Page 113 of Fighting Jacob

When I signed on to do community service at Hopeton House, I was pissed. Because they forced me to break the promise I made to Noah, I went in with a filthy attitude and the intention to do my time and leave without a single attachment.

I was an idiot.

The kids at Hopeton House have very similar stories to Noah. There’s just one difference: Noah was fortunate enough to be offered a ride home one rainy afternoon. The residents at Hopeton House weren’t as lucky. They have no one on their side—except me. My community service officially ended on Friday, but I refuse to turn my back on them like so many before me have. I'll have their back like I do Lola, Noah, and Hank’s. It's why I was born so big—so there's plenty of me to go around.

After cleaning up the mess the kids made, I head into Hank's office. He and Lola have been hiding out in there the past hour. I have no clue what they're doing, but if the paperwork they're shuffling around is anything to go by, I'd rather not know.

Who am I kidding? If it involves Lola in any way, I'm interested.

“What are you two up to?”

Hank snatches up the papers they’re looking at as Lola spins around to block them from my view with her generous rack. “Nothing interesting. Just trying to balance the books.”

“Do you want me to take a look at them for you?”

Hank shoos away my offer with a wave of his hand, unaware I graduated business school with honors only twelve months ago. I am used to strangers thinking I'm all brawn and no brains, but I'm shocked Hank would believe that. He knows there's more to fighting than just brute strength.

“My offer stands if you change your mind.” I grab my gym bag off the ground before connecting my eyes with Lola’s. “Your place or mine?”

My dick twitches when she purrs, “Mine. I don’t want to give Tom a heart attack.”

After telling Hank I’ll see him tomorrow, I guide Lola to her Jeep. Since we arrived in separate cars, we travel to Erkinsvale separately. I try to put the alone time to good use. It does me no good. No matter how hard I deliberate, my brain can’t find a plausible way to explain what happened last night without hurting Lola.

Technically, I didn’t do anything wrong—Rachel kissed me, but I didn’t kiss her back—but I agree with my dad. By not telling Lola what happened, I’m establishing our relationship on a rocky foundation. Although we’ve had this weird on and off thing the past two years, the dynamic of our relationship has shifted the past two weeks. I’ll never be overly confident with any assumptions I make about Lola, but I’m reasonably sure the one step forward, three steps back routine we’ve been dancing since we met is now ancient history. She’s my girl—well, she will be when I ask her.

When I pull into the lot of Lola’s apartment complex, I spot her waiting for me on the front stairs. The eagerness on her face makes what I’m about to do ten times harder. I swear, I’m on the verge of coronary failure.

Please God, don’t take her away from me just as I’ve finally won her over.

My heavy stomps to Lola’s third-floor apartment are audible over the goth music her neighbors are playing. That’s shocking considering it’s loud enough for three towns over to hear. After jabbing her key into the lock, Lola swings her front door open before gesturing for me to enter. I'm not surprised by her chivalry. I'm reasonably sure I'm the only one wearing a skirt right now.

She waits for me to dump my bag under the entranceway table and spin around before arching her brow. “What’s going on, Jacob? I haven’t seen you this quiet since... never. Usually, we don’t make it up the stairwell without your lips on me, but tonight you’re acting like I have cooties.”

“I know you don’t have cooties. If you did, I would have caught them by now.”

I grimace when she doesn’t take my comment as I intended. I thought a little bit of playfulness would dampen the tension, but all it did was add another log to the fire.

Realizing delaying the inevitable will only make matters worse, I pull off the Band-Aid with one swift yank. “I need to tell you something.” Panic flares through her eyes when I scratch my brow. “And I’m reasonably sure you won’t like what I have to say.”

Chapter Fifty-Five

Lola

Three and a half months later…

Noah and Emily’s Wedding.

* * *

I fold my arms in front of my chest with a huff, annoyed the pesky security officer made me hand in my phone at the start of the service. If he hadn’t confiscated my phone, I would have made a fortune selling the photo of Noah scowling at Jacob when he interrupted the wedding ceremony to tell Emily he was still available. I swear Noah is seconds from having a heart attack—again. I don’t know why he wasn’t prepared for Jacob to do something like this. Every guest at his wedding knows how much Jacob loves teasing him. Wedding day or not, nothing will change that.

Speaking of weddings, Jacob and Noah did a spectacular job planning today's event. Everything is perfect; they just missed one thing: me. When Emily announced she was engaged late last year, I didn’t take her news as well as I could have, but I’ve been nothing but supportive the past six months. And how did my loyalty get rewarded? It didn’t. I couldn’t even get a lousy invitation to be part of the bridal party. I just got lumped in the regular section with the ordinary people like Rachel.

She’s sitting three spots over from me, wearing a pale blue dress and white stilettos. This is the first time I’ve seen her since the day Noah woke up. When Jacob told me she kissed him, I was furious. I knew there was something more between them than he let on. Jacob was adamant he didn’t kiss her back, and although violence is usually my go-to when I feel deceived, the honesty in his eyes shelved my retaliation. He could have kept what happened from me. The fact he didn't shaved weeks off the sentence I had planned to serve him.

Now things are running smoothly. I wouldn’t say our relationship is perfect, but we’re getting pretty darn close—even with him being a little corny at times. After calming my anger the only way he knew how, Jacob asked me to be his girlfriend. I shouldn’t have laughed, but you didn’t hear the way he asked. It sounded as if we were in middle school, but I’m not an idiot. Jacob is a catch, and I was more than eager to keep him to my greedy self. He was surprised when I agreed, but my acceptance was awarded in a way I never saw coming. That night still rates as one of the hottest sex moments we've had. Just thinking about it gets me all hot and bothered.

Noticing my unladylike squirms, Jacob locks his eyes with mine. When I give him a flirty wink, I’m rewarded with his cheeky grin. He watches me with affectionate eyes for the next several minutes before the officiant breaks our connection by requesting the rings.

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