by Nikki Lane
Jacob stole a glance my way. “Maeve has a broad range of interests.”
“How about you, Jacob? How are you managing school and work?” his dad asked.
I took a deep breath when the attention was off me. That wasn’t so bad.
Jacob hadn’t told his parents that he’d taken up a job at the animal clinic or that he moved in with me. Aunt Meg had let it slip during one of her phone calls with Carol.
“Everything’s good. Finished the semester with a 3.9 GPA.”
Both of his parents smiled with affection. My GPA had taken a small hit, but it was still decent. I managed to make it through finals and not feel like a complete failure—always an accomplishment.
“That’s wonderful,” Carol said.
“We’re very proud of you,” his father added.
“Whatever,” Noah mumbled.
I took a moment to notice the satisfied look on Jacob’s face. It made him happy that his parents were so proud. I couldn’t blame them.
When we were finished dinner, I offered to help Carol clean up, but she refused. And it didn’t help when Jacob was pulling me out of the kitchen. I caught a glimpse of Carol and Mr. Young kissing by the dishwasher. It didn’t feel real…like watching a movie or reading about it in a book.
It was still early, but I was already yawning. Jacob led me upstairs. We passed Noah’s room. He was slouched on some weird chair, playing Xbox and screaming at the television.
“Jake, come run this back with me real quick.” His focused remained on the giant television.
Jacob turned to me for approval.
“Go ahead. I’m going to jump in the shower.”
He gave me a quick peck on the lips, bolted into his brother’s room, and scooped up the other remote control.
“Dude, what the hell?” Noah groaned when Jacob jumped over him to sit in the other chair. “You’re messin’ me all up.”
“Relax,” he said. “You were bleeding out, anyway.”
Once I saw both of their eyes glaze over, I headed to my room. It felt good to take a hot shower after a day of traveling. I thought about the last twelve hours. How crazy it was that instead of being home alone, I was here, right smack in the middle of what seemed to be the picture-perfect family.
After my shower, I dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and peeked into Noah’s room. Neither one of them had moved at all since I’d left.
“Come in, Maeve,” Noah said, concentrating on the game. “Feel free to make yourself comfortable on my bed.”
I knew Jacob was totally engrossed because he’d let that one slip. I edged into the room and sat cross-legged on the bed. Noah’s bedroom didn’t look like it changed much in the last ten years. There was still a sports-themed wallpaper border at the top of the walls.
I watched them play the video game, something with guns and shooting hordes of zombies. I winced every time blood gushed on the screen.
“What do you guys have planned for tomorrow?” Noah asked.
Jacob got hit and started yelling profanities at the television. “I’m surprising Maeve,” he said.
Did they forget I was in the room?
“Surprising her?” he scoffed. “I hope it’s not something lame like Disney World.”
Jacob tore his gaze away from the TV for the first time since he sat down. “Thanks, asshole.”
“What?” Noah bellowed. “Don’t tell me…”
“Disney World?” I said with a little too much eagerness. “Are you serious?”
“Dude,” Noah grumbled. “Not fucking Disney World.”
“I’m not taking you, dumb ass.” Jacob got up from the chair and tossed the remote control back on the shelf. He reached for my hands and helped me off the bed.
“Where are you going?” Noah cried as he led me out of the room. “Come on, I’m getting torn up over here.”
Jacob grabbed for the door handle and pulled it shut. He took my hand and walked me to his bedroom. It wasn’t much different than Noah’s, except for no wallpaper and a ton more books. He closed the door.
“I wanted to surprise you but —”
“Disney World? For real?” Would it have been weird if I started to jump up and down? I played it safe and tried to contain my excitement.
“Yeah, I just knew you’d never been, and we’re so close. I remembered that one year you wouldn’t shut up about it when we were nine. I mean, if it’s corny, then we don’t have to go.”
It was freaking Disney World! Not go? Was he kidding?
I wrapped my arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips to shut him up.
“Does that mean you want to go?” he asked when I pulled away.
“I can’t wait.”
He smiled and kissed me again. I felt the familiar ache start to simmer deep in my stomach. Jacob kissed me harder, reaching his tongue around mine. His hands found my backside and used it as leverage to pull me in closer. My fingers toyed with the button of his jeans. The soft hair around his navel brushing my skin.
“Does that door have a lock on it?” I asked as his mouth traveled down my neck. The goosebumps flared down my arms.
“Took care of it already.”
He reached for the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head. His kisses covered the skin around my collarbone, my cleavage slipping out of my bra as I held his neck.
I could hear Noah’s muffled screams through the door. “Die, you fucker.”
I pulled Jacob’s shirt off, too, letting my hands graze his shoulders and arms. He still had faint tan lines from summer. With my arms around his neck again, I hopped on top of him, straddling my legs around his waist. He walked me to the bed and set me down, his body moving with mine.
I heard more voices. Carol yelling at Noah to keep it down. It sounded like his father was in the hallway, too. It wasn’t exactly adding to the mood.
Jacob froze, his lips near my navel. He peered up at me as we both tried to listen in on what was happening in the hallway.
“I don’t think this is going to happen tonight,” I said, smirking.
Jacob gave my stomach one more kiss and then crawled to lie beside me. “Twenty-one years old and still getting yelled at like he’s six.”
I smiled and turned on my side to face him.
“We should get to bed,” he said. “We got an early start tomorrow.
I was a little disappointed that we couldn’t continue, but he was right.
We waited until the hallway sounded clear, and then Jacob walked me back to my room. He tucked me into the bed and shut the door on his way out as I tried to fall asleep through all my excitement for the next day.
Chapter Eighteen
It was nearly midnight when we were in the car, driving home from Magic Kingdom. I sat in the front seat while Jacob drove. Noah had decided, last minute, to join us for the trip. After all his griping the night before about Jacob surprising me with a trip to Disney World, Noah had the best time of us all. He’d fit in with the rest of the wide-eyed kids when Mickey and Minnie rode by in their float for the Christmas parade.
I let out a sigh of contentment and leaned my head back against the headrest. My feet and legs hadn’t ached this much since my first week working at the club. But it was all worth it. Disney World was just as awesome as I’d suspected.
“Did you have a good time?” Jacob asked me.
“The best.” I reached for his hand to hold it. “Thank you.”
He smiled wide, gripping my hand firmer. It was the first time I’d initiated handholding.
“Merry Christmas.” He lifted my hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss on each of my fingers.
“Get a room,” Noah grumbled.
I turned back to look at Noah. “Did you have a good time?” He was wearing Mickey Mouse ears and was clutching a large Goofy stuffed animal. He looked like our oversized child.
He stared out the window and shrugged his shoulders. “It was all right.”
Jacob glanced into the rear-view mirror
. “All right? You practically pushed little kids out of the way when the parade started.”
“I wanted to see Cinderella,” Noah mumbled. “She’s hot.”
I chuckled and turned to face forward again.
I let my heavy eyelids close for just a few minutes. When I opened them again, we were already back at the house. We all dragged ourselves out of the car and inside. The multi-colored Christmas lights lit up the palm trees.
Noah headed straight for his room, Goofy tucked under his arm.
Jacob walked me to my room. He sat on the bed while I grabbed a pair of pajamas from the pile of clothes on the dresser.
“We’re invited to Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow. My family meets at the same restaurant every year.”
I walked into the bathroom and peeled off my dirty clothes. “I can’t believe it’s Christmas Eve already. This year has flown by.” I slipped a clean t-shirt over my head.
“Do you want to go?”
I slid on some cotton shorts and reappeared in the bedroom. “Sure. Why not?”
“We can stay here if you want. Spend some time alone.”
I grabbed the hairbrush and used it to pull my hair into a ponytail. “Dinner sounds good. I want you to spend time with your family while you’re here.”
“Okay. I just wanted to make sure you’ve been okay with everything.”
I sat down next to him on the bed. “I know. And I already said it a hundred times but…I had a really nice time today.”
It’d been a while since I had such a good time that didn’t involve sex or alcohol. But it was like that with Jacob. It had always been that way with him.
He gave me a small smile. “I did, too.” He planted a soft peck on my lips and held the side of my face. “I’ll see you in the morning?”
I nodded and Jacob got up to turn down the sheets. I slipped in bed and was asleep minutes after Jacob shut off the light and closed the door.
* * * *
When Jacob mentioned that his family met at the same restaurant every Christmas Eve, I thought he’d meant his parents and brother. Not every relative on his family tree all the way down to his fourth cousin twice removed.
I was not prepared.
There were so many of them that dinner was in a large banquet room. Christmas music hummed in the background, wreaths hung from the wall, and a large, decorated tree sat in the corner next to the roaring fireplace. I clung to Jacob’s arm as he introduced me to his extended family. I’d never heard the word girlfriend so many times in my life.
“This is my girlfriend, Maeve.”
“Oh, this must be your girlfriend.”
“Have you met my son’s girlfriend?”
Jacob had left with Noah to find the bar, leaving me alone with Carol. She found our table and gestured for me to take the seat next to her.
“I’m so happy you came to visit us,” she said, her lips almost touching her martini glass. Every time she turned her head, the diamonds in her ears caught fire. Her pearls were so long she had to wrap them around her neck twice. I wondered what it would have been like to have a mother like Carol instead of a mother like mine. How would I have ended up? More like Jacob maybe? I should be so lucky.
“Thank you for having me.”
“I’ve been trying to get your aunt and uncle down here for years.”
I fiddled with the silverware on the table. “It’s hard for them to get away from the farm.”
“I know,” she replied. “Things haven’t been easy for them. Or for you.” She gave me a sympathetic smile. She’d given me the same smile every time she’d see me at Aunt Meg’s when I’d run away from home.
“I’m lucky to have them.”
“And they’re lucky to have you. Your aunt always shares how proud she is of you. You turned out to be a beautiful woman, Maeve. And smart, too. That’s a hard combination to find nowadays.” She held the top of my hand. “Jacob’s lucky to have you, too.”
A rush of blood flooded my cheeks. I wanted to say something back. But when I opened my mouth to speak, the words evaporated.
By the time dinner was served, I was feeling short of breath. Noah and Jacob were dueling over the last piece of bread in the basket. Carol and Mr. Young were whispering between themselves, a smile touching their lips every other moment. Laughter echoed somewhere in the room on regular occasions. Every once in a while, a new relative would come to the table and say hello. I tried to fade into the background, something that usually worked for me during the annual potluck BBQ. But that tactic wasn’t doing it for me here. Jacob and his family wouldn’t allow it. They were determined to make me feel like part of the family. It was anxiety-inducing.
“You okay?” Jacob said, leaning close to my ear. I could tell he sensed something was off.
“I’m just…” My gaze flickered around the room. My heartbeat started to drum in my chest. Did he hear it? “Might have had too much wine.” I’d barely finished my glass, and I hoped he didn’t notice.
“Do you want to go?”
The room didn’t feel so big anymore. With every shallow breath I took, the walls seemed to creep a little closer together. “No,” I said. “I just need some air. I’m going to the ladies’ room.”
Jacob’s forehead creased as I got up from the table, leaving my dinner half eaten. “Maeve,” he called after me.
I turned to face him and mustered a half smile. “I’m fine, really. Finish your dinner.”
It took me a few minutes, but I finally found the restrooms. My fantasy of having a minor breakdown alone near the hand dryers was short-lived when the bathroom attendant smiled at me. I pushed into an empty stall and locked the door. I didn’t have to pee, so I just stood there, clutching to the door for support, taking long, deep, even breaths.
But confining myself to the small space of the stall wasn’t the best idea. I darted out of the bathroom and headed for outside. My lungs relaxed a little when I inhaled the cool night air. The valet looked on as I sat down on one of the benches farthest from the entrance.
A few minutes later, Jacob came strolling through the doors, clearly looking for someone.
“Maeve,” he said when he spotted me. He trotted over. “What are doing out here alone? Is everything okay?”
I folded my hands in my lap. A light breeze wafted through the narrow space of the covered area in front of the building. Goosebumps prickled my skin.
“I told you I just needed some air. Everything is okay.”
He sat down beside me. “Everything is not fine, Maeve. It’s okay to admit it.”
I looked down at the hem of my dress. The same one I’d worn on our first date. “Maybe…it’s just a little overwhelming for me. I’m not used to all of this.” I felt the tears burn at the back of my eyes. My throat grew thick. “I’m sorry,” I squeaked.
“What are you sorry for?” He ducked his head to look at me.
“Everyone’s just being so nice and…” Sniffle, sniffle. “All I can think about is running away.”
He grabbed my hand and stood up, pulling me up, too. Jacob held my face, tenderly wiping away a tear from my cheek.
“You have nothing to be sorry about.” I still couldn’t meet his face. “Look at me.”
I didn’t know where I summoned the courage from. Maybe it came from being held by him. Maybe it was the firmness of his voice. But I did. I looked up.
“You have nothing to be sorry about. I should be the one apologizing. I pushed you too hard. I don’t want you to ever feel uncomfortable.” He wiped away another tear. The touch of his finger against the wetness of my skin made my heart ache. “Come on.” He grabbed my hand again and started to walk.
“Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you back to the house.”
“Jacob, I don’t want to take you away from your family. It’s important.”
He stopped and looked back at me. “You’re important. More important than anything. They’ll understand.”
He continued
to walk toward the valet. I was right behind him, knowing, at that point, I would have happily followed him right off the edge of a cliff.
Jacob didn’t bother to tell anyone we were leaving. He sent his brother a quick text from the car before we left the restaurant.
He weaved the car through traffic effortlessly with one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding my hand. His fingers fiddled with my mood ring. It was a little habit he’d developed, but something about the way it felt sent shivers through me every time.
Jacob brought my hand to his lips and gave it a few soft kisses, a smile adorning his face. I smiled back, not being able to help it if I’d tried. I thought again about his mother’s words—Jacob’s lucky to have you. I was the lucky one. I swallowed hard, trying to quell the tinge of panic threatening to ruin the rest of the night. I didn’t want to think about what waited for me at home. How I’d have to keep on lying, keep on pretending like I had everything figured out. Keep promising Kasey that I’d never let anything happen to her. That the bank wasn’t going to take the farm. That I’d keep helping Aunt Meg and Uncle Jim with money as much as I could. That our mother would be just fine at the shelter, and that she’d never consider, for even a second, going back to Doug.
I took a silent gulp of air and faced the window to let it out in one slow breath. I’d gotten so lost in thought, I hadn’t even realized we’d pulled into the driveway.
Two steps into the house and Jacob’s tongue was greedily wrapping around mine. We staggered past the Christmas tree toward the staircase, our lips never breaking. Jacob scooped me into his arms and carried me up the steps. I wrapped my arms around his neck. It felt right here. In his arms. Like it was where I was always meant to be.
He kicked open the door to my room and set my feet back on the floor. He brought me in close to his body, his hand holding me at the small of my back.
“We’re all alone,” I said.
“Feels like it’s been a while.”
“We’ve only been here a couple of days.”
“I know, but I love having you all to myself.”
My eyes followed the line of his lips. I held his face, feeling the softness of his trimmed beard. “So now that we’re alone…” The blade of my finger trailed down his jawline to his neck. “What are you going to do with me?”