The Accidentals(86)

I raise my head quickly. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.” He eases my head back down onto his chest, smoothing my hair away from my face. “Well, I think he does. He was even arrested once. Later, the girl changed her story.”

“But you think he did it?”

“I think…if he didn’t do it, he should really stop the smack talk. The way he brags when he’s drunk is truly disgusting. And this is a small town. Let’s just say I’m not the only person who thinks he’s capable of it. The football coach is always having to step in to make excuses for him.”

Yikes. “Jake?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re not like that. Not even a little.” I snuggle closer to him, and he kisses the top of my head.

At close range, I admire his smooth skin, the curve of his chest, and the brawny arm that reaches across his body to rest on my back. He’s beautiful and strong, and I’m lucky to know him.

“You know.” I clear my throat. “I never had a boyfriend before you.”

He tilts his chin to look down at me. “Really? How is that even possible?”

“I may have out-nerded you at my old school.”

“See?” He runs a hand over my hair. “I knew you were special.”

“Did you have a girlfriend last year?”

“Yeah, for two years. She graduated last year. And—get this.” He chuckles. “She dumped me at the after-prom party. Total disaster. Claiborne has this event where the seniors are shut in together until dawn, to keep everyone from going out to get hammered. So this genius dumps me right as we’re literally locked into the same room for six hours.”

“Ouch!”

“I know! I wish I hadn’t rented the stupid tux. Did your old school make a big deal about prom?”

“Yeah.” My throat tightens. “I couldn’t go last year.”

Jake rolls so he can see my face. “Why not?”

My vision clouds, the candlelight becoming shiny. “That’s the night my mother died.”

“Oh, Jesus,” Jake whispers, pulling me in. “I’m sorry,” he says.

He has me in such a tight embrace I have trouble wiggling an arm free so that I can wipe my eyes. “I don’t want to be that anymore,” I say, my voice shaky.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to be the girl with all the issues. A downer. Tonight especially.”

He kisses me on the eyebrow and loosens his grip. “You know that’s not how I think of you.”

“It isn’t?”

He shakes his head. “I think of you as the hot girl who sings.” His hand caresses my stomach. “Even when you have your clothes on.” His smile becomes shy. “Let’s just say you’re never…a downer.”

Even though I can still feel the sting of tears on my face, I laugh. There’s something so honest about Jake. He isn’t one to flatter, but his compliments always ring with sincerity.

His smile comes closer, and his lips find mine.

We come together, and I lose myself in his hungry kiss. My pulse kicks up a notch—but in a good way. As our kisses linger and deepen, I feel myself getting drunk on Jake. In the past, that feeling always freaked me out. But now it doesn’t, because we’d already had the conversation that will prevent a nasty hangover.

And his kisses… Wow. We’re skin against skin, and it’s glorious.

Running my fingers down Jake’s torso, I find a little trail of curly hair which begins at his belly button and thickens on the way into his boxer shorts.

I follow it.

His body is unfamiliar territory, and I had only a vague idea of how to touch him. But if the giant groan he lets out is any indication, then I’m doing all right.

But then he grabs my hand. “Hang on,” he pants. “I have to think about English 125 for a minute.”

“What?” He hates that class.

“Chaucer in verse. It’s the most boring thing I can think of right now. I don’t want this to end immediately.” He exhales slowly. “Which one was the tale about patience?”

I’ve been holding my breath, but now I let it out in a whoosh. “‘The Franklin’s Tale,’” I sputter. I bury my face in his neck to avoid laughing in his face.

He nuzzles me. “I ruined the mood. Didn’t I?”

“No!” I wrap my arms tightly around him. “You’re perfect. Perfect, and you have no idea.” In fact, my laughter unhooks the last pinch of anxiety from my heart. I reach for Jake again, and he pulls me into a kiss that goes on and on.

I forget to be afraid. I stop thinking, and let myself just feel.





Eventually the candle flickers and dies. We rest together, his body curled around mine. Jake drowses, but I don’t feel like sleeping. Whenever I shift position, his hand finds a new place to rest, on the curve of my hip or on the back of my leg. I drink it all in.

But I must have fallen asleep, because I’m next conscious of someone bumping and tripping nearby in the pitch dark.

“Jesus Cristo,” Aurora’s voice says, sounding thick. There’s another shuffle, and then a crack. “Mierda!”

As I blink in the dark, Jake’s hand closes around mine. I hold my breath until Aurora makes her way out of the room again. The outer door opens as my roommate presumably heads to the bathroom.