Jake Undone(25)

“Well, I didn’t think that was funny.”

“Why have you been so weird lately?” he yelled.

“I’m being weird?”

He glared at me. “Yes, Nina, you are.”

I huffed. “Whatever.”

Jake just shook his head before walking out and slamming his bedroom door.

I put my head in my hands regretting what just happened. Was it me? Was I being a bitch to him these past couple of weeks and treating him differently because I somehow felt rejected by him? Did I make the spooning thing out to be something that it wasn’t?

Maybe I needed to control my feelings better, because losing him as a friend was not an option; There were so few people I could count on here in New York, and I needed him in my life.

I immediately got up and was going to walk down the hall to apologize when we knocked right into each other as he was passing my room.

“Ow,” I said rubbing my nose.

He briefly held onto my shoulders. “Watch it there, Speedy.”

“I was actually coming to apologize. I think I have been a little testy lately. I guess I am just stressed out about school and the math exam today.”

He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have said that to you, Nina.” His eyes were sincere, and I could tell he meant it.

“It’s okay. I know you were just joking.”

Jake stuck out his hand. “Truce?”

“Truce,” I said, relishing the warmth of his firm grip on my hand and wishing that his idea of a truce involved more than just a handshake, something like…oh…sucking on his bottom lip.

Yeah, I was a lost cause.

He let go of my hand, and we walked down the rest of the hallway to the kitchen together.

Ryan shut off the television that he and Tarah had been watching in the adjacent living room. “Tarah and I are going down to Eleni’s for some grub. You guys wanna come?”

Jake was drinking straight out of an orange juice container when he stopped and looked over at me awaiting my response.

“No, thanks. I am not that hungry…gonna just stay here and read,” I said.

Jake then waved his hand. “Nah, man, I’ll pass too.”

“Okay, ya’ll. Suit yourselves!” Tarah said as she and Ryan left the apartment.

When the door slammed shut, Jake walked over to the sofa and turned on the television. It was a rare sight, since he spent most of his time holed up in his room listening to music. He was channel surfing, spreading his long legs out onto the coffee table and looked over toward the kitchen at me. “Isn’t your test grade supposed to be in by now?”

“Yes.” I smiled guiltily, knowing it was most definitely in. I had been putting off finding out what it was.

“Did you check?”

“No.”

Without saying anything, Jake left and returned from down the hall with his laptop. “Come on, Nina…it’s d-day. I can’t wait to take you on this next one. Is it wrong I’m hoping for a suck-ass grade?”

“Yes…very wrong,” I said as I opened the laptop.

He was rubbing his hands together, in taunting anticipation.

“Are you trying to start a fire with those hands of yours?”

“Just gearing up for the inevitable.”

“Thanks for the confidence,” I said as I typed in the password.

“It’s gonna be a good one. You should be hoping for a C.”

Jake’s excitement about our next little adventure gave me mixed feelings to say the least.

As I scrolled down, once again, I noticed Alistair’s name before mine.

Alistair York: 90. Well, whattya know, he’s not perfect after all.

Jake leaned in. His breath hitched because he saw it before I did:

Nina Kennedy: 94.

Holy crap!

When I saw my name, I had to blink multiple times to make sure it was real. I was speechless as I turned to him.

Jake’s dimpled smile was bigger than the Joker’s, and he threw his head back. “Nina Kennedy…you fucking rock, girl,” he said as he pulled me into him hard for a congratulatory hug.

I closed my eyes and relished the heat and familiarity of being in his arms again amidst the excitement I felt at having achieved what I thought was virtually impossible. It was euphoric. My heart was beating fast against his chest.

He pulled back with his arms still on mine, and his eyes sparkled as he shook me. “Nina…you did it! You fucking did it! We have to celebrate.”

“Jake, you did this. I can’t thank you enough for all your help.”

I wanted to kiss him.

He kept smiling at me, then said, “Where do you wanna go? What do you want to do? Anything you want.”

I want to feel you inside of me.

“Actually, I know just what I want to do right now,” I said.