Right Kind of Wrong(88)

27


Jenna


I wake up in Jack’s arms feeling happier than I’ve ever felt before. Which terrifies me. My plan is falling apart.

I stare at Jack, sleeping peacefully beside me, and think about how much I ached for him—emotionally needed him—last night. I was desperate for him. And I wanted to surrender everything I was just to be with him.

And that’s what I did. I surrendered.

Jack, who has quietly pulled me apart for the past year, silently keeping in my presence all these months until my head and heart were so filled with his essence that there was hardly any room left for me and my resolve, finally won.

And the crazy part? Giving in to him, giving up my control, felt liberating. Completely freeing.

Last night wasn’t just sex with a guy I really like. It was connecting with a man who loves me and cares for me. It was… It was making love. And I liked it.

Ugh. This is not how things were supposed to go. I know what happens next. Jack and I start dating and then my heart is forever at his mercy.

But then again, isn’t my heart at his mercy already? If last night proved anything, it was that my feelings for Jack aren’t going away, despite my best efforts. If anything, they’ve grown stronger. I might have kept my mouth from professing my love for him, but I sure as hell haven’t kept my heart from latching onto his.

I’m in so much trouble. I need air. Or a minute to think for myself away from Jack. Slipping out of his arms, I quietly pull on some clothes and creep downstairs.

The inn is already bustling with people having breakfast in the dining room. Kayla, the pretty blonde I ran into when we stopped here on our way out of Arizona, is apparently working here now as a waitress. I watch her laugh as she takes a couple’s order before swinging into the kitchen. She looks a hundred times lighter than she did the last time I saw her. In fact she looks downright happy.

Her eyes catch on mine through the dining room doors and she smiles broadly. I give her a little wave and she says something to the couple at her table before exiting the dining room and hurrying through the lobby toward me.

“Good morning.” Her smile is genuine and bright as she approaches.

Up close, it’s hard to look at her without staring. She’s just so pretty. Her blonde hair is perfect. Her sun-kissed skin is flawless. Her curvy body is beyond sexy.

I really want to hate the girl, but I can’t. Because she’s actually a really sweet person.

It’s so annoying when pretty girls are sweet and kind. All nice hot girls should pluck at least one eye out, just to make it fair for the rest of us trying to rock our normalcy.

“Jenna?” she says, tilting her head in concern. “You okay?”

“What?” I stop gawking at her lovely golden hair and blink a few times. “Oh yeah. I’m fine.”

I just got so caught up in your Barbie-like beauty that I forgot to speak. You know, like a creepy stalker.

A pair of tan, muscular forearms slips around Kayla’s waist, and suddenly Daren Ackwood is nuzzling her neck.

Nuzzling. The guy is actually nuzzling her neck. Like he loves her or something.

Which doesn’t exactly fall in line with my initial impression of Daren.

When I first met him, I thought he was a giant douche bag. A ridiculously hot douche bag—because holy hell, he’s just as beautiful as Kayla—but a douche bag nonetheless. But Pixie claims that he’s not really a bad guy, just a severely misunderstood one. And Kayla must feel the same way. She is, after all, letting the guy play with her hair and whisper in her ear.

“Daren, come on… Daren…” Kayla giggles in his arms as he tries to kiss her neck. “I’m trying to say hi to Jenna.”

Her giggle remind me of Pixie’s giggle and I find myself wondering what it would be like to be so happy I giggled.

Daren sees me watching them like an unwanted third wheel and immediately stops smooching Kayla’s throat. “Oh. Sorry,” he says, giving me a small smile as he nods. “Hey, Jenna.”

I lift an eyebrow. “Hello, Random Kisser.”

Earlier this year, he planted an unsolicited kiss on Pixie in front of Levi, just to make Levi jealous. I’m not really pissed at Daren for his brazen act, because it did, after all, get Levi to make a move on Pixie. But I still feel like it’s my responsibility, as Pixie’s dear friend, to hold him to it.

Kayla lifts her own eyebrow at Daren and he blushes—he actually blushes. “Yeah, not my proudest moment.”

She nods. “Is this the stealing-a-kiss-from-Pixie thing?”

Daren sighs. “Yeah.”

I just wanted to bust Daren’s balls, but wow. He already told Kayla about the Pixie kiss? And he’s all ooey-gooey in love with Kayla? So he’s not a total douche bag anymore?