She kissed Dylan’s pale cheek, and we left the room together. As soon as we were in the hallway, she pulled me into a hug.
“I was so mean to you. I should never have acted so cruelly. I don’t know what possessed me.” Her voice caught in her throat as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Shhhh,” I said, getting emotional myself. “It’s fine, Mom. I understand. We’re all a little stressed out right now.”
“The way I treated you this morning was unacceptable. Maybe I need to talk with someone. Your dad mentioned it before, and I bit his head off, but he might be right.”
“You’ve been through a lot. I get it. I do.”
She patted my cheek. “You’ve been through a lot, too.”
“We all have, but he looked good today,” I said. “I think he’s getting better.”
“I hope you’re right,” she said, linking her arm with mine as we walked toward the gift shop together. “So…Sophie Barnes, huh?”
I nodded. “Yes, Sophie Barnes.”
“She must be something pretty special.”
“She is,” I said, treading carefully. “Can she come and visit next weekend? She wants to meet you and Dad.”
She blew out a long sigh as she thought about it. I could tell she wasn’t ready for this, and I knew I pushed her into it, but a wave of relief washed over me as soon as she agreed.
“Yes. I suppose. On one condition.”
“What?” I asked, getting nervous all over again.
“You have to make me pancakes. They were delicious this morning and I barely got to enjoy them. Because I was, apparently, a total dickhead.”
I laughed, kissing the top of her head. “It’s a deal.”
Chapter 15
~Sophie~
My parents wouldn’t let me drive Elsie to Jake’s house. They insisted I take my mom’s car instead. Sadly, Mom drove an extremely unsexy mini-van in a putrid shade of green. It was the same color as the globs of mucus that came out of the noses of the kids in my mother’s kindergarten class. Not a pretty sight. And, when I pulled up in front of Jake’s giant stone mansion, I wished more than anything I could drive something cooler, and I wished I could be cooler, too. Prettier. More popular. With bigger boobs. More like my sister, and less like myself.
I honestly had no idea what Jake saw in me, and, as I sat in his driveway, I got scared. Wait…what did he see in me? I wanted to slam my head on the steering wheel. Yes, he seemed to like me on our first date, but maybe it was a total fluke. Who was I kidding? Guys like Jake Hunter did not fall for girls like me. Ever. He was out of my league and I knew it.
As I sat there, wondering what I should do, Jake came out the front door and jogged over to the Snotmobile. He didn’t seem to notice the horrible mini-van or the fact I was less than perfect, and seeing the smile on his face, the happiness glowing from his eyes, made everything okay. That’s all it took. Suddenly, my doubt vanished, and I was glad I came.
He opened the door to the mini-van, and I tried to jump into his arms, but I forgot my seat belt was still buckled and nearly strangled myself. “Ugh,” I said, struggling to unbuckle it. “I am such a dork.”
He reached around me, unbuckling it in one quick movement, and pulled me into his arms. “You’re not just any dork,” he said, his face in my hair as he breathed in my scent and held me close. “You’re my favorite dork.”
He kissed me until the world spun around me and I felt dizzy and strange and wonderful. When I finally caught my breath, I beamed up at him. “You’re my favorite dork, too.”
He took my hand. “Are you ready to go inside?”
“Uh, sure,” I said. “Hold on. I brought presents for your parents.”
I opened the back of the mini-van and handed him a large poinsettia, a gift from my mom, and picked up a pie I baked myself. “I thought maybe we could have it for dessert tonight,” I said. “It’s not pumpkin, though. It’s apple cranberry.”
“My mom’s favorite,” he said.
“Thank goodness. Maybe I’ll score a few points.”
“I’m sure you will,” he paused, only for a second, but it spoke volumes. “She, uh, isn’t home right now. She left before I woke up this morning. She had to go to the hospital to check on Dylan. She’ll be back in time for dinner.”
“Oh. Okay.”
I tried to hide my disappointment, but he must have understood how I felt judging by the expression on my face. He reached for my hand and brought it to his lips. “Don’t worry, Soph. She’s going to love you. I’m sure of it.”
“I’m not worried,” I said, and when he quirked one dark eyebrow at me, nudged him with my elbow. “All right. Yes, I am worried. I want her to like me.”
“She will.”
I smiled at him, but I knew her absence was a bad sign. He’d told me how she acted when he first broke the news to her. Although I had a feeling he glossed over it for my sake, the sad resignation I saw in his eyes told me it had upset him. Jake and his parents were close, like I was with my own parents, and, in order for this relationship to succeed we had to have both sets of parents on board. My parents were already in the bag, and Jake’s dad seemed pretty cool with it, too. Or at least I thought so. Now was the moment of truth.
As we walked to the large ornately carved wooden door, my heart pounded in my chest. Please don’t let me mess this up, I thought to myself. This was too important. Jake was too important. And it had to start with having his father on our side.
Jake opened the door, ushering me into the spacious foyer. Filled with elegant furniture and beautiful artwork, it looked like something from a magazine. Jake took my coat and shouted, “Dad. Sophie is here.”
Jake’s father came down the grand curved staircase, a smile of greeting on his face. A tall, imposing man, he looked like an older, greyer version of Jake, and he wore a t-shirt with Darth Vader on it and the words, “Who’s your daddy?” I grinned as soon as I saw it.
“Cool shirt, Mr. Hunter,” I said, shaking his hand.
He glanced at it. “Jake got it for me for Father’s Day. I love it.”
“Me, too.”
His eyes, the same dark brown as Jake’s, raked over my face. I met his gaze directly, my hand still in his. Whatever he saw there seemed to satisfy him. “Nice to meet you, Sophie.”
“You, too.” I let go of his hand, and gave him the pie. “Apple cranberry. I hope you like it.”
“I’m sure we will. It’s my wife’s favorite. How thoughtful of you. I’ll put it in the kitchen. Would you like a drink? Have you had breakfast?”
“I ate right before I left,” I said, giving Jake my coat, and following Mr. Hunter into the spacious white kitchen. “But I’d love a cup of coffee if you have it.”
“We always have coffee,” he said with a wink. “Have a seat.”
We sat around the island and chatted, getting to know each other. When he asked what our plans were for the day, Jake told him he wanted to take me to lunch and show me around town.
“Sounds like a plan,” said Mr. Hunter, glancing at his watch. “I’m going to run to the hospital and hang out with your mom. We thought we’d pick up Thai food for dinner. Would that be okay with you, Sophie?”
“Of course. I love Thai food.”
“Great,” he said, getting to his feet. “Have fun, kids. See you later.”
“Awesome-sauce,” I said, and blanched. Did I have to say that particular phrase out loud? It made me sound like a preschooler.
Mr. Hunter didn’t seem to mind. He smiled at me, and gave me a warm pat on the shoulder. “I’m happy you’re here, Sophie.”
“So am I.”
We left at the same time as Mr. Hunter. I had a feeling he stalled, waiting for us to leave. He was most likely under direct orders from Mrs. Hunter not to leave us alone in the house, which I guess I understood.
Jake held my hand as we drove to the main street of town in his Porsche. I’d never been in such a nice car before. It was intimidating.
&n
bsp; “You know, we could have taken my mom’s mini-van. Everyone would have been so jealous. It’s quite the ride.”
He nodded, his expression serious. “It is. I want to see your purple bug. I bet it’s super cool.”
“Elsie is retro, and I feel like a total hipster when I drive her. She’s so ugly, she’s kind of cute.”
“I’m sure Elsie is just adorable.” He bit his lip, like he was trying not to laugh.
I swatted his arm. “There is something you have to understand. The fact I drive a purple bug is only the tip of the iceberg. My family insists on buying cars in colors not normally found in nature. It’s kind of a thing with us. Take my mom’s mini-van, for example. Yes, it is the color of mucus, but not normal mucus. It’s the color of radioactive, alien mucus.”
“Alien mucus? Hmmm. A pretty accurate description.”
“I know, right? Don’t be jealous, Jake. Not everyone can handle a Snotmobile. Some people have to drive more boring, ordinary vehicles,” I said, waving my hand to indicate the elegant interior of his car. “Like silver, top of the line Porches.”
“You’re right. I could never pull off the mini-van as well as you do.”
“It’s okay, sweetie. No one is judging you.”
“Thanks. I feel much better.” He parked his car in front of a diner, and turned to give me kiss. It made my toes curl. When he leaned back, I blinked at him in surprise.
“Jake Hunter. You need to warn a girl before you do something like that. Holy guacamole. You’re dangerous.”
He kissed me again, pulling me close. “Dangerous is my middle name.”
“I thought your middle name was Alexander,” I said, between kisses.
“Too boring. Jacob Alexander is the guy who drives a Porsche and spends way too much time playing video games. Jake Dangerous is the one brave enough to fall for a girl in a snot colored mini-van.”
“Oh, I like Jake Dangerous. He sounds hot, and I heard he’s a fantastic kisser.”
“Really? Let’s see,” he said.
His kisses turned from something playful and fun to something altogether different. Soon, nothing existed except Jake. His lips. His touch. The intoxicating scent of his skin. I forgot about everything else. I even forgot about the fact we were making out while parked right smack in the middle of the main street of his town…until someone rapped on the driver’s side window.
Jake jerked in surprise, turning toward the sound. A grinning guy with a broad friendly face plastered himself against the window, looking pleased. A dark-haired girl stood next to him, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. She did not seem to enjoy this at all. Awkward.
Jake rolled down his window. “Hey, Tyler. Kristy.”
Kristy gave him a nod. Tyler shook his hand. “Jake. My man.”
“What are you doing here?” asked Jake.
“We’re going to have lunch. I guess I don’t have to ask what you’re doing here. Wink, wink. Nod, nod. This must be Sophie.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Tyler.”
“And I’ve heard a lot about you, too. Do you want to join us for lunch?” Kristy shot him a look indicating she’d rather eat slugs, but Tyler ignored her. “I’ve been dying to meet the famous Sophie. Jake can’t stop talking about you.”
“Tyler has no filter,” said Jake. “Have I mentioned that before?”
“You have, and you were right. I get it, though. I don’t have a filter either.”
Jake squeezed my hand. “What do you think? Do you want to eat lunch together?”
Tyler had on a blue varsity soccer jacket. I assumed he played on the same team as Jake. I had mixed feelings about dining with Kristy, but this was a rare opportunity for me to get to know Tyler. By proxy, I could also learn more about Jake, who was, of course, my favorite subject.
“Sure. Sounds like fun.”
We squeezed into a booth in the corner of the restaurant. Jake put his arm around me in a possessive way, which I enjoyed, but Kristy did not. Tyler asked me questions, being polite and attentive. He obviously wanted to know more about me. Kristy did her best to steer the conversation away from me and keep the attention on herself. I didn’t mind. She had some kind of issue with me, but I couldn’t have cared less. All that mattered to me was being there with Jake, snuggled up against his side. Not even someone as bitchy as Kristy could kill my vibe at the moment, and I refused to play her game. In fact, I forced her to interact with me. As we sat eating burgers and fries, I decided to try to make her engage in a civil discussion with me. How hard could it be, right? I sat up a little straighter and gave her my most winning smile.
“Do you play soccer, too?” I asked, noticing Kristy wore a similar jacket to Tyler’s.
“Yes. I do,” she said, her voice cold. The unspoken word, obviously, hung between us. Apparently, this was something I should have known without asking. Oh, well.
“Cool,” I said.
“Do you play, too?” asked Tyler.
Jake and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. “Uh, no,” I said, wiping away a tear. The thought of me running around a soccer field made both of us laugh so hard we cried.
“What’s so funny?” asked Kristy. “You don’t like soccer, I take it?”
“Oh. It’s not that,” I said. “I’m not good at sports. Any sports. And I’m a bit…accident prone.”
“She’s challenged by gravity,” said Jake.
“It is challenging. You’re right.”
He kissed me on the cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll catch you if you fall.”
My heart swelled to the point it nearly popped right out of my chest. “Thanks, Jakey,” I said.
Tyler put his elbows on the table and rested his face in his hands. “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard, Jakey. I had no idea you had such a sensitive side. Did you, Kristy?”
Kristy’s face reddened. She stood up, tossing her wadded up napkin on the table. “Excuse me,” she said, and marched off in the direction of the restroom. I watched her go, a little surprised by the hurt I’d seen in her eyes.
“What’s she upset about, Jake?” I asked.
Tyler answered for him. “She asked Jake to the Christmas dance,” he said. “And, at first Jake agreed to go with her, but backed out right after he met you. Good thing she had me as a backup plan, or she would have been even more pissed off.”
“Seriously?” I asked. “You didn’t have to change your plans, Jake. You could have gone to the dance with your friend. I would have been cool with it.”
“The problem is Kristy didn’t want to go as friends,” said Tyler. “She’s had a crush on Jake for years. She thought she finally had a chance, but you, apparently, are a dream crusher.”
“Oh, man. I’m a dream crusher?”
“Shut up, Tyler,” said Jake. He turned to me. “There was nothing between us. I swear it. As soon as I agreed to go with her, I knew it was a bad idea. Then I met you and…” He paused. “Well, I didn’t want to go to the dance with anyone but you. I was going to ask you when we got home, but I guess I should do it now. Will you go to the dance with me? It’s the weekend before Christmas.”
I kissed him firmly on the lips. “Of course, I will,” I said, standing up. “But first I have something else I need to do.”
“What?” he asked.
“I have to go make peace with Kristy.”
“Good luck,” said Tyler with a laugh. “Better men have tried and failed.”
“Which is why you need a woman for the job,” I said with a wink.
I wasn’t as brave when I found Kristy in the restroom, her eyes red from crying. She patted her cheeks with a wet paper towel, but she used warm water. Huge mistake. She was going to make her face look even more swollen. I took the paper towel from her hand, ran it under cold water, and dabbed her with it. She didn’t say anything. She stared at me, blue eyes filled with anger and pain.
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know about
the dance.”
She frowned. “You aren’t going with him?”
“He asked me two minutes ago, so, yes, I am, but it was the first I’d heard of it. The main thing is I’m sorry your feelings were hurt. It sucks.”
“It does,” she said. “I thought you told him not to go with me.”
“Nope,” I said. “I would never do that. And I heard you’re going with Tyler now?”
She nodded, sniffing. “Tyler’s good about things like that.”
“He seems like a nice guy.”
“He is.” She leaned against the sink, and let out a long breath. “I’m not going to be your friend, you know, even if you are being nice to me.”
“Got it,” I said, handing her a dry paper towel. Her face looked better already, but it was still damp. “But, I’m not going to be your enemy, either. And you’re going to have to deal with it.”
For a second, I thought she might laugh, but she didn’t. She did, however, give me a slightly less hostile glower. “Fine. If that’s the way you want it. I guess I have no choice.”
“You don’t.”
Chapter 16
~Jake~
Sophie worked her magic, and managed to charm even Kristy, which was a challenge for anyone. Although I wouldn’t say the rest of our lunch date was super warm and fuzzy, it was much more comfortable than when it started. Now, instead of pointedly ignoring Sophie, Kristy pointedly ignored me, which didn’t bother me one bit. I preferred it that way, in fact. I didn’t want Sophie to feel slighted or uncomfortable, and I felt a surprisingly high level of hostility toward anyone who might purposefully hurt her.
“You bring out the cave man in me,” I whispered against her ear as Tyler and Kristy chatted about dessert.
“What do you mean?” she asked, wiggling closer to me. I loved the way she did that, like she couldn’t stand any space between us. It was…endearing, like everything else about her.
“I can’t stand the idea of anyone being unkind to you. Probably because you are the nicest person I’ve ever met.”
Sophie and Jake (Passports and Promises) Page 6
