Feeling frustrated, I exhaled loudly and ran my hands through my hair again.
“I didn’t even know she’d been dating these assholes until today. I’ve wanted to spend more time with her and ease her into the idea of a relationship, though that’s been impossible with the way she’s been avoiding me, and I’ve been so busy at work which hasn’t helped either.”
“She thinks you’re a great guy, Jake, but a great guy who likes her as nothing more than a friend. I’m pretty sure she’s attracted to you, but in her head you could never possibly have those same feelings for her. Niki would have probably perceived you spending time with her as a nothing more than a platonic act of friendship.” Liya sighed softly.
I rubbed my hand across my temple. “That makes no sense. I’ve been sending out all the right signals… at least I thought I was. Apparently not.”
She shrugged and leant back into the chair.
“I’ve known the girl her whole life, and even I don’t understand the complicated inner workings of Niki’s mind. You’ve experienced her awkwardness first hand. She practically hid behind the bloody trees whenever she saw you around town.”
“I don’t know what happened between the both of you on New Year’s Eve, but trust me on this, Jake. If you want my sister, subtlety is not the way to do it. She won’t believe you want her unless you make it completely clear. When you tell her, leave no room for uncertainty.”
Fuck, I’ve been going about this all wrong.
“Does this mean I have your seal of approval?” I asked hopefully.
Liya peered at me curiously. “What is it that you like about my sister?”
I chuckled, “What, do you want a list?” Liya didn’t respond but merely stared at me with a deadpan expression.
“Oh, you actually want a list. Okay. Well, she’s generous and caring. She goes out of her way to help people, and she’s kind hearted. I don’t think she has a malicious bone in her body.
“Of course it doesn’t hurt that she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. And when she smiles at me, I feel like I could do anything.”
The silence that followed my declaration was painful. “Was that too sappy? Probably was. If Addie was here she would have thrown something at me.”
A wide grin appeared on Liya’s face and her eyes became bright and I panicked.
“Oh, shit. No tears. Please, no tears. Caleb will break my nose if he knows I made you cry. I’m trying to win over your sister, I can’t afford to have my good looks blemished.”
Liya snorted. “I was just giving you shit, but that list was so sweet, I’m glad I asked you.”
“I’ve seen how you look at her.” She smiled at me fondly. “It’s how Jeremy looks at Debbie, and how Caleb looks at me. There’s no one else I would trust more with Niki’s happiness.”
“Thanks, Liya. That means a lot.”
“But just know, if you ever hurt her, there will be no place on earth for you to hide where I won’t find you. I will introduce you to a whole new meaning of the word pain. Seriously, by the time I’m done, you will be begging for death,” Liya said with a big smile as she left the room.
I have a whole new respect for Caleb.
* * * * *
I followed Liya out of the staff room and back to the waiting area, just as Niki walked out holding some forms.
Liya reached her first and threw her arms around her. “Little bug, you had me worried! What did Dr Turner say?” She walked around Niki to look at the back of her head. “Are you feeling alright?”
“I’m fine, Liya. It’s nothing. I may have a nasty headache, but there’s no concussion. And the cut wasn’t even deep enough to need stitches,” she said, her gaze fixed on the floor.
“Okay, but I still don’t want you to be alone tonight. Jake, will you drive Niki home and stay with her? Just to make sure she’s okay?” Liya asked as she sent me a meaningful look.
“Sure,” I said immediately, though I had already decided that there was no way I was leaving her by herself tonight.
“No,” Niki replied immediately, shaking her head. “Stop fussing, Liya. I’ll be fine.”
Liya rolled her eyes. “Go home and get some rest, Niki. You’re not working tomorrow, are you? I’ll come and see you on my way home. Call me if you wake up feeling worse during the night, okay?”
She kissed her sister on the forehead and walked towards the elevators.
The walk back to the car was painfully tense. After we’d climbed into the car and fastened our seat belts, Niki finally broke the awkward silence between us.
“Thank you for driving me home, Jake,” she said quietly.
“No problem.”
“I still don’t understand why you were at The Whiskey Jar.”
I glanced at her briefly, before looking away. “I didn’t like the idea of you being alone with a stranger, so I decided to make a trip to the bar tonight.”
A small frown appeared between her brows. “I was hardly alone, Jake. We were meeting in a crowded public place.”
“Do I need to remind you how the night ended?” I said roughly.
“I could have handled it,” she said softly, staring out the window.
I decided not to answer, and merely grunted unhappily in response.
The whole night had me wound up, and the image of that fucker trying to kiss my girl still had pissed me off.
Niki had dozed off as we neared her house. I woke her gently after I’d parked in the driveway. After sleepily rummaging through her purse, she found her keys and unlocked the door. I walked in after her before she had a chance to protest.
“No arguments, Niki. I’m staying.”
She sighed. “I’ll get you a pillow and blanket and you can have the couch.”
“I’m sleeping upstairs tonight. That way I’ll be able to make sure you’re okay. I don’t think you would come downstairs and wake me if your headache gets worse,” I told her with a raised eyebrow.
“Liya’s room has been empty and not cleaned since she moved out. I’ve been meaning to get a guest bed to put in there, but I haven’t gotten round to it,” she said as we stood at base of the stairs. “We’ve only got an old air mattress that I’m pretty sure has a leak. I’m sure you’d be more comfortable in your own bed at home.”
I snorted at her attempt to get rid of me. “The air mattress will do. It’s only for one night, just so I know you’re okay.”
She flushed and looked like she was going to argue, but she changed her mind.
“Fine,” she said with another heavy sigh as she began to climb the stairs. “I’m too tired to argue with you. But don’t sleep on the broken air mattress. That’s ridiculous.”
We reached the landing, and the flush on her cheeks deepened. “The bed in my room is big enough for both of us.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from groaning as the blood in my body headed south again at the thought of being in her bed with her.
Pervert. Control yourself.
As we entered her room, Niki looked between me and the bed and winced at the pain caused by the sudden movement.
I was going to ask if she wanted to take any painkillers but was distracted when a small, black cat slinked into the room.
“Hello, handsome. How’s your day been?” Niki picked it up and nuzzled its’ fur.
Nice. I’ve reached a new low point in my life. I’m jealous of a fucking cat.
“Jake, you remember Shadow?”
“Sure I do. Hey there, Shadow,” I said to the little feline, who meowed softly and bumped his head against Niki’s ankles when she placed him back on the floor.
“Shadow, Jake is staying here tonight, so be nice.” She walked into the small bathroom that adjoined her bedroom, leaving me and cat alone in the room.
I bent down to scratch Shadow behind his ears, when the cat’s demeanour changed. Its eyes flashed, he hissed loudly and swiped a sharp clawed paw at me. I quickly jerked my hand back to avoid becoming kitty chow.
“What the fuck, cat?” I whispered loudly at the volatile creature. “Niki said be nice.”
The cat hissed at me again, baring his sharp little teeth and padded over to the bathroom door, where he sat and waited for Niki to come out.
I took off my jacket and tossed it on an armchair as I looked around Niki’s room. The style of the room fitted her personality perfectly.
The bedspread on the four poster bed was floral and pastel coloured as were the curtains. The dresser, nightstand, bookshelf and large armchair in the corner of the room were all a pale cream.
Walking over to the bookshelf, I browsed through her book collection. As I expected, Niki appeared to be a fan of romance novels and memoirs.
I picked up a framed picture of a young Niki and Liya from the dresser. The two of them were sitting on a beach and smiling into the camera, though I noticed that neither of their smiles seemed to reach their eyes.
Niki emerged in heavy flannel pyjamas, which I thought seemed like an odd choice of clothing for a warm summer’s night.
Picking up her cat, she walked over to the bed. When she noticed the picture in my hand, her expression softened.
“That was taken the summer after our parents passed away. It was the first year we had gone on a holiday without them,” she said quietly.
I hated the sadness that shadowed her face and wanted nothing more than to kiss it away. Not the right time, Jacob.
“I’m sorry. It must have been hard losing them when you were so young.”
I put the frame back and picked up the picture of a family portrait next to it. Niki looked about four or five years old and was grinning widely in her mother’s arms, while her father was carrying Liya. They were all making silly faces into the camera.
“You were a cute kid, Niki. You look like your mom, but you have the same smile as your dad.”
“You think so?” Her eyes lit up at my comment. “He was always laughing. He always made us laugh by telling the worst jokes.”
“I wish I could have met them,” I said as I carefully placed the picture on the dresser.
“They would have liked you a lot,” she murmured, looking once more at the picture before pulling back the bedspread.
“I hope you don’t mind. He usually sleeps at the foot of the bed with me.” She gently placed the cat on the mattress.
Is she fucking serious?
I looked warily at the cat that seemed to be watching me with an evil glint. I glanced back at Niki, who seemed oblivious to the murderous stare her cat was directing at me.
Dear God, please let me wake up with all my toes still attached.
I waited for her to get into bed before I took off my shirt.
“What are you doing?” Niki asked, sounding alarmed. Her eyes widened comically as I took off my shirt.
“It’s warm in here,” I said simply while my fingers went to unbutton my jeans, and I pushed them off my hips. “I usually don’t sleep with anything on at all.”
I grinned as her cheeks flushed, and she averted her eyes from the sight of me wearing only my boxers.
The cat moved over to the right side of the bed and settled itself near Niki’s feet.
After I’d slid under the covers, Niki turned to switch off the lamp on the bedside table. I swallowed hard when I felt her warm body shift next to mine.
“Niki.”
“Yeah?”
“I got an appointment at the bank at 10 tomorrow morning, but before I, go we need to talk.”
“I’m not in the mood to be lectured about my dating life, Jake,” she sighed.
“That’s not what we have to talk about.”
“Oh. Okay. Is it serious? We can talk now.” Niki sounded understandably confused and wary.
“Tomorrow. Get some rest. It’s been a long night,” I said wearily.
“Fine. Goodnight, Jake,” she replied softly into the darkness.
I resisted the urge to press a kiss to her soft lips and draw her closer to me. “Night, Niki.”
Tomorrow morning.
I’ll talk to her about everything tomorrow morning.
CHAPTER 15
Jacob
The sounds of soft snarling woke me the next morning, and when I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw were bright green orbs in black fur hovering over my face.
Gasping in horror, I moved back quickly, which resulted in me rolling out of bed and landing painfully on the floor.
“Son of a bitch,” I groaned from the floor.
Shadow let out a very mocking meow from where he sat perched at the end of the bed, still staring at me with unblinking eyes.
What the hell is wrong with this cat?
Apart from the creepy cat, the bed was empty. I looked over to the clock on the wall which told me it was eight thirty.
Damn it, I didn’t mean to sleep that long.
I groaned as I stood, stretching the aching muscles in my back, feeling the effects of the awkward position I’d slept in when Niki had rolled over to my side of the bed sometime after midnight and entwined herself around me.
It was an issue I certainly wasn’t complaining about, though feeling her soft warm body pressed against me had certainly made it hard to fall back asleep.
Where the hell is she?
Picking my jeans off the floor, I went through the pockets and found my phone. I frowned when I saw there were several messages from Niki.
Niki: Morning! Thanks for staying with me last night. I felt fine this morning, so I decided to go help out at the bakery. I called Mitch, and he drove me to the bar, so I could pick up my car.
Niki: Don’t be mad! You looked so tired last night, I didn’t want to wake you. Come to the bakery for breakfast?
Niki: Everyone else is at Trudy’s, too. I owe you a cinnamon bun or two for staying with me last night. We can talk about whatever you wanted to here.
Niki: Oh gosh! Could you do me a favour? I totally forgot to feed Freddy and Ginger. Could you please feed them before you leave?
Who the hell are Freddy and Ginger?
Niki: Oops. It would help if I told you who they are, wouldn’t it? Freddy and Ginger are the fishes. Their tank is in the living room. The fish food is in the cupboard under the fish stand. Just a small sprinkling of the flakes should be enough.
Niki: By the way, I made coffee. It’s in the kitchen. Help yourself! Sugar is in the first cabinet on the right. Milk and creamer is in the fridge.
Niki: Obviously… I’m not going to keep the coffee and milk in the bathroom now, am I?
Niki: That last message was odd. Sorry… Thanks so much, Jake. See you soon!
Despite the annoyance that ran through me from her leaving, I couldn’t help but chuckle at her messages.
I was frustrated that my plans to talk with Niki this morning had been ruined by her running away yet again. I knew she wasn’t supposed to be working today, and especially after last night, she should be home resting.
At least she’s back to sending me rambling texts again.
As I began to pull on my clothes, the cat’s unwavering stare was still fixed on me.
“What do you want?” I asked the cat, only to be met with silence and more disturbing, threatening stares. “You’re a weird cat, you know that?”
Shadow hissed at me as he jumped of the bed, flicked his tail in my direction, and stalked out of the room haughtily.
Walking downstairs, I went into the living room and saw a fish tank that I definitely didn’t notice when I had been at Niki’s before.
I remembered that Caleb had mentioned something about a weird fish at Liya and Niki’s house, but looking at the tank I didn’t see anything odd about the two fish floating serenely in the water.
The bigger one was ugly as sin, with its huge bulging eyes, but as I watched them swimming in circles, I began to feel oddly calm.
I found the fish flakes and sprinkled some over the surface of the water.
“There you go little guys.” I watched a
s they both swam up to the top of the tank and began nibbling at the food sinking slowly to the bottom of the tank.
I sighed and sat in the armchair next to the tank. “You have it easy. I bet it didn’t take you months to win over your lady did it, Freddy?”
“So tell me, how’d you do it? You win Ginger over with your winning looks or charming personality?” Several bubbles escaped Freddy’s mouth.
“You’re right. That was a stupid question. Of course it was your winning looks; just look at those fins.”
“I suppose it was easier for you, big guy. Your lady is literally trapped in the same space as you. She can’t escape. Trapping Niki in a room until she talks to me would be borderline psychotic…right?”
I took Freddy swimming to the bottom of the tank as a confirmation of his disapproval at that plan.
“Okay, no imprisoning or abducting the object of my affections.”
I’d always thought of myself as a laidback guy, but this situation with Niki had me feeling off kilter and tense. Liya’s advice from last night replayed in my mind.
“You think telling Niki that I’m into her would scare her off?” The fish pecked at the food on the stones. “No? Do you think I should show her instead?” Freddy swam back to the front of the tank.
“Okay. The straightforward actions-speak-louder-than-words approach it is. Good talk, Freddy.” I stretched as I stood from the chair. “See you around, Ginger.”
As I left the room, I checked my pockets to make sure I had my keys and wallet.
I glanced at the time on my phone to make sure I wouldn’t be late to the appointment at the bank if I detoured to the bakery, and then reread the last message I’d received from Niki.
Yeah, baby. You’re definitely going to be seeing me soon.
Falling Sweetly: Starling Falls II Page 13