One of These Days (Prairie Town Book 4)

by T. E. Ridener

This was what he’d been waiting for.

  “Hey, Jeb. Do you—” Devin entered the kitchen and stopped abruptly, his face turning ten shades of pink as he glanced back and forth between them. It wasn’t like they were doing anything bad, but he supposed having one of Ags’ legs wrapped around his waist did make it seem like something more was going on. “Um...I think I might just head out now,” he said, quickly averting his gaze to the ceiling. “Nick and Kelly will probably be home soon and I should skedaddle before Mrs. H. drops the kids off.”

  Aggie laughed softly and buried her head against his chest, which was very uncharacteristic of her. She’d never been the shy type before.

  “All right, man. It was great hanging out with you today,” he said. And he meant that. New Devin was a thousand times better than the old one. “Be careful going home, okay?”

  “Always,” he replied, grinning sheepishly. “You two, uh, have a good night.”

  Devin disappeared before he could say anything else, and when he heard the front door shut, he burst out in laughter.

  “It’s not that funny!” She smacked his arm lightly. “I think we really embarrassed him. Poor guy.”

  “Oh, puh-lease. He lives with a man and a woman. I’m sure they do far worse than anything we could imagine.”

  “Stop it,” she warned, smacking his arm again. “You’re going to embarrass me.”

  “Impossible.” Giving her a wink, he turned to grab the gallon of ice cream and then reached for a second spoon. “So, can I ask why you were raiding the freezer?”

  He hoped his question wouldn’t offend her. It was mere curiosity for the most part, but there was some mild concern as well. Again, he thought about the countless times he’d found Laney sitting on the couch with a tub of ice cream, crying her eyes out over some stupid guy.

  I hope she doesn’t think I’m a stupid guy, he thought. Turning to face her again, he held the ice cream out as some sort of peace offering, but it was easy to see she wasn’t interested in it as she tossed the t-shirt, now removed, to the floor.

  He was pretty sure he’d never gotten so hard, so fast, in his life.

  There she stood, wearing nothing but those damn pink underwear, and his mouth nearly hit the floor.

  “Do you want me, Jeb?”

  What kind of question was that?

  That was like somebody offering a free jawbreaker to those kids from that one animated show: of course he wanted it.

  Finally able to function after a few seconds of stunned silence, he shoved the ice cream back onto the counter and took a step towards her.

  She didn’t budge from her spot.

  “Yes,” he said huskily. “You have no idea how much I want you.”

  “I want you, too.”

  His eyes swept over her body, so beautiful and curvy. She was perfect in every way imaginable, and it was getting really hard to keep his hands off her.

  A song from Ludacris came to mind as he watched her run her hands over her breasts. Those two mounds of flesh were just the right size, and his mouth watered for them.

  Her fingers teased over the hardened peaks of her nipples as she inched closer, and damn it, he was throbbing.

  “Would you still want me if I told you I’ve been with other guys in the past?”

  “Why would that matter?” He asked, his voice strained with desire. His eager hands found her hips, pulling her a little closer. “I’ve been with other girls.”

  “I’ve been with girls, too,” she admitted, twirling around and pressing her ass against him. “Lots of girls.”

  Christ Almighty, she was trying to kill him.

  “I-I don’t care,” he responded, sliding his hands to the front of her body. They moved to her breasts to their own accord, and she moaned softly as he cupped them. “It doesn’t matter, Aggie. You could have been with a million girls and I wouldn’t care.”

  “What about a million guys?”

  His lips found the side of her neck and he suckled at the sensitive flesh as she squirmed against him.

  “Have you been with a million guys?”

  “No,” she replied, giggling. “But I’ve been with quite a few.”

  “I really don’t care, Aggie. What or who you did before now isn’t really my business. This,”—he spun her around and rested his forehead against hers—“This is my business.”

  “Are you sure?”

  This question, out of all of them, surprised him. Never had he been so honest with a girl—and he’d talked to a lot of girls about the subject before tonight—but she seemed so unsure, so hesitant.

  Why?

  Pulling her around to face him again, his eyes never left hers. He cupped her face between his hands and leaned in to kiss those delicious lips again, vowing to always keep his freezer stocked with chocolate covered cherry ice cream.

  “Yes,” he murmured against her mouth, slowly sliding his tongue over her bottom lip. “I’m sure.”

  God, he was so hot and bothered. Girls had gotten him riled up before, but this was an entirely new level. Aggie—unlike any other woman on the planet—was causing him to feel things he’d only read about in romance novels.

  Who knew such things could be true?

  And why had he ever read romance novels in the first place?

  “But I’ve been with a lot of men, Jeb.” Her tone became serious, the playfulness from just seconds ago, gone. Pulling away from him, she lifted a hand to her mouth, biting at her thumbnail. “I don’t think you understand.”

  “Aggie?” Giving her a questioning stare, he allowed his hands to fall back to his side. If he’d learned anything from his time of being around intoxicated people, it was that they never needed to feel threatened. Though she was small, he was pretty sure she could do worse damage to him than what Devin had experienced. “What’s there to understand? You’ve slept with people—so have I. It’s not a big deal.”

  “But it is to me.”

  Shit.

  There were tears in her eyes and nothing killed a boner faster than that. The mood was gone, and probably for the better, as she turned and hurried away from him. She fled the room and he was left in stunned silence, unable to make heads or tails of what had just happened.

  Chapter 10

  Ags

  She was being an idiot and she knew it.

  Jeb was that guy; that once-in-a-lifetime type of guy any girl would be lucky to have. He just ‘got’ things, and he wasn’t a complete dick like the majority of men she’d met in her lifetime.

  He was special.

  And she was screwing it up.

  Gods, I’m an idiot.

  She’d tossed and turned all night. Sleep definitely hadn’t been her friend, and it was almost morning time, which meant Lydia would be calling soon to make sure they hadn’t burned the house down yet.

  The house was the least of her worries at the moment.

  Rolling onto her side, she stared at the large window and watched as the first signs of morning began to seep through the thin fabric of the curtains. Her heart skipped a beat as she began to wonder what Jeb was doing.

  Probably wondering what he did wrong, she thought with a sigh. But this is my fault. I’m fifty shades of looney.

  Releasing a quiet groan, she kicked the blankets away from her feet and sat up, fingers immediately finding her hair. Tugging at the strands in frustration, she pondered what to do—how could she fix this?

  I can fix it, said that all too familiar voice. Just let me be in control for a few hours.

  “Mm, no,” she mumbled, shaking her head. “I can’t.”

  Yes, you can. Just let me in and I can fix it all. I’ll show Jeb he’ll never find anyone like us.

  “No,” she whispered, standing abruptly. “That’s the problem. You’re...there is no us.”

  There has always been an us, Aggie. I’m you and you’re me. I’ve been here for you all along. If he can’t accept that, then he doesn’t deserve you.

  “It’s not normal!” She cr
ied, pulling roughly at her hair. “Shut up! You’re not normal!”

  You’re not normal. You’ve never been normal. Uncle Ryan has always said this. Mom has always said this.

  “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

  Why are you trying to push me out? I’ve done so much for you, Aggie. We’re a team, remember? I take care of you.

  “Go away! I don’t want you here!”

  You need me, Agatha. Don’t do this.

  “SHUT UP!”

  The room began to spin like an out-of-control carousel as she staggered towards the vanity. It was hard to make out her reflection as her vision blurred, but what little bit of it she could see, it disgusted her.

  You need me, Aggie. I’m always here for you. I’m not going anywhere...

  “Please stop. Please go away,” she pleaded, pressing her trembling palms against the polished surface. “Don’t do this to me. I want to be normal for him. I want to be me.”

  Normal isn’t an option. It never was. Not after what happened...

  Her mind wandered back to a time then, a time in which the world was so devastatingly dark. She was alone there, alone and scared.

  Remember what happened, Aggie? Who saved you?

  “You.” A tear slid down her cheek.

  Who protected you from that bad man?

  Squeezing her eyes shut, she swallowed the bile threatening to rise in her throat. “You.”

  And you want to be rid of me? Is that the thanks I get?

  “No, I...I—it’s not like that. Please. I just really care about him and it could be so much more. He won’t want me if he finds out.”

  Finds out what? The truth about your mind? How you popped your cherry?

  “Stop it,” she snapped, her eyes glued to the mirror. Glaring at herself, she frowned. “Don’t talk about that. Please.”

  Then don’t threaten to get rid of me. I pulled you out of that. I saved you. I make you better.

  “But he won’t...want me.”

  He wants both of us already. Don’t you see that?

  “But it’s not normal. This...us...you’re in my head. I should be locked up in a ward somewhere.”

  That’s your mother talking now. I’m so disappointed, Agatha. How many times do I have to tell you she’s the crazy one?

  “Is she?”

  Yes. And you—

  The loud knock on her door nearly caused her to piss herself. Knees trembling, she turned to stare at the door as if it were the strangest thing in the world.

  “Aggie?”

  Jeb’s voice was soft and full of concern. It caused the heaviness in her chest to vanish, though, and that wasn’t something she could ignore.

  He made her feel safe.

  “Y-yes?”

  “Hey, are you okay?” He paused. “I heard shouting.”

  Oh, shit. Panic seized her as she fidgeted with the hem of her nightshirt nervously.

  “I’m f-fine. I was just...talking to Noah.”

  “Oh.” Another beat of silence. “Is...do you want to talk about it?”

  On one hand, she knew she was being stupid about the entire ordeal. If she wanted any sort of future with Jeb—and she really, really did—she needed to be completely honest with him about everything.

  But on the other hand—the one with the worst possible scenario, ever—she worried what would happen if he couldn’t accept that part of her. He’d only ever known the genuinely cheerful person she was; her demons had never made an appearance in his presence before.

  He accepts that Agnes is a part of who I am though. That has to mean something, right?

  Nibbling at her lower lip, her eyes wandered back to the mirror and she stared at her reflection, contemplating.

  Nothing could possibly make her feel better than having his arms wrapped tightly around her.

  Maybe some kisses, she thought with a small grin.

  But what if he didn’t want to kiss her anymore? What if her little disappearing act last night made him dislike her?

  “Aggie, are you still with me?”

  Yes.

  Clearing her throat, she quickly moved to the door and unlocked it. Pulling it open and giving him her best smile, she nodded. “Yeah, I’m here.”

  He looked a downright mess. There were circles under his eyes, which were red and glossy. It made her feel awful. How much sleep had he lost because of her idiocy?

  “Jeb, are—”

  “Now wait just a minute,” he said, lifting a hand up. “I’ve been thinking about this all night and if you interrupt me now, I’ll forget.”

  Her mouth immediately closed.

  “Aggie, I think you’re a wonderful, amazing, incredible person. You’re beautiful, kind, and funny—all the stuff I like in a woman.”

  He fell silent then, and they stared at one another for at least forty seconds. His eyes darted back and forth between hers, wide and wild, and then it dawned on her that perhaps he was not suffering from sleep-deprivation.

  “Thank you, Jeb, for those kind words,” she said, wetting her lips with a quick swipe of her tongue. “I think you are wonderful, amazing, and incredible, too.”

  “Aw, thanks,” he replied, suddenly bashful. He acted like a kid receiving his first compliment as he bowed his head and grinned.

  “You’re welcome, of course. Anytime, but...are you...high?”

  “W-what?” His head shot up and his eyes, if it was possible at all, grew bigger. “Why would you think that?”

  She gave him a look that said ‘as if’, and rolled her eyes before laughing. “Jeb, I wasn’t born yesterday; I know what it looks like when somebody’s baked. Did you get into my stash?”

  “I...I...well, you...uh...”

  He was unraveling and fast. It’s not like she meant to be a buzz kill—it was only a simple question, but the poor guy was going straight into panic mode because of it.

  “Hey.” Her voice became softer as she reached out to touch his arm. That damn muscled arm; it caused her to have serious ill-timed thoughts. “It’s okay if you did. I’m not upset. I’m just not used to seeing you like this, is all.”

  “I am very sorry,” he said, being as serious as could be. “It was there and I saw it, so I smoked it. Laney has always said it’s great for anxiety and after what happened last night, I was definitely feeling very...anxiety-ed?”

  “Anxiety-ed?” She echoed, biting back a laugh. Stoned Jeb was the most adorable thing she’d ever witnessed. “Have you never been high before?”

  “Once.” He blinked. “Okay, maybe a few times in the past, but that’s because Callum and I were just wanting to be young and stupid, you know? It’s not something I’ve really had a lot of experience with, but I have to tell you, it makes me feel really awesome.”

  “That’s the usual outcome.” Trying her best to keep her laughter at a minimum, she let her hand slide down to find his. His fingers immediately laced with hers and he stepped inside the room, a smile appearing on his lips.

  “It makes me feel a little brave, too,” he admitted. “I feel like I should say everything I feel and let it play out.”

  Her stomach filled with warmth and tingles, and her chest tightened with anticipation.

  What, exactly, did he want to say?

  “Aggie, I—whoa.” Leaning back against the doorframe, he pressed his free hand against his forehead and released a low breath. “I forgot how fucked up this stuff could make a person. Just give me a second.”

  “How much did you smoke, Jeb?” Worry weighted her lips down as she released his hand and opted to stroke his arm with her fingertips instead. If anything, maybe that would help relax him.

  “Um...” His eyes wandered to her beloved Jareth poster as he thought about it. “The whole bag, I think.”

  “The whole bag?” She exclaimed, immediately retracting her hand to place it over her mouth. “In one sitting?”

  “No, no, no,” he scowled, shaking his head. “I spaced it out. Took a few hours to get through it, you know
.”

  “Jeb, that was a lot of weed. And it wasn’t some cheapo version you can get from any little dealer from this part of the country. That came from Benji’s source.”

  He blinked and she sighed.

  “You do realize Benji’s source is, like, top notch, right?” Groaning softly, she cupped his face between her hands and sighed again, a little louder this time. “Jeb, on a scale of one to ten—how fucked up are you right now?”

  “So fucked up,” he whispered, chuckling. “Like, I feel like I could fly right now.”

  “But you know you can’t, right?”

  “Of course, I know I can’t. I’m not stupid, Aggie,” he mumbled, squinting. “But maybe I do need to sit down for a minute.”

  “That’s a good idea.”

  Pulling him to her bed, she pushed him down onto the mattress and placed her hands on her hips. It would have been hilarious at any other time, probably. But the fact remained that he’d smoked a bag worth two hundred bucks and she’d be lucky if Lydia didn’t murder her when she found out.

  But she doesn’t have to find out, said Agnes.

  She rolled her eyes and decided to ignore him.

  What kind of friend would she be if she tried to keep something like that from Lydia?

  “Aggie,” he mumbled, wrapping his massive arms around one of her legs. He nuzzled his nose against her stomach. “Aggie, are you mad at me? Please don’t be mad at me.”

  “I’m not mad.”

  “You look mad.”

  “But I’m not, Jeb. Concerned, yes. But I am not mad at you.”

  “Are you sure?” Tilting his head back to peer up at her, he resembled a puppy dog and damn it, she just wanted to kiss him.

  “I’m very sure. I promise.”

  “Sure-sure?”

  “Sure-sure.”

  He seemed satisfied with that response, and she hoped he would finally conk out; sleep was the best thing at the moment anyway.

  But that’s not what happened, not at all.

  One quick tug to her leg, and she found herself face first on the bed. She hadn’t even had time to react—and she didn’t want to.

  His arms wrapped around her torso and his lips found the back of her neck. His kisses were soft, so soft she almost didn’t feel them. But when his hot breath hit her flesh? Gods, she felt that.