Music of the Heart (Runaway Train, #1)(42)

I shoved him against the kitchen counter. “You’re impossible!”

“And you’re everything I could ever want.”

My mouth, which had opened to lay into him with more insults, instantly snapped shut. Crossing his arms over his chest, Jake chuckled. “Don’t tell me I’ve rendered you speechless, Angel?”

“You keep me in a state of confusion, so I don’t know why you would be so surprised,” I countered.

“Fine. You ready for this?” He pushed himself off the counter to stand in front of me again. “I like you, Angel. I like you a lot. It’s been a whole thirty-six hours, but I like what I see, and I want more. But I’m clueless how to do this, so you’re just going to have to be a little patient with me, okay?”

My heart fluttered both at his words and in the way he delivered them. “So we just keep getting to know each other?”

“Yeah, I think so.” He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “So I guess normal people go on dates to get to know each other, right?”

“Yeah. Like dinner and a movie.”

He bobbed his head. “Well, we sorta had dinner. So how about a movie?”

I grinned. “That sounds great.”

“Can I count on you being down for inane comedy rather than a chick flick?”

“If you guys actually have a chick flick movie on this bus, I think we have to watch it.”

Jake grimaced. “Yeah, well, Lily might’ve left a few DVDs behind.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, but there’s Disney shit for Jude too.”

“Hmm, let me see what we’re dealing with here,” I replied before I went over to the entertainment center. It was stuffed full of DVDs along with video games.

As I perused the contents, Jake made a pained noise in his throat. “After the dick way I treated you, you’re going to punish me with the video choice, aren’t you?”

Glancing over my shoulder, I threw him an innocent glance. “Me? How could you possibly think such a thing?”

“Whatever,” he grumbled, collapsing on the couch.

I turned around. “Okay, how does Dodgeball sound?” I asked.

His eyes lit up. “Fanf*ckingtastic!”

Shooting him a wicked grin, I replied, “Good. We’ll watch that after Tangled.”

“Seriously?”

I bobbed my head. “Must I remind you that you puked on me earlier this evening?”

“You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”

“Nope. But besides that, you have a lot of work to do to prove to me you’re worthy of my time.”

“So I have to watch f*cking Disney to prove it?”

“It’s a small start.”

I eased the DVD into the player and grabbed the remote. Without even hesitating, I plopped down beside Jake on the couch. “I still can’t believe I’m letting you make me watch a f*cking Disney movie,” he grumbled.

“You don’t have to watch it. You can always do your own thing. But if you really want more from me, than you’re going to have to work for it.”

He mumbled something under his breath. Although he may have hated the idea, he gave the movie his full attention when it came on. I think something about it having music in it peaked his interest as much as he hated to admit it. When I snuggled closer to him, he glanced down at me in surprise. “I’m cold,” I admitted.

“Here,” he said, digging in a drawer beside the couch. He pulled out a blanket and wrapped us in it. “How’s that?”

“It feels wonderful. Thank you.”

“No problem.” He then slung an arm around my shoulder, drawing me closer to him.

Halfway through the movie, my eyes grew heavy, and it wasn’t long before I nodded off. I don’t know how long I was asleep before loud voices and laughter, not from the movie, startled me awake. Rubbing my eyes, I looked up to see Jake begin to come back to life as well.

Back from their evening out, the boys were clambering up the bus steps. At the sight of me and Jake wrapped up in a blanket together, they froze. “What the…” AJ began.

He and Brayden then barreled forward like they were about to protect me from Jake’s unwanted advances. I snaked my hand out from under the blanket and held it up at them. “Guys, calm down. Everything is fine.”

Brayden glanced between Jake and me before cocking his eyebrows. “Seriously?”

I laughed. “Yes, it is. Jake’s apologized for his previous bad behavior, and we’re fine now.”

With a wicked gleam in his eyes directed toward the guys, Jake added, “Oh we’re more than just fine. We’re sorta dating.”

A collective gasp of shock rang through all the guys. “That’s not entirely true,” I replied.

Brayden threw his hands up in disbelief. “Excuse me if my mind isn’t able to process such a thought. I mean, just how the hell do you make the quantum leap from banging Bree earlier in the day to dating our Angel?”

“We’re not really dating—we’re just getting to know each other better. He’s going to have to prove himself to me before I’ll date him,” I explained.

Jake bobbed his head. “And I plan on working my ass off to do it.”