“You don’t know how to swim?”
“Of course I know how to swim. I’m just not a swimmer.”
“I’m not a runner and I’ve raced you twice now.”
“I can’t beat you in swimming. I swim for fun. I’m not very fast.”
“So you’re afraid to try?” I stand right in front of her, folding my arms over my chest. “Afraid of a little competition?”
“All right. You’re on. Tomorrow night.” She smiles and sits up straighter, but then the smile fades and her shoulders slump. “Wait. I can’t. I don’t have a swimsuit.”
“They have extra suits in the girls’ locker room. Got any other excuses? Like you don’t want to get your hair wet or have your mascara run?”
She stands up and punches me in the arm. And not a light girly punch. A freaking hard punch.
“You just earned yourself another mile, jackass.” She sprints down the trail. I can’t keep up with her so I just do a slow jog and watch her as she runs. She has great form. She goes so fast and yet she makes it look effortless. She should really be on the track team.
After a while, she turns around and runs back to me. “You gave up awfully fast. We can go back now. I think you’ve had enough.”
“Thank, God. Give me a minute to stretch.” I do some calf stretches, then stretch my quads.
“Done yet?” She acts annoyed.
I smile and get right up in her face, so close I can hear her breathing. “You know what, Jade?”
“What?”
“I like you. I really like you.” I look directly at her as I say it.
She doesn’t respond. I think I made her speechless. Either that or she can’t speak because she’s out of breath. As soon as I got close to her, her breathing sped up. She’s breathing even faster than when she was running.
My eyes remain on hers. “That said, I still think you’re rude and sarcastic and extremely difficult to please.”
“Aww.” She tilts her head and smiles. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. Just for that, I’ll run back with you at your barely-moving pace.”
When we’re back at her room, I ask, “Do you have plans tonight?”
“Yeah, I’m booked solid, from now until morning.” Her tone is laced with sarcasm so I continue.
“You want to go out for dinner? Catch a movie?”
“Dinner and a movie? Are you asking me out on a date or something?”
“Call it whatever you want. Do you want to go or not?”
She takes a moment to think about it. “No, I can’t.”
Damn. I thought for sure she’d agree to dinner. Maybe it’s the money thing again. She can’t afford to eat out and she won’t let me pay.
“But we could get takeout and watch a movie here. There’s that room down the hall with a TV.”
It’s definitely the money thing. She can’t afford both dinner and a movie. But at least she still wants to hang out with me.
“I have a 42-inch flat screen in my room. It’s way better than that old TV down the hall.”
“You want us to be alone in your room together? Yeah, I know where that leads.”
I roll my eyes. “Jade, have I tried anything this whole time we’ve been together?”
“No, but—” She stops and it makes me wonder what she was going to say. “Okay. Come back down here in 10 minutes. And we have to eat cheap. Fast food burger and fries. All this eating out is using up my laundry money.”
That’s all she has money for? Laundry?
“Would you just let me pay for it? An athlete like yourself should eat something other than greasy burgers and fries.”
“Don’t start with the money thing again. I pay for my own stuff.” She checks her watch. “You just wasted a minute. Now you’ve only got 9 minutes to get back down here.”
I shower as fast as I can and I still get to Jade’s room 3 minutes past her ridiculous time limit. She makes sure to point this out, of course.
I take her to dinner at a burger place in a strip mall and we eat outside on the patio. I can’t think of a single girl I’ve dated, for real or fake-dated, who would ever let me take her to a place like this. And those girls would never eat outside. The breeze might mess up their hair.
Jade talks all through dinner while I listen. I like her voice. It isn’t too high. And her laugh is soft and cute.
I watch her, noticing how her green eyes almost sparkle in the sunlight. Her long brown hair blows around in the gentle breeze and I keep wanting to tuck it behind her ear, just so I’d have an excuse to touch her.
As she talks, my eyes keep trailing down to her lips. Those beautiful, soft, full lips that I have to kiss. Soon. Very soon.
I’m probably staring at her, but I don’t care. I can’t take my eyes off this girl and I have no desire to even try. And she’s kind of staring at me, too, so it’s not like I’m the only one.
After dinner, I take her to my room to watch a movie. I’d love to do more than that, but I don’t want to push it. We’ve only been hanging out a few days.
“Pick whatever you want,” I say when I see her going through my movies.
“You have quite a setup here. It’s like your own movie theater. I don’t even have a TV.”
“You don’t? You need a TV, Jade.”
“No, I don’t. If I want to watch something I’ll just use the one down the hall.”
“That one barely works. If you want to watch TV, come up here.”
“I’m not going to do that. I hardly ever watch TV anyway. Here. Let’s watch this one.” She holds up a cartoon.
It’s my one and only cartoon and I got it years ago because I thought the cover was funny. It has all these cartoon dogs on it, dressed like detectives, their faces serious, like they’re really solving crimes. The movie was only five bucks and I thought my little sister, Lilly, would like it. But then I forgot to give it to her. I’ve seen it once. It was okay. I don’t mind animated films. I like most any kind of movie.
Jade’s trying not to laugh. “It says it’s about some dogs that solve crimes.”
“How did that get in there? That’s my little sister’s movie.” It’s true. I just never gave it to her.
“It’s okay, Garret. I don’t care if you like cartoons.”
“That is not my movie. She must’ve stuck it in the box when I wasn’t looking.”
So I lied a little. I don’t want Jade thinking I watch cartoons.
She laughs. “Yeah, sure she did.”
“Give it here.” I reach for it, but she jumps up, holding the movie behind her back with one hand while putting her other hand out in front of her.
I chase her until I’ve got her backed up against the wall. Her hand presses against my chest trying to keep me away. I lean in, placing my hand on the wall by her head. Her arm gives way to the pressure of my body and she lowers it to her side.
I keep my eyes on hers as I slowly reach behind her to get the movie. I’m standing so close that my reach causes our bodies to touch. She’s breathing fast, her chest moving in and out. Our faces are mere inches apart and I feel her warm breath over my lips. I want to kiss her. So freaking bad. But I need to know she’s ready for that. I can’t screw this up.
“Jade.” I gaze down at her, smiling. “Give me the movie, please.”
She’s still holding it between her lower back and the wall. She pushes her hips forward to release it, and I feel her against the front of my jeans. I was trying to be a gentleman. Trying to keep things in line down there. But shit. When a girl you’re extremely attracted to presses against you like that, there’s not much a guy can do. You just gotta let nature do its thing.
Jade feels it and inhales sharply and drops the movie. I catch it, right behind her ass and keep my hand there. She blushes, which is so damn sweet. Girls rarely blush anymore, especially with something as innocent as this. She doesn’t say a word. I think she might be holding her breath.
I slowly remove my hand from behind her and place it on the
wall by her head.
She looks at me and I look her in the eye and say, “For the last time, the movie is my sister’s. But if you really want to watch the crime-fighting dog cartoon, we’ll watch it. Or,” I smile, “if you want to do something else, we’ll do something else.”
She hesitates, and I hope to God that means she’s going to let me kiss her. And maybe do more than that. I’m not trying to have sex with her tonight but I’d like to go beyond kissing. Like maybe progress to touching. Her breasts. Her lips. Her skin. I’d love to touch her. Actually, I’m dying to touch her.
But I get the feeling she’s not going to let me.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Let’s find another movie,” Jade says. “I’m not in the mood for a cartoon.”
I wait a moment to see if she’ll change her mind. But she doesn’t, so I slowly back away.
She goes over to my box of movies and picks out an action film. I have a wide assortment of movies so I’m surprised she picked that. But she’s been living with two guys so maybe she’s used to watching those. It’s just funny because every girl I’ve ever dated will only watch romance movies.
I put the movie in, then turn around and see Jade seated in my bean bag chair, right in the middle, like maybe she doesn’t want me to sit there. But I don’t want to sit on the bed, and the chair is the only other seating option. It’s big enough for both of us and I want to sit by Jade.
I stand over her. “Care if I sit there, too?”
“No, not at all.”
As I sit down, she scoots over. Like way over to the very edge of the chair.
“Do I smell or something?” I ask, trying not to laugh.
“Oh. I was just making sure you had enough room.”
“I have plenty of room, Jade. You can move over.”
She slides toward the middle, but still stays a good foot away from me. I’m not used to this. Usually, girls are hanging all over me, getting way too close, taking up all my personal space. I wouldn’t mind if Jade took up my personal space, but she seems determined to keep her distance, making sure we’re not touching in any way.
As we’re watching the movie, my phone rings. I see it’s Blake calling and I get up and go over by the door before answering. “What do you want, Blake?”
“Get over here, man. Hurry up. I’ve got girls. Hot girls.”
“No, I’m not going over there. You’re not even making sense. How drunk are you right now?”
“Three girls. Topless. Right in front of me. Fucking awesome.”
“Yeah, well, keep them for yourself. I gotta go.”
I hang up on him and shove my phone in my pocket.
Jade’s watching me. “Are you supposed to be somewhere?”
“No. Blake’s just drunk dialing everyone, trying to keep the party going at his apartment.”
I sit next to Jade again, closer this time. The chair sinks in, causing her tiny body to slide into me.
She doesn’t move. “You know, if you want to go out with Blake, I can leave.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere. I’m in the middle of a movie. And I have a guest.” I relax my arm up behind her head and the chair sinks in to the point that Jade’s side is now right up against mine. Finally. This is how we should’ve been sitting in the first place.
I look down and notice Jade’s frozen in place, her body stiff. Why is she so uncomfortable? Maybe she doesn’t like me like I thought she did. Maybe she just sees me as a friend. Damn, that would suck.
I don’t want her to be uncomfortable so I say, “Would you like me to move, Jade?”
“You might as well stay there. If you move again I’ll sink even farther into this stupid chair and I may never get up.” She sounds annoyed but I think it’s an act. I think she likes being this close to me. If she didn’t, she’d move.
“You don’t like my chair?” I ask, smiling at her.
“It’s fine, but I’m finding it hard to get comfortable.”
“Well, go ahead and do what you need to do to get comfortable.”
The next minute is pure comedy. Jade squirms down under my arm, then scoots right back up and puts her head on my shoulder. Then she turns to the side a little, away from me, then faces forward again and sits up. And finally, she lays the back of her head on my chest. Freaking hilarious. I can’t help but laugh.
“Are you good now?” I ask her.
“Yes. Now stop talking so I can hear the movie.”
I put my arm around her. She doesn’t protest. In fact, I think I saw her smile a little when I did it.
Something feels right about this. Having Jade next to me, tucked under my arm. It just feels right. Like it’s how it should be. Maybe that’s weird to say since I just met her, but sometimes you just know this stuff.
Jade’s made it clear she’s not ready to take this beyond a friendship and that’s okay. Right now, I just want more time with her. And watching movies like this? With her in my arms? I could keep doing this.
I look at her resting against me, her head on my chest. Yeah, I could definitely keep doing this.
Monday morning, I wake up to the sound of loud banging against the wall. I get up and go out in the hall and see some guys trying to shove a couch through the door of the room next to mine. And they decide to do this at 8 in the morning. Of course.
“Need some help?” I ask because these guys don’t seem very strong. They’re short and can’t weigh more than 150 pounds. They’ve got the couch wedged in the door and can’t get it to move.
“Yeah, if you don’t mind,” the one guy says.
“Just a minute.” I’m shirtless and wearing pajama pants so I go in my room and change into shorts and a t-shirt and meet them back in the hall.
“I’m Michael,” the one guys says. “And this is Trevor.”
“Garret.” I shake their hands, then move between them to the end of the couch. “You might want to move out of the way.”
They step aside and I pick up one end of the couch and maneuver it in the room, then set it down. “Where do you want it?”
They’re staring at me like I’m the strongest man alive. Seriously? It’s just a couch and it’s small. It’s not that heavy.
“Right there is good.” Trevor points to the wall across from the bed and I slide it over there.
“You need help moving anything else in?” I ask him.
“No, that was it. Thanks.”
“Sure. See ya later.” I walk out in the hall.
“Hey.” Michael follows me. “You know if there are any parties around here tonight?”
“I know there’s parties going on but I’m not sure where. Give me your phone.”
The guy gives it to me without even asking why. I swear. I don’t understand people sometimes.
I put Blake’s number in the guy’s phone, then hand it back to him. “Call that guy whenever you want to know where the parties are.”
“Okay, thanks.”
As long as I’m up, I go take a shower. As I’m getting dressed my phone rings. When I see who it is I don’t want to answer, but it might involve Lilly so I do.
“What now, Katherine?”
“I need you to babysit.” She barks orders at me the same way my dad does.
“Why? Where are you going?”
“It doesn’t matter where I’m going. Just get over here.”
“How long do I need to be there?”
“I don’t know yet. Hurry up. I need to leave within the hour.”
And then she hangs up. Bitch. I’m so sick of her bossing me around. But I’ll go over there for Lilly’s sake.
Lilly is all alone now that I don’t live there anymore. By alone, I mean she has nobody who will do stuff with her. Katherine basically ignores her and makes her sit in her room all day. I don’t know why Katherine even had a kid, other than to try to make a mini version of herself. Thanks to me that didn’t happen. I hang out with Lilly way more than Katherine or my dad does, so Lilly tends to act more like me tha
n either of them.
I finish getting ready, then grab my keys and head to my car. I was hoping to spend the day with Jade. We didn’t make plans last night to do anything other than to meet up later to swim. But I figured I’d stop by her room this morning and take her to breakfast. Now I can’t, so I don’t know what she’ll do for food. All she has to eat is that bag of oranges and some potato chips.
When I get to my house, Katherine is waiting at the door, wearing a white dress, heels, and sunglasses. The woman is obsessed with white. Our whole damn house is white. The furniture, the floors, the walls. Looks like a freaking hospital or mental ward.
“She’s upstairs in her room,” Katherine says, walking past me to the driveway.
“You’re welcome,” I say as she leaves.
I go up to Lilly’s room. She’s on her bed watching cartoons, her dolls lined up next to her.
“Garret!” she yells when she sees me.
“Hey.” I sit next to her on the bed and some of her dolls fall on the floor. “Where should we go today?”
“Mom said we can’t go anywhere.”
“Your mom’s not here so I’m in charge. You want to go out for breakfast? I’m starving.” I stand up and she climbs off the bed.
“I already had breakfast.”
“Well, I haven’t. So we’ll go to breakfast and then to the park.”
“Okay.” She grabs my hand as we leave her room.
Thank God she has me in her life or she’d have no fun at all.
After breakfast and the park, I take Lilly to a movie and then lunch. I don’t want to be at the house because I don’t want to run into my dad. Sometimes he stops home during the day and I’m trying to avoid him.
But by 3, Lilly’s getting tired and I’m running out of places to take her, so we go home and hang out by the pool until Katherine finally shows up at 5. She didn’t even call to tell me what time she’d be back. I don’t mind watching Lilly, but I didn’t plan to have my whole day taken up. Of course, Katherine doesn’t care. In her mind, I’m just one of her hired servants.
I say goodbye to Lilly, then walk past Katherine, who says nothing. Not even a thank you. As I’m leaving, I hear my dad in his office. Guess he got home early today. He usually stays at work until 8 or 9 at night.
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