--- ~ ---
As Jason helped Katie off the floor, he tried not to notice how good she looked in her red v-neck t-shirt and blue jeans...but, DAMN, she did look good. The hint of cleavage that was peeking out of her shirt made his mouth water. Literally.
“Still unsteady on your feet, huh, Kit Kat?” Jason teased, trying to direct the conversation away from anything remotely sexual.
“I’m not unsteady on my feet,” she declared defensively, once she was standing upright again and had the leverage to push away from him, “YOU scared me, that’s why I fell.”
“Yet another thing that’s my fault,” Jason mumbled under his breath as he went to take his seat once again at the kitchen table.
He saw something flicker across Katie’s face but he couldn't decipher what it might have been. As fast as it had appeared, it was gone again. She groaned, “I need coffee!”
He watched as she poured herself a cup and waited while she took a few sips. He had always known that talking to Katie before she was ready to listen was a mistake, so he waited patiently. Sure enough, after a few minutes she asked, “What are you doing here? I thought you would already be headed up to the lake with Bobby.”
“Well, Sophie wasn’t feeling very well this morning, so Bobby wanted to drive her up so he could take care of her. You know, make sure that she had everything she needed.”
“She’s sick?! Oh, no! Is it bad? Oh My Gosh! I should be with her, I’m her maid of honor!” She quickly set her cup down and headed towards the front door, “I can’t believe I got drunk last night, what was I thinking?!”
“Slow down, Kit Kat,” Jason tugged her arm as she rushed past him, “Sophie’s fine. It's just a bad hangover. And, believe me, she would rather have my brother taking care of her anyway. They left a couple of hours ago, they should just about be at the lake by now.”
Jason saw all of the tension leave Katie's muscles. Her arms relaxed, her shoulders dropped down, and she let out a huge sigh.
She stepped back into the kitchen, “Well, if that’s the case, then I need one more cup before I hit the road.”
Jason stood, walked over to the fridge, and pulled out eggs, butter, cheese, assorted chopped veggies, and orange juice.
“Sit down and enjoy your coffee,” he said amiably, “I’ll fix you an omelet before we hit the road.”
“Are you headed up there right now, too? I mean, like I said, I'd think that you would've left earlier.”
Katie scooted by him to take a seat at the breakfast bar as she delivered this speech, and he felt her body brush against his back as she passed. The contact sent electricity surging through his body.
He tried to ignore it.
“I had a meeting with a surveyor that ran a little late. I was just headed out of town when I got a call from the Grandpa J saying he thought you might need a ride,” he said neutrally. He knew he would need to ease into this discussion carefully with Katie.
“Oh, that's sweet of him, but really I'm totally fine to drive!” She said, waving her hand in a gesture of dismissal.
“That very well may be the case, but he wasn’t calling into question your ability to drive. It was more a question of having the transportation necessary to do so.”
She gave him a puzzled look as she downed the last of her second cup of coffee, looking more alert by the minute. “I have my rental car,” she said, her eyebrows knitted together.
“Well, yeah, that’s the thing,” Jason explained as he plated her omelet and set it in front of her at the breakfast bar. He then went to retrieve the Tabasco sauce, he knew that Katie always had Tabasco sauce on her eggs. As he set the small, red bottle in front of her, he said, “There's no air in the back tires of your car.”
“What?!” Katie looked alarmed.
“Eat,” He commanded as he pushed both the hot sauce and the plate closer to her and leaned his elbows on the counter. He waited until she took her first bite and then continued.
“Both of the back tires are flat. I called the rental company and they're sending out a tow-truck, they didn’t know how long it would take. I told them that you had arranged other transportation, so they are only charging you for one day.”
“Other transportation...meaning you,” She clarified.
“Yes, indeed,” he said cheerfully as he turned to wash out the pan he had used to cook the eggs. “So, eat up, and we’ll hit the road.”
“That’s so weird,” she mused as she worked her way through the plate of eggs and sipped the orange juice. “I wonder what could have happened. Why would both back tires just go flat like that?”
Slipping off the barstool after finishing every last bite, she bumped Jason’s hip with hers in a friendly gesture of camaraderie as she set her plate in the sink, “Thanks for the breakfast, Jas. I'm starting to feel human again. And, also for taking care of the rental and the ride to the lake…just…thanks Jas, for everything.”
He smiled and nodded at her. What he actually wanted to do was pick her up, set her on the counter and kiss her so hard she wouldn’t be able to think straight...but he knew she wasn’t ready for that.
Things had gotten way too physical yesterday, and he needed to establish their connection on a non-physical level if he had any chance at not scaring her off again.
She smiled warmly up at him as they finished up the dishes, and he reveled in the cozy feeling that completing this little domestic chore together engendered. After they finished wiping their hands on the dish towels that hung beside the sink, she surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight embrace.
He held her close, breathing in the scent of her hair and just feeling the intensity of the moment. Rubbing her back, he gently asked, “Hey, are you ok?”
She gave him one more squeeze and then leaned back with a small smile on her lips. She said, “It’s good to see you again Jas.”
Then, the moment over, she grinned and patted him on the chest as she spun away, “I gotta go pee before we hit the road, Jack.”
Damn.
He really didn’t know what he was gonna do if – no, scratch that, when - she left again. He didn’t want to think about that, and he determined to put the thought as far out of his mind as possible for the rest of the weekend.
Chapter Seventeen
Katie was relaxed on the drive up to Whisper Lake. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time that she had been quite this relaxed. She and Jason were riding in companionable silence, his music was playing low in the background, and she was watching the beautiful and increasingly tree-lined scenery that was so familiar to her.
Katie used the time to reflect on how things were going this weekend, particularly with Jason. She had felt so overwhelmed when she hugged him. On the one hand, it had felt really good to be in his arms – safe and right. On the other hand, she had absolutely no idea what had possessed her to hug him in the first place, and that made her feel dangerously out of control.
She had just suddenly had this overwhelming desire to hold him – and she went with it. Not like her AT ALL.
Then, because she certainly didn’t feel ready to dwell on why she felt that way, she decided to try and piece together the night before.
She started with what she already remembered.
The shots. Feeling sick. Getting drinks spilled on her. Locking herself in the bathroom. Jason coming in. Jason taking off his shirt...whoa, OK, that was a new one.
She vaguely remembered the sensation of being carried by him. Then leaning her head against his window. Then she started to remember being mad at Jason. Hmmm. Why was she mad at him again?
Oh! Yeah, that’s right. The girls who had done shots because they had all done various naughty things in Jason’s truck.
But, then...why didn't she feel mad again right now when she remembered the truck adventures? Wait...she seemed to remember Jason saying he hadn’t done anything with any of those girls…?
Better get to the bottom of this.
“Jas, do you remember last night when I told you why I had taken all those shots?”
She saw his hands grip the steering wheel and his posture stiffen.
“Yep, Kit Kat, I wasn’t the one who was smashed,” he said tightly.
“Whatever. Anyways, did you happen to tell me that you didn’t do anything with Lisa, Jill, Kylie or Tiffany?”
He nodded his head in the affirmative, but remained silent.
“That’s so weird. Why would those girls lie about that? It’s not like they were trying to impress someone. We’re not in high school anymore. I mean, we're pushing 30.”
She waited for Jason to reply, but there was no response from the peanut gallery.
“I mean...they had to be lying though, right? Because if they're not lying, that means that you're lying. And you don't lie.”
Nothing, crickets.
She shook her head. She felt like this was some kind of Sudoku puzzle of drunkenness. It would all come together if she could just find the one missing piece.
If she wasn’t mistaken, her silent travel companion held that piece.
“OK,” she tried another angle, “So, let’s say they weren’t lying. Maybe you let someone use your truck.”
Silence. He did, however, shoot her a look that told her in no uncertain terms that theory was crazy.
“Right,” she agreed with his unspoken criticism, “Neither you or Nick would EVER let anyone else drive your trucks.”
She stared at Jason’s profile, hoping he would fill in the blanks for her, but it seemed that he was going to remain mum on this topic.
Jason wasn’t verbally offering any new insights, but his body language was screaming for her to drop it. Still, she just couldn’t bring herself to let it go. Something just wasn’t adding up.
Man she wished she hadn't drunk so much last night, It would be SO much easier to reason all of this out if she didn’t still have 'mush brain' from last night's over indulgence.
Facts. She just needed to stick to the facts.
“OK, so let's begin with the basic building blocks of what we know. The girls said they had several 'experiences' in the cab or bed of a black Chevy truck. They have no reason to lie. So let’s proceed on the assumption that they are, in fact, telling the truth.”
She waited to see if Jason would at least give her a nod of agreement, since apparently the cat had his tongue. But no. Not even the smallest gesture of encouragement.
Fine, then. She didn’t need him! She could do this all by her lonesome.
“You told me that you never did anything with those girls, either in or out of your truck, and I know you don’t lie.”
She took a deep breath. She had a feeling that if she pursued this, she would be passing a point that she couldn't come back from. She would be opening up a strange new can of worms that could never be closed.
Well, she thought, so be it. Better an ugly truth than a beautiful lie.
Honestly, none of this would bother her so much if the girls hadn’t been giving her the strangest looks when they offered up their answers. It was such a weird vibe that they were sending, and she just couldn’t drop it.
She continued building her logic proof.
“And you and Nick were the only two with black trucks.”
Oh no. A sick feeling welled up in her stomach.
“So if you didn’t do anything, then…wait. Are you saying that NICK did all of those things with those girls?! That it was his truck? Are you saying Nick cheated on me?” Katie demanded answers.
“I’m not saying anything! I haven’t said a word during this entire investigation, Sherlock. That’s all you,” Jason sounded mad.
Why would HE be mad?
“Jason, I’m serious. Tell me. Is that what happened. Did Nick cheat on me?”
She couldn’t believe those words had actually just come out of her mouth.
She waited, but Jason didn’t reply. He just stared straight ahead.
“Jason! Answer me. Did Nick cheat on me?” Although she was striving to stay calm, she heard the strain coming through in her voice.
“Katie, it was a long time ago,” Jason said resignedly, “just leave it alone.”
“Seriously! You KNOW that’s not going to happen!” She was furious. Why wouldn’t he just put her out of her misery? Was this some kind of a sick joke to him?
“This isn’t a joke, Jason, and it’s not funny! Come on, Jason, tell me! Yes or no?”
“It’s not my place to say,” Jason set his jaw in that stubborn way he had, and Katie could tell that he had no plans to tell her anything. This infuriated her even more.
“What are you talking about? Of course it is! You were Nick’s best friend and my…my…” her voice trailed off.
He took his eyes off the road briefly to meet her gaze.
“I was your what?” he asked softly, and his voice was low, harsh...almost dangerous in its intensity.
At the tone of Jason's words, she felt a jolt...um, let’s just say...below the belt.
God, she must be losing her mind! Only a crazy person would get turned on in the middle of this conversation.
Her breathing was starting to get very labored, and her head was spinning. Oh, LORD, she was about to have a panic attack.
No! There was no way she was going to let that happen. Not before she got some answers, at least. She opened her mouth to speak but Jason beat her to it.
“I was your what, Katie?” he asked again, this time without the same edge to his voice, but with a lot more melancholy.
“You were my…you are my,” she hesitated, searching for the words. She didn't know how to explain, how to make it clear, everything that Jason was to her.
“My…Jason.”
Chapter Eighteen
When he heard her say that he was ‘her Jason’ his heart felt like someone had reached inside his chest and was squeezing it like a lemon.
It broke his heart to think that he was going to be the one to tell her this, but at this point he figured it was like ripping off a Band-Aid - quick and fast was the best way.
“Yes, Nick cheated on you,” he stated matter-of-factly. He waited for her to cry, to yell...to do something.
But she just stared at him. He kept glancing over at her, still trying to focus on the road as well.
“And you knew. The whole time.” This was more statement than fact.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice was almost a whisper.
He raked his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. He really did not want to be having this conversation with her.
“Because, Katie, it was complicated.” he said, resigned.
“How 'complicated' is it to say, ‘Hey Katie, you know Nick has slept with half the female population of Harper’s Crossing?' Doesn't seem that complicated to me,” she looked at him, fastening those big blue eyes firmly on him. He wanted to explain, he did...but how?
Ah screw it. He figured he might as well start at the beginning. It would be the only way she might even sort of understand.
“Remember the summer between freshman and sophomore year that you spent at your Grandma’s in Chicago?”
“Yes. Nick and I talked every day,” she said, nodding defensively.
“Well, one night about a week before you came home, we went to a party at David Price’s house and we drank, a lot. I left with Krissy that night and I didn’t see who Nick left with, but the next day he came over and said that he and Tiffany had hooked up.”
He thought he would give her a moment to let the information sink in. She didn’t choose to take it.
“And?” she demanded stridently.
He sighed in resignation, he knew she would want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
“And I told him he needed to break up with you. He said he couldn’t, that he loved you. I said that if he wasn’t going to break up with you, then he at least needed to tell you what had happened. After some convi
ncing, he agreed.
“You came home that Friday, and I really do believe that he was planning on telling you. But, remember his mom made that big dinner, and you were so happy to be home, and happy to see his family. He couldn’t do it. He promised he would tell you the next day, but the next day turned into the next week, the next week turned into the next month. And he never told you.
“As far as I know he didn’t cheat again until the next summer when we were all up at the lake. Remember that lifeguard, Britney? Well, he hooked up with her. He said it wouldn’t happen again because we were leaving. I believed him.
“Once our junior year was in full swing I heard things about what he had been up to and confronted him. He admitted he had been seeing some girls, I told him that if he didn’t tell you, I would. He promised he would.
“I don’t know, Katie. Time kept passing and he never said anything...and I just didn’t want to burst the bubble of happiness you were living in.”
Katie was quiet. Jason wasn’t sure if she was thinking and would rather be left alone, but he didn’t want her to shut him out again.
“Katie, talk to me.”
“What do you want me to say, that I was an idiot? That I was a fool? God, Jason did everyone at school know? Was it some big joke?” she asked.
“I don’t think that many people knew. The girls didn’t want it getting around and honestly it was only a handful of them. And you were not an idiot. You had a boyfriend you trusted, that doesn’t make you an idiot. If anyone was an idiot it was Nick!” Jason paused a beat, and then added quietly, “Honestly, I never knew how he could even look at anyone else when he had you.”
Chapter Nineteen
Even in her heightened emotional state, Katie couldn't help but be soothed by the gorgeous greenery that surrounded Whisper Lake, as well as the quaint downtown area that they had to drive through in order to get to the hotel.
This place had always been where she had come to heal her soul, and maybe it could do its work again this time. She hoped so.
As they stepped out of the truck, she breathed in the clean mountain air and let it revitalize her. She felt it refreshing her body as it refreshed her spirit, and she gave in completely to its ability to do so.
My First (Jason & Katie) Page 18