For most people, a flat tire was just an annoyance, and waiting for help only a time suck. But for Cass, it would set her back, erasing the progress she'd been making.
He never should have let her go to the appointment alone. Practice meant nothing compared to that.
"I need to find your dad," he choked out. Coach would help.
"What's wrong?" Charlotte's face shone with concern.
"My sister has a flat tire, and I have to get to her."
"I'll take you."
He froze. Charlotte didn't question why he was so worried, she only offered to help. With the exception of Roman, he'd kept his two lives separate from each other. His family life and his school life didn't cross over.
Now, they were on a collision course he couldn't avoid as he nodded, unable to form a thank you.
Charlotte pushed through the door and held it open for him. They stood, not speaking, under the overhang by the door, a sheet of water raining down before them.
"Ready?" Charlotte yelled over the drumming of the rain.
He nodded as she darted out into the freezing downpour. Water wicked into his eyes and soaked his clothes as he raced across the parking lot, following Charlotte's small form to a light blue Honda civic. The car fit her, understated, reliable.
But it also didn't fit her. If that made any sense. She was so much more, and he'd only scratched the surface.
The locks clicked open, and Jesse pulled the passenger door and practically fell into the seat, slamming the door behind him.
She sat much more gracefully than him and started the car, blasting the heat.
He searched the immaculate seats. There wasn't a bit of trash in it. "Your car is clean." He cringed at how lame he sounded. Confident, charming Jesse Carrigan was sitting in a car alone with a girl and didn't know what to say.
Charlotte didn't respond as she pulled out of the lot. "Where are we going?"
"There's a part of the public beach few people know about."
"Turtle cove." She nodded. "Got it."
"Of course, you know it." He shook his head. They'd grown up in Gulf City but few people could claim that honor. The town was full of northern transports, people searching for some warmth yearlong. "We've been in school together for twelve years, how is it we've never hung out or seen each other at the same places?"
She was quiet for a moment, and when she spoke, her voice was almost a whisper. "Jesse, I've always been around. I see you and your friends everywhere. I mean, you go to my dad's rink every day. I was just never worthy of notice." She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Unless it was for your crowd to call me ice princess. Then they noticed me."
How had he not seen it? She was right there all this time, skating on the outside of his world.
Her wipers worked furiously as her headlights cut through the darkening afternoon. A steady drumming against the roof provided them with a veil of peace, almost like when they were in her car, nothing else existed.
"I'm sorry." He turned to look at her, but she kept her eyes on the road.
"I know you are." She sighed. "You're a nice guy, Jesse. I know you don't mean to treat people the way you do sometimes."
"Something about you made me want to fight."
"Probably my disdain for you."
He laughed. "Has it lessened?"
She only shrugged.
"Come on. Just a little? You can admit it. You don't hate me nearly as much anymore."
Her face grew serious, and she glanced at him before fixing her eyes on the road again. "Playing hockey with the team today... I've never been on a team."
"It's kinda great, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Her lips twitched into a smile before dropping again. "I know I only got to experience that because of you. So, yeah, maybe I don't hate you anymore."
His arms shot into the air. "I knew it!"
"Shush, you."
"Admit it, I'm growing on you."
"Like a fungus."
His grin widened. "Truffles are fungus, and they sell for a lot of money."
"You're not a truffle. Maybe a shriveled toadstool."
He glanced out the window to hide his smile from her and lowered his voice. "I'll take it."
A few minutes later, they pulled into the small gravel parking lot of Turtle cove. If it wasn't raining buckets, they'd be able to see the tiny beach only frequented by locals. Instead, he focused on the jeep ahead. "Right there." He barely waited for Charlotte to stop the car before jumping out and running to Cassie's window.
Relief flashed across her face when she saw him. She threw open the door, not caring about the rain, and jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as her entire body shook.
"Hey," he said into her ear. "You're okay."
"Jess..." Tears mixed with the raindrops on her face.
"I know, Cass." And he did. She hated the anxiety coursing through her at every moment of the day, and she felt guilty for how often her brother had to help her.
What she didn't understand was he'd do anything for her.
"Go sit in the car with Charlotte." He released her and led her to the back door before opening it. "Please, Cass." He met her gaze, knowing how she felt about new people. "She's nice. I promise you'll be okay."
To his surprise, Cassie only nodded and slid into the car.
He turned back to the jeep, praying he could still change a tire.
12
Charlotte
Charlotte turned to the sopping girl climbing into the backseat of her car, recognizing her immediately. Jesse's sister was the girl he'd been with the first time she argued with him at the rink.
"Hey," Charlotte had to yell over the rain.
The girl flinched back, pressing herself into the seat.
"I'm Charlotte. I've seen you before." When the girl didn't respond, Charlotte looked out the window to where Jesse worked to change the tire on the jeep. His sopping shirt clung to the ridges of his back as he bent over.
Forcing herself to look away, she focused back on the girl, trying to remember what Jesse called her on the phone. "You're Cass, right?"
"Cassie." She pushed out a breath, her eyes still wide. "I-I'm sorry. I'm not good with people."
"You don't have to apologize for that. Most people suck."
That finally had Cassie cracking a smile. She was beautiful and looked so much like her brother, even with wet strands of hair clinging to her face. "They do."
Charlotte turned in her seat to face Cassie. "I kind of dislike most people. But your brother is growing on me."
Her lips twitched up. "My brother is probably the best person I've ever known."
"That's going a little far." Charlotte laughed before realizing Cassie wasn't laughing with her. "He's okay."
She frowned. "He's better than okay." Her voice rose as she took on a defensive posture. "You don't know what it's like for him."
"What what's like?"
"If he hasn't told you, I'm not going to." She studied Charlotte for a moment. "You don't seem like the people he tells me about. Roman is the only friend of his I've met... but you're different."
"How do you know that?"
"If you weren't, he'd never have brought you to meet me. He'd have found another way to help me."
Charlotte wanted to ask her more, to get answers, but before she could, Jesse's door opened and he climbed in. "Spare is flat too. I canceled Triple A for tonight, but I'll have it towed tomorrow."
Cassie sat back in her seat and crossed her arms.
Jesse looked between the girls, one eyebrow lifted. "Were you two... talking?"
"Yes." Charlotte didn't understand what was so odd about that or why it would make Jesse smile at her like she'd just found the key to everlasting life.
She started the car and followed Jesse's directions to a street about two miles from the beach. His large yellow concrete block house came into view. Out front, overgrown shrubs crowded the small walkway with ivy creeping up the walls. Weeds s
prouted throughout the gardens, like they hadn't been taken care of in years.
Charlotte parked on the street and Cassie jumped out, running across the lawn before disappearing through the front door.
Jesse sat silent for a long moment, and Charlotte wasn't sure what to do.
When he finally spoke, there was hesitation in his voice. "What are you doing for dinner?"
She bit her lip. Should she reveal how she spent each night alone in a silent house? For some reason, she couldn't lie to him. Not now. "My mom prepares meals for me ahead of time. I'll probably just eat whatever tasteless chicken she's made, and sit in my room to watch the hockey game."
He pursed his lips. "Do you..." He paused. "I mean... My house is kind of crazy, but I feel like I owe you dinner after you helped me out with Cass."
"You don't owe me anything." She tapped her hand against the steering wheel.
Reaching over, he stilled her hand. "Stay."
"Yeah?" She released a breath. "Okay." Walking into Jesse's house right now held more appeal than going home to her empty one.
Jesse flashed her a nervous smile before darting into the rain and kicking the door shut behind him. Charlotte followed him over the soft ground to the stoop. He pushed open the blue front door and ushered her into a quiet entryway.
Water dripped from her clothes onto the white tile below, creating a puddle where she stood.
The quiet only lasted a moment longer before two little boys came barreling at them, yelling for Jesse. Each held a foam sword in front of them.
"Calm down guys." There was no harshness in his tone, only indulgence as he bent to look into the identical boys' eyes. "You okay?"
They nodded before the one on the right spoke up. "It's raining, and we can't go outside. Dad won't play with us. He's watching the news." He scrunched his face up in distaste.
Charlotte laughed and clapped a hand over her mouth. The kids were cute. They both jerked their gazes to her as if noticing her for the first time.
"Jess," one of them started. "You have more friends than Rome?" He said it so seriously and without the slightest teasing tone, Charlotte couldn't suppress her smile.
Jesse straightened. "This is Charlie." Charlotte stopped correcting him when he used that nickname. If she were being honest, she liked the idea that someone other than Hadley felt comfortable enough to use it.
Both boys stepped around Jesse to regard her. "Do you want to play with us?"
"Easy there, kiddo." Jesse put a hand on each of their heads. "Charlie, this is Will and Eli." He gazed down at them. "We're going to dry off, and then I'll start dinner."
Their expressions fell, and their shoulders sagged in disappointment, but they ran off the way they'd come.
Jesse turned an apologetic smile on Charlotte. "My house is a little... different."
"Good different." She'd always wished she had siblings. Then maybe she wouldn't feel so alone all the time.
He smiled at her assessment, not breaking eye contact until Cassie appeared in dry sweatpants and a t-shirt. She extended a towel to each of them. "Do you want something dry to wear?"
Charlotte looked down at her sopping clothes and the mess they created. She could only imagine how she looked. "Yeah, that would be great. Thank you." As she followed Cassie toward the stairs, she looked back over her shoulder to where Jesse watched with a puzzled expression on his face. She didn't have time to figure out what had him so confused.
Cassie led her up the long staircase to the farthest door. She pushed it open to reveal a ridiculously organized space. Her aqua comforter was folded over her made bed, looking as if a professional did it. The desk was a perfect workspace.
Vacuum lines striped the plush carpet. After seeing the overgrown front of the house, she wasn't sure what she expected of the rooms inside.
Cassie dug through a drawer as Charlotte squeezed her braid with the towel. She walked to the far wall where pictures hung at perfect intervals. Jesse and Cassie smiling. The boys causing mischief with some kind of Nerf gun. An older man with Cassie and Jesse she assumed was their dad.
The final picture was the sweetest. Cassie and Jesse were only kids, and they crowded each other in a woman's lap.
"My mom." Cassie's voice made Charlotte jump.
"She's beautiful."
"She was." Cassie smiled sadly as Charlotte turned. Was their mom gone? Cassie held out clothes for Charlotte—a pair of black leggings and an oversized sweater that would no doubt swallow Charlotte whole.
"Thank you."
"Take your time. I'm going downstairs, so you can change in here." She shut the door on her way out.
Charlotte changed and gathered up her wet clothes. When she stepped into the hall, she froze. The door beside her stood partially open, revealing a shirtless Jesse, every perfect inch of his chest on full display.
No, not perfect. She couldn't think like that.
His lifted his eyes, finding her watching him, and her face flushed. With a crooked smile, he shrugged on a t-shirt and flopped wet hair out of his face. He opened his door wider. "You sure blush a lot."
"Sorry." She averted her eyes.
"Don't apologize."
"I'm sorry, I won't."
His smile widened. "Did you just apologize for apologizing?" He stepped into the hall and closed his door. "Come on, you can help me cook dinner."
What teenage boy cooked dinner for his family? Charlotte didn't even cook just for herself. They dodged toys on their way through the messy house and Jesse gave her a sheepish look. "I haven't had a chance to clean lately and the boys’ caretaker is only part time."
The kitchen, unlike the rest of the downstairs was impeccable. Gleaming white surfaces and cheery blue walls welcomed them.
"Welcome to my domain." Jesse went to the fridge and started pulling things out. He glanced back at her. "How pathetic would it be to invite you to dinner and then make you help me cook?"
Rolling up the sleeves of her sweater, she smiled, marveling at how normal all of this felt. "What are we making?"
"Jesse's famous French toast."
"Ah, famous, huh? I might not be up to the task."
He straightened and walked to the counter. "Want to know my secret ingredient?"
She nodded.
"Bread." He laughed as he tossed a loaf her way. "Come on, I'll show you how to whisk the eggs."
"I know how to whisk eggs." She bit back a smile.
"Well, aren't you just a professional?" He winked.
Jesse Carrigan was known for his charm, but maybe it wasn't an act as she'd always thought. Could he actually be as nice as he seemed?
"Cass," he yelled.
Cassie popped her head through the door. "Yes, your Highness?"
"Set the table, my lady."
"As you wish." She dug into a drawer for silverware before pointing a knife at Jesse. "Don't burn the bacon or it's the chopping block for you."
Once she was gone, a laugh bubbled out of Charlotte.
Jesse grinned. "I don't think I've ever seen you relaxed like this."
"Have you ever thought it's because you don't know me at all? All you knew was the persona your friends forced on me at school."
"Fair enough." He ripped open the bacon and placed each piece on a cookie sheet. "It's amazing though."
"What is?"
"My sister... she doesn't..." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked to the door she'd disappeared through.
"Does it have to do with your mom?"
His eyes widened as they found hers. "How could you know that?"
"I saw a picture of her in Cassie's room. She's dead, isn't she?"
He nodded. "It’s been two years since someone killed her. Cassie was there at my mom's side. She watched her die. Since then, she's scared of the entire world."
"PTSD?"
"Of a sort, yeah. But, Charlie, she doesn't talk to anyone. Other than the family or her therapist, she won't speak. Not even to Roman, and he used to be her best fr
iend."
"But she talked to me."
"I know." He scrubbed a hand over his face. She'd never noticed how much worry and responsibility sat on his shoulders. No wonder he'd been so determined to help Cassie when she'd called.
Without thinking about it, Charlotte put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad I could help a bit." He covered her hand with his own.
The beep of the oven made them both jump apart. Jesse slid the bacon in and went back to whisking the French toast mix. "Will you cut up the fruit in the fridge? I want to make sure my brothers eat more than bread and bacon for dinner."
Making sure kids eat right was supposed to be a parent's job. She couldn't help but wonder why it fell to Jesse and not his dad.
Cassie reappeared to get plates before walking away again.
"I remember your sister." Charlotte took a knife out of the knife block and began slicing strawberries. "When I yelled at you at the rink, she was there."
He looked sideways with a grin. "You enjoy yelling at me."
She ignored that. "I thought she was your girlfriend."
He snorted out a laugh. "Sometimes I can get her to come to the rink with me if I promise no one else will be there. You sort of ruined that."
"Sorry."
"Don't be. I enjoy you yelling at me just as much as you enjoy doing it."
She was so busy watching him, she wasn't paying attention to her own knife. A sharp pain radiated from her fingertip where she'd just sliced off a bit of skin.
A string of curses flew from her mouth. Jesse dropped his whisk and grabbed her hand, moving it over the sink before turning on the cold water. She cursed again as the icy blast struck her.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice low.
She turned her head to look up at him, realizing just how close he now stood. Their breath mingled as they continued to stare.
"Yeah." She breathed out the word.
"Miss ice princess has quite the potty mouth."
"I'm not an ice princess."
"Yeah." His lips quirked up. "I'm starting to see that." He closed the distance between them, crushing his mouth to hers.
Jesse and the Ice Princess (Gulf City High Book 1) Page 9
