Lola shook her head.
“Fifty dollars. A month. And when I told him that wasn’t nearly enough, he threatened to kick me out and fire me. He would too.”
Respect for Jared went up a notch, although it was already pretty high. That man oozed integrity.
“You know what I think about the most, out of everything?” He didn’t wait for her to respond. “Not about what my dad did to me, but that he could do it to someone else. That’s what bothers me the most.”
“You can report him.”
“No. I just want to forget, want it over with. Besides, I told him I’d be watching him and if I ever found out he hurt anyone else, I wouldn’t stop until he was dead.”
Alarmed, Lola said, “Jack.”
“I wouldn’t really, Lola,” he said, smiling. “But he had to believe I meant it. He’s a coward and a drunk and now he’s scared. I don’t want to talk about him anymore. I have better things to think about.”
He trailed a calloused finger along her brow, down her nose, and stopped at her lips. Lola kissed his finger and he unconsciously shuddered.
Jack leaned over and gave her a lingering kiss; touching his cheek to hers when they pulled apart.
Lola was consumed by her feelings for him. When she thought of him she smiled, when he was near she was lighter, happier. Every minute of every day Lola wasn’t with him, she missed him. Sometimes, even when he was with her, she still missed him.
Jack felt deeply, strongly, in all aspects of his life. She couldn’t imagine him capable of being any greater than he already was; it wasn’t possible.
It could have ended up so different for him. Jack could have turned into his father; he could have been cruel and uncaring. He wasn’t. Jack was good on the inside, where it counted.
She knew she had a lot of growing up to do, but Lola also knew she wanted Jack forever. She was convinced that would never change, no matter their age.
“I can’t believe your aunt allowed me up here.”
“Well, the door is open.”
“And she’s right down the hall.”
“I can’t believe she and Jared actually hit it off and are going on a date.”
Jack turned to his side, a knowing light in his eyes. “Yeah, because you didn’t have anything to do with that.”
Lola smiled, feeling so carefree and alive she felt like a silly giggle was going to escape her. Luckily, she held it in. “I just got them together. The rest was up to them.”
“Isabelle is happy you did that. She likes your aunt a lot.”
“But not me.”
“Not true. She’s just overprotective of her big brother. I’ve always looked out for her; she’s just doing the same.”
Lola knew that and commended Isabelle greatly for it. She had spunk, that was for sure.
“I suppose she didn’t glare at me so much the last time I saw her,” Lola grudgingly supplied, grinning when Jack laughed.
She loved his laugh. It was a beautiful sound; deep and rumbly. His eyes twinkled and Lola always fought not to kiss the mirth from his lips when it overtook him. It was priceless, each laugh a small treasure to behold.
Lola took a deep breath, sitting up. There was something she had to do; something she had been putting off.
“What?” he asked when she continued to stare at him.
“I have something for you.”
Jack sat up, touching her cheek. “Why do you look so terrified at the thought of giving it to me, whatever it is?”
Lola got down from the bed and opened the chest at the foot of it, taking her folder out. She opened it with fingers that trembled, swallowed, and pulled a sheet of paper from it.
Without speaking, Lola handed it to him. Jack frowned at her, glancing down. As he read, his features transformed into that expressionless mask that gave so much away.
She fiddled with bottles of body spray on the dresser top as he read, gnawing on the inside of her bottom lip. Lola picked up the vanilla scented one and sniffed it, replacing the cap.
What if he didn’t like it? Lola pulled the cream curtain back and looked at the large tree in the front yard, studying the leaves. What if he thought it was stupid? Her pulse was thrumming an erratic beat in her wrists, the wait unbearable to her nerves.
Lola heard him move, felt Jack behind her. Her stomach flip-flopped. His hands warmed her shoulders; his breath tickled the sensitive skin under his ear.
“Do you know what I love about you the most?” he whispered, causing her to shiver.
She wordlessly shook her head.
“How you manage to look past the bad and find the good. Even with me. You looked past what I showed the world and wrecked me, but in a good way,” he added when she stiffened.
“You ruined me from turning into something I didn’t want to be. I don’t know how to show you how much you mean to me. I love you, Lola. I want to be with you always; I can’t imagine not being with you. You filled a hole in me. You gave me a purpose. My purpose is to love you. No matter what else happens, I know that.”