The Keys to Jericho

by Ren Alexander

  “I saw them together a couple times. He still talked to me, and despite his girlfriend, he kept touching me, questioning me about the guys I hung out with, and getting upset if I didn’t talk to him.”

  “Jericho was jealous when he was with another girl? Weirder yet.”

  “I loved him, Dash. It hurt so much to see him with her. I wanted to be the one he was with.”

  “Then go for it.”

  “He might not want me.”

  “You won’t know unless you ask him, or give him a chance to tell you, but just so you know, be careful. Jericho is fragile, but he doesn’t want anyone to know that.”

  “What if you’re wrong?”

  “I’m not. It pays being observant and intuitive, which he, evidently, is not. Plus, those Aries—driven to succeed, yet secretly believe they’re destined to fail. He was scared, Kat—still is—but he’ll never admit that. He’s always been pigheaded.”

  I look around the yard and to the curb. “Where is Dash? His car’s not here.” He was DD, so I wonder how that worked out, since Jared was obviously pissed at him for having me there. When Dash came up with the idea, I was skeptical because Jared has been avoiding me. Yet, I haven’t been making myself readily available, either. Last night was the first time I had done that, even more so than in high school when he had a girlfriend.

  She limply waves her hand in the air. “I haven’t seen him. You really don’t think there ever could be anything more with Dash?”

  I smile at the idea and shrug. “In college, I thought about maybe it being a possibility, but I realized we’re just too different for that kind of relationship.”

  “Katydid, different can be good.”

  Adjusting my pink tank top strap, I shake my head at her. “I tried that with Jed, Mom. He was nothing I ever wanted, and he proved to be the very thing I shouldn’t have tried. I wasn’t happy, and neither was he.”

  “You’ll find him out there somewhere,” she says in an airy voice, readjusting my strap.

  Baffled by what she means, I wince. “Him who?”

  She keenly sighs. “Mr. Right. He’s somewhere, looking for you, too.”

  I roll my eyes and return to my sorting. “Okay…” I had my Mr. Right, but I let him go, only for him to suddenly reappear from my past. I just don’t know if I’m what he’s looking for, or ever was. Dash could be horribly wrong.

  My mom lowers her voice. “What about Jared?” His name spears my attention, but I try to sound nonchalant, appearing to not give her suggestion much credence.

  “What about him?”

  “Are you friends?”

  “I think so.” I hope so, but being friends with Jared is so confusing and heartbreaking.

  “I wasn’t even aware you knew Jared until you mentioned it to Hadley yesterday. Adam and I didn’t even put it together that our kids knew each other in school.”

  “What’s the big deal if we did?” I didn’t tell them what class it was that we met. Sore subject.

  “I don’t know. Jared is rather handsome, don’t you think?” Utterly. He’s the only one who has ever turned me on with just a passing look.

  I crumple the bags together for recycling and lie, “I guess. I haven’t really noticed.” Those gorgeous eyes of his still frequent my dreams.

  She smacks my arm. “Kat, what’s wrong with you? I’m an old lady and I noticed those muscles and hot body. And when you least expect it, he has a killer smile. I bet he’s a good kisser.”

  Fumbling with the bags and dropping some, I stoop to pick them up, brushing hair off my face as I yelp, “Mom!”

  “Oh, what? He’s not here. Adam said they’d be over later, after Hadley leaves. You haven’t thought about dating Jared?”

  “He never asked.” That’s somewhat of a lie, but I doubt he ever asks me out again, fake or real.

  “You can ask him out, Kat. Jeez. Haven’t you ever heard of women’s lib.?”

  “That’s a magazine, right?” I tease with a clueless look.

  “Honestly, Katriona. You’re not taking me seriously. You could be missing out on having something beautiful with one of those boys.”

  I sneer, “Boys? Mom, they’re both 30.”

  “Well, I’m not, so they’re boys.”

  I turn to face her. “You’re not with Tony’s dad, and you’re divorced from Dad. Maybe there isn’t anything beautiful out there after all.”

  She puts her hands on my cheeks. “I had my beautiful children. That was the beauty I had.”

  We smile at each other and her phone buzzes. Pulling it out of her pocket to check her message, I ask, “Why don’t you date Adam?”

  She laughs, peering up at me. “My boss? That’s frowned upon, and I guess like you said about Dash, we’re friends, and very different. Adam is complex and so…damaged. That ex-wife of his really wrecked him when she left. Unfortunately, his kids are still so hurt. From knowing Jared only a short time, he exudes pain, even if he doesn’t want to show it. Adam says Jared is growing exceedingly inaccessible to people, and they constantly argue. I think that’s only because Jared and Adam are so damn alike, but neither one sees that.”

  I dazedly whisper, “Poor Adam. Poor Jared.”

  “I don’t know about Adam, but Jared needs to open up to someone before it’s too late for him, and he disappears from everyone’s lives around here entirely.”

  I look at my mom, shocked. “You think that’ll happen? He’d just not come back here?”

  “Yeah, I do. He needs a…friend.”

  “Jared has friends, Dash and Rio, and he seems to get along with Hadley’s boyfriend.”

  My mom gloomily smiles. “He needs a closer relationship than that, Kat. A woman in his life. A positive one.”

  “His sister is in his life.”

  She shakes her head, resting her hands on my shoulders, again her smile and eyes solemn. “He needs to be cherished. Jared Beckett needs a savior.”

  “Wow, Mom. I can’t be that. I don’t know how. That’s a lot to put upon someone.” I’m absolutely dumbstruck by her declaration. “Why would you want me to get involved with him if he’s so messed up?”

  “Because Jared needs a purpose, and he isn’t the only one who needs saving.”

  Stunned. Again.

  Dash’s black car pulls up in front of the house, and I see his silly grin before he even opens his door. My mom and I both inhale, as if to clear the conversation we just had from showing on our faces.

  Dash trots over to us, his styled, platinum blond hair glowing in the sun. “Good morning, Merrick. Brenda,” he greets us with a cardboard tray of coffee. “Hangover aid is here.”

  My mom laughs. “I take it you’re feeling fine?”

  “No drinks for me, so yep.” Dash sets down the tray and asks, “No Jared?”

  I say, “I guess he’ll be over later.” Silence follows and my mom excuses herself to talk to Tony.

  When we’re alone, Dash asks, “Are you okay? You left in a hurry. What did Jericho say to you?”

  “It’s nothing he said. It’s something I said.” I uneasily laugh as I glance to the street. “I told him that in school, I wanted him to be more than my friend.”

  “Jesus. You did it? What did he say?”

  I shrug, watching a squirrel climb a tree. “Nothing. I left. I felt stupid for telling him that.”

  “It’s true, though.” I nod, but don’t look at him. Dash sighs. “Well, the ball’s in his court. Let him come to you about it. Maybe he’ll…”

  Facing him again, I ask, “What? Laugh at me? Avoid me like he has been? Forget about me for another 12 years or so? I’m prepared for all of those things.”

  He frowns. “He won’t do any of those.”

  “Where is he then? Is it just a hangover he’s coping with, his sister leaving, or is it my revelation?”

  “He doesn’t have his car. After you left, he became pissy, wanting to go home. Your leaving almost seemed to sober him. So, I dropped him off at his house. I
didn’t want to stay there if he was still mad at me for the karaoke.” Dash snickers. “That was epic, by the way. His dad was still awake and said he’d bring Jared by to pick up his car this morning at my apartment, using the spare key.”

  I fold my arms and shake my head at the ground. “I freaked him out. I know it. He’s not coming back.”

  “If his dad has anything to do with it, he’ll be here. Hadley and Finn are leaving today, so they may be staying home or coming over later. It has nothing to do with you.”

  Staring at the ground, I whisper, “I’m afraid to see him after what I told him.”

  “Don’t be. I should be the one afraid to see him. With the karaoke and then pilfering his car, he’s not too happy with me, I’m sure.”

  Returning my gaze to him, I nod. “And with me surprising him, and then his being forced to dance with me don’t help.”

  He shrugs with an impish grin. “He’ll get over it.” Dash reaches for a coffee and says, “See you in a bit. Let me know if you need reinforcements.” He laughs.

  I glare into his blue eyes as I drag Tony’s notes and a notepad closer to me. “Not funny.”

  Tony had given me things to write down for his trip to the hardware store later, and pulling a tall, empty bucket over, I take a seat and become engrossed in writing down measurements and quantities. As I look back and forth between his scribblings and my organized list, jingling catches my attention from behind. Curious, I raise my head as a set of car keys dangles in front of my face, a hand now holding them over my head.

  A man’s voice says, “Got a minute?”

  Oh, God.

  I spin around on the upside down bucket to see Jared. “For what?”

  Taking off his Colts hat, he sets it on my head and sexily smiles. “You know.” He digs a hand into his hair, ruffling it, and shoves the other into his khaki shorts pocket. “For some flashbacks in the front seat of a car.”

  I hold onto his hat as I shake my head. “What?”

  Removing his hand from his hair, and casually dipping it into the air, he rolls his eyes. “I’m going to refresh you on the workings of a motor vehicle so you can get your license.” Is he teasing me…again? Is this a damn joke?

  “Jared… I don’t… I can’t drive.”

  He nods like I’m extremely slow. “Thus, the reason I’m going to give you a refresher.”

  His hat is big and keeps sliding down my forehead, so I push it up again. “You’re actually serious?”

  Jared puts his arms over his chest, his gaze unwavering. “Very.”

  “Why?”

  “You don’t have a license. Let’s fix that.”

  I try to find reasons to not do this. “I can’t drive a stick.” I don’t even know what he drives.

  He puckers his lips as he tries not to laugh—too much—and his eyes twinkle as they flicker over me. “Don’t worry. That’ll be for extra credit.”

  I laugh and correct myself. “I can’t drive a manual transmission.”

  “Got it covered.” He nods to the street, where a silver car sits.

  Craning my neck, I ask, “Is that your car?”

  He shudders. “Do you really think that’d be my car?”

  “No?” He shakes his head, cocking his head with a disbelieving laugh. I ask, “Are you sure you want to help me?”

  Jared’s head shake turns into an instant nod, his smile wickedly growing. “Oh, yeah. This’ll be so much fun.” If it’s the same kind of fun I want to have with him, I’ll definitely be driving his stick.

  “Um, okay. I should tell my mom where I’m going.”

  “Text her on the way.”

  I frown. “I can’t text and drive.”

  He nods, as his gaze drifts around me. “Yeah… Because I’m going to throw you back on the road this second.”

  I swallow as he stares at me, waiting for me to say or do something. I finally nod. “Okay. Let’s do this, Sonic.”

  His responding grin charms me. “I swear. You won’t be sorry, Kit Kat.”

  I smile and shakily stand, nerves suddenly taking hold, but I’m not sure if it’s because I’ll be behind a wheel again, or if it’s because I’ll be alone with Jared again.

  He takes back his hat, putting it on his head backwards, which makes me laugh. Baffled, he asks, “What?”

  I shake my head as we walk, glancing to the line of cars along the curb. “Did your dad come with you?”

  “Nope. My sister’s leaving today, so he’s with her.”

  Jared opens the passenger door of the Nissan Altima for me and I get in, and when he shuts the door, I start breathing short and quick breaths. Still, I watch him walk to the driver’s side and just as I used to do, I try to imagine what he looks like without his clothes. The only glimpse I’ve had of him is when he took his shirt off Thursday, and he caught me staring at him. Unnerving, but I was so aroused that I didn’t realize I was perving on him until Dash notified me. Double humiliation.

  “Why don’t you go lick him?”

  “What?”

  “You’re ogling Jericho so hard that he might need a smoke when you’re done.”

  “I wasn’t. I…”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Shit.

  I need to calm down.

  Jared gets in and as he starts the car, I put my seatbelt on and hurriedly text my mother. “Is this your dad’s car?”

  He laughs, which catches me off-guard, not thinking I asked another crazy question. “No. This car doesn’t scream old lady to you?” He looks in his mirror as he pulls away from the curb. “It’s my grandma’s.”

  He’s making fun of me. My heart comes to a grinding halt and my stomach drops. Tears sting my eyes fast. “Jared…”

  When it dawns on him what I don’t say, he gasps and looks over at me. “Aw, fuck. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about… Kat, I’m such an idiot.”

  Relieved that he wasn’t intent on mocking me, I dab at the corner of my eye. “It’s okay.”

  To the road he says, “I thought her car would be perfect for you to use. That’s all. I didn’t think.” He glances over at me again, his eyes utterly sincere.

  I slowly smile. “Maybe I remind you of an old lady?”

  He only looks away for seconds before he’s eyeing me again, his greenish gaze drifting down my body, and I feel every second of it. “Definitely not.” He inhales a terse breath and looks ahead, muttering, “Damn it.”

  “What?”

  “I need to watch the road.”

  “Maybe you need a refresher course?” I tease.

  Jared nods. “You could call it that.” Once more, he looks at me, giving me that beautiful smile of his, and with his hat on backwards, I laugh. I’d almost forgotten how adorable he is when it’s just us. Most of all, I’m loving how we have easily fallen back into that frisky banter we used to have before it disappeared.

  He pulls into a closed office building’s empty lot. Parking and shutting off the engine, he then turns to me, propping his arm on top of the steering wheel, and with raised eyebrows, he asks, “You ready?”

  I avert my eyes to my lap. “No.”

  “Yes, you are. You’ve been ready. You just need the drive.” Hearing his pun, I swiftly look up at him, and he smirks. Relaxing some, I roll my eyes, again smiling. I didn’t think it’d be this easy to smile with him like it used to be, especially minutes before getting behind the wheel of a car the first time in years.

  He opens his door and a cool panic begins to permeate me. When he makes it to the other side of the car and opens my door, he waits for me to get out, but I don’t.

  “Kat?”

  I nod, unbuckling my seatbelt, but don’t make any further move than that.

  Jared heaves a small sigh before pulling the door open more and squatting next to me. “Hey. You can do this, Kit Kat.”

  Without thinking, I shake my head, staring at the dashboard, instead of the nodding I did a minute before. “I can’t. I did it once and look what happened.�
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  “It was an accident, and it wasn’t even your fault. You did nothing wrong. It was beyond your control.”

  “I don’t want to…” I catch my breath before losing it, and whisper, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  He chuckles. “How are you going to hurt me? We’re in an empty parking lot. The most you could do is run into a curb, and you’ve done that before.” He doesn’t notice lampposts running through the middle?

  A laugh bubbles and I glance at him. “You never forgot about that damn curb?”

  He rubs his neck and fake pouts. “You gave me whiplash.”

  “Shut up!” I push on his arm and he drops the pout for a laugh, in which I join him, calming me some.

  Jared whispers, “There’s that pretty smile.” His comment has the opposite effect on my smile. It fades as I vacantly look at him, while his eyes dart from me. He clears his throat, and the sounds of the road from beyond the shrubbery fill the silence.

  When Jared speaks again, he tentatively looks at me and gently says, “Kit Kat, come on. Don’t let this fear define who you are. It’s crippling your daily life. You can’t go many places, unless you ask someone else for a ride or take a bus. Let me help you. Do this not only for you, but for your grandma. She’d be so proud of you.”

  He’s absolutely right.

  I still regard him doubtfully. “You have that much faith in me?”

  Jared touches my arm. “I have all my faith in you.”

  My heart just stopped.

  Mindlessly, I hoarsely whisper, “Okay. Let’s do this.”

  Grinning, he stands and offers his hand. I take it and when he pulls me up, I unwillingly look up at his face, closer to him than we had been dancing.

  I stumble over my words. “If-if I forget to-to thank you later, thank you.”

  He narrows his eyes. “For what?”

  “This. The pep talk. Coming back to Annapolis.”

  Jared laughs, and the way he does makes my stomach swirl. “I didn’t know I was doing you a favor by staying with my dad.”

  Even though it’s bright out, I look at him with wide-open eyes. “I told you. I’ve missed you.” He never did say he missed me back. Maybe he didn’t.