Nobody had ever asked her a question like that before. Holly, as more than likely anyone else would be, should have been shocked, but she wasn’t. What Mara was asking wasn’t unreasonable.
“I want him to succeed in everything he does. You need to know, Mara, that I’m not one of those girls who thinks a baby can keep a couple together, and what you ask isn’t too much. I’ll get on it.”
Mara gave her a soft smile and pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you, Holly. That is another weight off my shoulders. Just do me a favor, please.” She looked at Holly again. “Don’t tell him I’ve asked you this. He would never speak to me again for intervening.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
THEIR CHAT CAME TO AN END THE MINUTE JAKE stepped into the kitchen. He walked over and stood behind Holly, stroking her back. “So, what are you two talking about?”
“Nothing for you to worry about.” Mara was quite blunt. “We’re just getting to know each other. Is that a sin?”
Jake squinted at his mom, a suspicious smile playing over his lips. “No, I guess not.” He didn’t push, deciding to leave it at that.
The rest of the afternoon went by in a whirl. Holly couldn’t remember when she’d had so much fun with strangers. She’d enjoyed meeting and spending the day with Jake’s family.
His dad was funny and she’d laughed so hard at his jokes. Mara, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. She was more often than not serious, and it was evident that at times she completely missed the boat on some of his jokes. Mara’s humor was of the darker variety, which meant that Holly was going to struggle to differentiate between when she was really joking and when she was being serious.
Amelia was a darling. She had a mouth on her, though, and didn’t shut it for anything or anyone. Holly wished in so many ways that she could develop the strength Amelia carried in her—she didn’t seem to be afraid of anything.
Her husband, Armand, reminded Holly of someone who simply tagged along. He only had eyes for his wife, though, and it was quite clear that he had a gentle side to him. When she’d first seen him at the paintball game, she’d had to look twice, because he neither seemed nor looked like Amelia’s type. Armand was a bear of a man but looked like a total geek, right down to the glasses, although a really smart and super awesome person.
Robin was a lot like Mara, but in many ways like Gus. She was also a bit of a tomboy.
Lisa continuously played on her device and when she got bored, would go into the house to watch TV.
Kimmy was only eight so still loved to play with dolls, which was exactly what she did after lunch.
Ben was one hell of a cute boy and a mini version of Jake, except he had a missing tooth— something he was proud of. He’d had this long discussion with Armand while sitting on Jake’s lap regarding the Tooth Fairy.
Holly had found him adorable and laughed wholeheartedly as Ben told both Armand and Jake his intricate plans to catch her.
“She won’t make an appearance tonight if you mention your plans out loud, my boy,” Gus chirped from the opposite couch.
“She will come,” he said adamantly. “I left her Oreos, and Armand said that she has a craving for Oreos. So I figure she will eat until she’s so fat, she won’t be able to fly away.” Ben’s logic brooked no argument.
Everyone had a good chuckle at that.
“Mom did say you were the sanest,” Jake said to Ben. “Hmph! I think she should re-think her words.” Jake looked at the five-year-old who cackled with laughter.
Holly really tried not to laugh at their antics, but it was impossible with that family. Despite the day having been beyond amazing, all good things had to come to an end. At around five they bid their farewell. As Holly put her coat on, Robin and Amelia took turns to give her a hug.
“Okay, let her go,” Jake intervened, which earned him a scold from Amelia. “Don’t look at me like that. If she doesn’t come back next Sunday, it’s not my fault.”
“Whatever. Just go. Bye, Holly,” Amelia repeated.
Holly waved as Jake led her to the car.
On the way home, they decided to stop at the mall and caught the eight o’clock movie; a beautiful romance, both quirky and funny. They enjoyed it tremendously, especially the kissing they were able to do in the inky blackness of the theater.
At around ten, they had to say goodbye again. It was becoming harder and harder for Holly to only see Jake on weekends—at least she knew that he was studying and not fooling around with another girl.
She was sitting on his lap in the car, as she always did on Sunday nights. Weekends seemed to fly by when she was with Jake, something she hated.
“Charge your phone, missy. I don’t want to struggle in trying to get hold of you.”
“Are you ready for this week’s tests?”
“Easy.” He scrunched up his nose, pretending that passing tests was easy and had to do with blood, DNA, and other medical terms Holly never could remember. In other words, it ran in the family.
“Tell you what, for every A you get, I’ll give you the best blow job you’ve ever had.”
Raising his eyebrows, Jake asked, “Oh, really? Can we shake on that?” His voice dripped seductiveness, making Holly squirm.
“We can, if you don’t want to take my word for it.”
“Interesting. And for every A+?”
“Are you that smart?” She raised her own eyebrows, looking straight into his soul searchingly.
“Maybe…”
“Okay, for every A+”—she looked at the roof, trying to think of something that would make her deal worthy of an A+—“I’ll give you a lap dance, an oil massage, and the best sex you’ve ever had and will ever have.”
She leaned her head closer to his as he stroked the side of it softly. When their lips touched, it immediately turned into a burning hunger. She started to move into him, and those ever present butterflies erupted in her belly when his hands dipped under her summer dress, caressing her hips and butt.
She could kiss him forever. It didn’t stay in the kissing zone as neither of them really wanted to say goodbye. When Holly finally pulled back from their kiss, they were both out of breath.
“If you tell me it’s time to go, I swear I’m going to kidnap you and lock you inside my closet,” he grunted in her ear.
She laughed softly, thinking about his proposal. She definitely wouldn’t mind being his prisoner. “Don’t temp me. But I really have to go.” She opened the door and almost fell out. Hot flushes washed over her body, and her arousal made her blind. She shook her head, letting the cool air do its trick. Once she was steady, she bent down and kissed him through the open window one last time before entering the house.
He always waited for her until she was safely inside. Holly watched as his car lights faded away, until darkness replaced them.
How could I have fallen so hard for a guy in such a short amount of time?
The next two weeks flew by, and soon the end of the school year was upon them. Holly and Jake couldn’t wait for that last week to be over. It was his final year of medical school before starting work as an intern. He was really excited yet nervous, because he knew his already limited time with Holly would be cut in half.
There would be no more free weekends; he’d have only one week of day shifts before night shifts started, with the latter allowing no one-on-one time to spend with her. This meant that she’d only see him for a couple of hours during the odd day shift. It all sounded awful. However, before that horrible period—and it would be horrible—started, Holly would be able to see him every single day for almost an entire month.
On the Sunday, they paid his family a visit and had lunch.
“So, are you in?” Amelia asked Holly while they helped Mara with the dishes again.
“For what?”
“A two mile walk. It’s not so far, and it’s for a good cause.”
“What cause would that be?”
“Don’t do it, Bee Puke,” Jake warn
ed.
“Shush,” Amelia slapped the air playfully in her brother’s direction, as if she was shooing him to be gone. “Anti-abortion. My dad usually does this with me, but this year he can’t. He’s on standby next Saturday, and I have no one to do it with. Armand is such a pee-wee when it comes to things like that. Although, everyone’s always clearly stating that they are all for the cause. I need you there, Holly.”
“Sweetheart, you don’t know what Holly’s beliefs are,” Mara spoke softly.
“No, I’m against it as well. Sure, why not. How much does it cost for this amazing two mile walk?”
Armand and Jake chuckled, earning them a glare from Holly. “Okay, what is going on. Is there something I should know?”
Amelia rolled her eyes at them, throwing a napkin in their direction. “Tell her, you can’t wait to, anyway.” She looked at Jake.
“And spoil all the fun?”
“Tell me what?” She looked at Jake.
“The amazing two mile walk? You do it in high heels.”
Holly’s head snapped back to Amelia.
“Please, Holly. I really don’t want to do this alone.”
“Your dad does this with you?”
Through everyone’s laughter, Amelia replied, “Yes. He’s the best dad a girl could ask for. I’ll even pay the fee, you just need to bring high heels.”
“Oh. My. Soul. I’m going to have blisters the size of watermelons, aren’t I?” She looked at Amelia for confirmation.
“It’s for a good cause,” was all Amelia said.
“Fine. Just as long as you remember this; you are going to owe me big time, missy.”
Amelia clapped her hands excitedly, which made Holly laugh.
“Seriously, Amelia. You taking Holly away on one of the last few days I’m going to be able to spend with her.”
“Don’t give me that shit, Jake. You are finishing this Friday, so you can see Holly any day of the week.”
“Fine,” he said, looking at Armand. “I guess me and you are on banner duty, then.”
The girls giggled. Holly could just imagine Jake cheering her on with a huge banner that read: Go baby, go!, or something like that, written in huge, big bold letters.
“This is going to be fun,” Holly admitted.
“You bet, sister,” Amelia concurred, lifting her hand to Holly for a high five.
Holly complied and slapped it, a warm tingling feeling spreading inside her chest. Nobody had called her sister in the past nine years.
But looking at Jake dangling his car keys in his hand, she wanted to cry. She knew their time was going to be cut short as he really wanted to study for tomorrow’s test. He kissed his entire family goodbye, and it was at this moment that Holly realized she’d fallen in love with them all.
Just before they left, though, his father gave him a quick quiz. Holly didn’t know if they were pulling one another’s leg or not as the terms were foreign, but by Armand’s shaking body and Mara’s eyes, Holly assumed it was bullshit.
“You are going to ace that test, Son.” His father slapped him solidly on the back when they’d reached Jake’s car. Gus turned to Holly and gave her a bear hug just before Jake opened her door.
Holly waved at Amelia, who’d taken Holly’s spot next to her dad.
Jake honked before the car disappeared out the gates. She turned, keeping her gaze on his family until she couldn’t see their house anymore.
“You are blessed, you know that?” she whispered.
“To have such a beautiful girl at my side? I know.”
“No, not that, but thanks. I’m talking about your family.”
“Yeah, they’re not too bad, I guess.”
Holly shook her head gently, but smiled at him regardless.
“Well, you are.”
“I know. They absolutely adore you, you know.”
“They do?”
“Please. You think my mom has ever treated any of my girlfriends the way she treated you?”
“She didn’t?”
“Heck, no. She didn’t even like Mel. She just pretended she did. Believe me, I know when that woman pretends, and she’s totally herself when you are around.”
“How many girlfriends are we talking about?”
He chuckled. “Holly, not that many. Actually, I can count them on one hand. Only two girls met my parents, and you are one of them.”
“Really?”
“Of course. What did you think? That I took every stranger I came across to meet my parents?”
“Some do.”
“Well, I’m not some. I’m just Jake.”
Holly grinned broadly. “That you are.” Becoming serious, she asked, “You scared about tomorrow?”
“No,” he said, an underlying chuckle evident in his voice.
“Then why all of a sudden do you need to revise your work?”
“Oh, I don’t want to revise a damn thing. It was the only way I could get you all to myself.”
“Sneaky! But, really?”
“Yes. I need quality time, Holly. Not quantity.”
Jake parked when they arrived at the county park and took out a blanket and a book from his trunk.
“You read?” she teased him.
“Ha-ha,” he kicked her, playfully, and walked hand in hand toward the lake.
Now that she knew he didn’t want to revise for tomorrow’s test, she felt herself relax, glad that she would spend at least another eight hours with him before she had to say goodbye.
They looked around for the biggest oak tree they could find, closest to the lake, and after deciding they’d picked the right one, Jake spread the blanket beneath it. Making themselves comfortable, Holly laid her head on his stomach as he read William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to her. She never could understand what Shakespeare had meant by ‘But soft! what light through yonder window breaks?’ phrases, but the way Jake spoke every word it almost made her want to cry.
When the sun began to set, it was decided that they should pack up and go back to his place.
During the journey, Holly made small talk. “I didn’t know you loved Shakespeare.”
“I do, but don’t tell anyone. I don’t want to have to kill you.”
Holly smiled at him.
“You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself without me.”
“That is true,” he replied, kissing every knuckle on her hand softly.
Pulling up at his house, Jake parked the car, and shortly thereafter they made quick work of getting to his room. As soon as they were inside, clothes seemingly disappeared. They were like rabbits; couldn’t get enough of each other. When they collapsed afterward, wrapped in each other’s arms, Holly remembered Mara’s request.
“Jake…” She didn’t have a clue as to how she was going to explain this one to him. But it was her body, and although she would have loved to have kids before the age of thirty, she had to keep her promise to Mara.
“Yes, Bee Puke?” he replied in a tired voice.
“I really think I need to go on something.” She leaned on one arm and looked down at his face.
His eyes flew open. “What do you mean… like the pill?”
Holly didn’t like the serious tone in his voice, but forged ahead anyway. “Yes, we hump like rabbits. I can’t get pregnant, not now.”
“Holly.” He sighed, looking at her. “No.” He pushed himself up on the bed, flung his legs out and when his feet hit the floor, sat with his back to her.
“What do you mean, no?”
He faced her. “I really won’t mind if you get pregnant.”
That took her by surprise. “Well, I would,” she lied.
“Listen, your sister died of cancer. I just don’t think you should be exposed to the extra hormones. There’s a lot we don’t understand, like what causes cancer.” He was adamant, yet it was something Holly didn’t understand one bit.
“But, Jake. I can’t get pregnant, not now,” she repeated. “So, whether you like it or not, I’
m going on the pill.”
“Then why the hell did you tell me?”
She couldn’t believe this, they were going to have their first fight over the pill. Usually, roles were reversed, but she couldn’t break his mother’s trust, not after he’d told her that Mara really liked her.
“Gee, I don’t know. Because, maybe, just maybe I really don’t want to do anything behind your back!” she yelled as she got up, grabbing her clothes and stomping to the bathroom. She locked the door behind her, leaned against it, and took in huge breaths.
She couldn’t believe how mentioning the pill had turned out. Brandon had begged her at one stage to go on the pill. Men were typically the ones to suggest it. She had never expected this kind of reaction from Jake. And if she were honest, she never knew what she was going to get with Jake, but never in a million years had she expected him to be so totally against it. He’d reacted almost like she was a child, one who wanted a really expensive doll for Christmas, and he’d said no.
A SOFT KNOCK ON THE BATHROOM DOOR DREW HER out of the rage bubble she’d found herself in. Holly hated being treated like a five-year-old, instead of the adult she was. Not having his girlfriend fall pregnant—the one he’d practically just met—should have been at the top of his list, too.
She opened the door slowly, just a crack, and stared into his beautiful face. He’d pulled on one of those pajama slacks that hung nice and low on his hips.
She turned away and stepped clear of the door, bracing herself, because she knew she really should stand her ground on this.
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to fight with you, Holly, but I’m just worried about what effects it could have on you.”
“Jake, I can’t get pregnant right now.”
“I know,” he sighed.
Deep down, she knew everything would change if Jake had to wear a condom. He already struggled to reach an orgasm, and she didn’t want to think about what she would have to do then for him if he wore one.
“I’ll talk to my dad. See which one is effective, but not as harsh, okay?” He stepped toward her and placed his hands gently on her face.
She was still upset that he’d treated her like a child, but she knew that when he looked at her with those ice-green eyes, her heart would melt and all would be forgiven. Their lips touched, the kiss they shared tender.
Imperfect Love Page 18