She sighed dreamily. “He’s quite possibly the best bang I’ve ever had, but it’s not going to last forever.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re fuck buddies, Veronica. Nothing more.”
“Right,” I said, drawing out the “i” in my word.
“Shut up,” she said, and it was her turn to flush.
“Oh how the tables have turned, Ms. Carpenter,” I teased.
“I don’t want anything serious right now,” she said, avoiding eye contact.
“Why not? Don’t push him away if you like him.”
“I know,” she whispered, and I knew I didn’t have to say any more. She’d been through a lot, and I understood where she was coming from. She’d been hurt in relationships before by men, and she was scared to get close. Sometimes I didn’t blame her, and other times I wanted to shake her. I didn’t want her to miss out on what could be the love of her life just because she was scared, but I understood her need to protect herself. So we left it at that and headed out of our gossip phase and into our lesson planning.
Three hours later, we had the next month of daily lessons planned, and I even got some essays graded. Our gossip fest had turned into a good work session, and as we both stood and stretched after a few hours of working, I glanced out the window and realized it was already dark out. I checked my cell phone and saw that it was nearly 6:30. We finished just in time for me to get home to Jesse for dinner.
I just loved everything about the way that sounded.
We went our separate ways, and as I headed toward Jesse’s house, my heart started pounding. The closer I got to the house, the harder my heart beat in my chest.
Until I pulled into the driveway and saw that there was no big black truck in the garage.
CHAPTER 6
The pounding in my chest slowed back to normal. Where was he? Was he still with Carly? My mind spat her name like it was poisonous. I was awful; I didn’t even know the girl and I was already judging her for taking Jesse away from me.
I went inside and found myself alone in Jesse’s house for the second time that day. I put away my books and got my stuff ready for the next morning, and then I headed to the kitchen to find something to eat. I checked my phone, but I didn’t have a text from him.
The idea that he didn’t bother with a text to let me know where he was gave me a pretty healthy dose of reality. Just like earlier that day when he told me that I didn’t need to approve my plans with him, he didn’t feel the need to approve his plans with me, either. Probably because he was off having sex with Carly.
Jealous rage streaked through me, but I took a deep breath and tried to push it down. This was another reminder that we were just friends, and I needed to learn to just be okay with that.
I pulled open his refrigerator and found plenty of healthy food choices. I settled on hummus and paired it with some pita chips I found, and then I heated some homemade chicken soup. I spent about ten minutes trying to figure out how to turn on the damn television before I finally just gave up. I settled into the lounger cushion of the couch with a book and lost myself in it until I fell asleep.
Lips…
Were those lips I felt pressed against my forehead?
Whose lips could they be?
I woke from a dreamy sleep and opened my eyes slowly to the bright light I’d fallen asleep to. Dark, mysterious, troubled eyes stared back at me.
“Hey,” I said, my voice scratchy from sleep.
“Hey,” Jesse whispered tenderly. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Little after midnight.”
He was intense. Haunted. This Jesse wasn’t the same playful Jesse who told me he had a power tool for me earlier that same day.
“You ready for bed?” he asked.
I nodded, and he stood from his position where he knelt on the floor beside me, unfolding that perfect body and standing straight. He leaned over me and scooped me up easily into his arms.
“Jesse,” I gasped, throwing my arms around his neck, still not fully awake as he carried me to my bedroom. “Put me down!”
The haunted look in his eyes dissipated as he gazed at me. “How do you think you got into your bed the past two nights?” he murmured, and I suddenly realized that he’d carried me to bed every night I’d stayed at his house so far, only this time I’d woken up first. I wondered if the lips I’d felt against my forehead had been part of my dream or reality, and I wondered if he’d kissed my forehead the past two nights as he carried me to bed.
He deposited me on the bed and helped me snuggle under the blankets, and then he sat beside me. I was in my favorite sleeping position, on my side with my hand under my pillow, but seeing Jesse sitting on the bed next to me was a view that made me not want to close my eyes. Jesse in the flesh was better than Jesse in my dreams.