was going to get back in time to invite Jake to Ruby’s.
“I’ll be there in thirty,” Ruby offered without hesitation.
As aggravating as she could be sometimes, I could always count on my best friend to have my back. “You’re a lifesaver! But we have to make it quick. It can’t be like last night when I totally missed out on getting back here before Jake left.”
“Yes, but it all worked out—didn’t it? Getting sexually assaulted by Brett was awful, but then came Jake—the best thing that ever happened to you,” she remarked sweetly.
I growled at the memory. “I wouldn’t go that far, Ruby. But it did all seem to work out in the end,” I admitted with a frustrated sigh. Even though the incident had passed, the thought of Brett still weighed heavily on my mind.
“And don’t worry. I am an expert when it comes to speed shopping,” she said, ripping me away from the unpleasant memory.
“You’re an expert when it comes to any kind of shopping,” I snorted back. We hung up and I dressed quickly, then ran down stairs for a quick bite to eat, almost running right into my mother.
“Whoa—slow down there, Addy! You nearly knocked me over,” Mom said with an exasperated gasp. “What’s the rush, anyway?”
“Sorry, Mom,” I answered, sticking my head into the fridge, searching for something cold to drink. “Where’s the orange juice?”
“I have to go to the store today. I’ll add it to the grocery list.”
I pulled out the milk and grabbed a box of cereal from the pantry, pouring the contents into a bowl.
&nbs
p; “So, why are you in such a hurry?” she asked again, as I stuffed a large spoonful of toasted oats into my mouth. “You may want to take it easy there, Addy; you’re going to choke . . . and I still need to renew my CPR certification,” she added as an afterthought, walking to the counter and jotting down a reminder on a piece of scrap paper. Mom worked part-time as a nurse at the local hospital, and there always seemed to be some kind of certification she needed to get renewed or class she had to attend.
I swallowed hard and tried to answer in between bites. “Ruby’s on her way over and we’re going shopping. Her bonfire is tonight and I need a new swimsuit.”
Mom raised her eyebrows in response. “What about your bathing suit from last year?”
I scrunched my eyes in disgust. “Ugh! That was last year’s suit. I need a this year’s suit! Everyone has already seen the other one,” I explained. Doesn’t she understand fashion?
Mom threw her hands up in mock exasperation. “Sor-ry. I didn’t realize it was taboo to wear last year’s suit.”
“Well, it is,” I informed her, stuffing another bite into my mouth. Just then, I heard a car horn honk from the driveway. I jumped up and threw my bowl into the sink and began to search for my purse.
“It’s in the hallway closet,” Mom called after me.
How does she always do that? I grabbed my bag and ran over to kiss her on the cheek.
“Do you have money?” she asked, giving me an amused smile.
“Yes, my babysitting money,” I answered, nodding.
Mom stood in front of me, regarding me with a funny look on her face. “Addy—are you going to go shopping looking like that?”
I threw her a frown and walked over to the hallway mirror in confusion. “My hair!” I laughed, giving my tangled mess a toss. “What? You don’t like it?” I asked, looking back at her over my shoulder.
“I don’t mind it, but if I know Ruby, she’ll throw a fit!”
Giggling, I opened my purse and scrambled around for a comb. “Love you, Mom!” I said on my way out the door.
“Love you, too, Addy. Have fun.” I heard her laughing as the door closed behind me.
Strawberry Wine Page 5
