Page 99 of Jacob
“Do you know how long Jacob has been in love with me for?” She walks over to Owen and sits next to him.
Mouth downturned, he shakes his head.
“Have you seen Jacob’s tattoo on his back?” She takes his hand.
He frowns again.
I want the world to swallow me up.
“Those words he has written,whatever, however, forever, it’s his code forI love you. Jay and I… we love each other. He’s loved me for, well, since high school, well, forever. He said those words to me on the first day we met when we spoke about code words forI love you. Those are his. For me. But he’s never acted on his feelings. Not once. Not ever. I promise you.”
Standing in just my jeans, my whole body feels hot. My cheeks heat under Lincoln’s grinning stare.
Yup, anyone, just fucking kill me, right about… now.
I don’t want to talk about my feelings in front of my two huge, burly friends. While Lincoln could talk about his feelings all day, I am fine just keeping them to myself. Thank you very much.
“Is that what that fucking means? You got that tattoo like last year.” He sits back in his chair. “Oh my God.” Realization fallsover his face. “And the book, the clouds and the blue sky, the snowdrops and the castle? You did that for her?”
The room goes quiet.
“Jesus Christ, you really do love her. You’re a fucking hopeless romantic.”
He stares at me with a mixed look of confusion and admiration. “I wanted to punch you earlier and now I can’t do that.” Owen bites his bottom lip. “I should maybe thank you for loving my girl the way she deserves to be loved.”
I don’t know what the hell to say to that.
“I’m not your girl anymore and maybe you could start by apologizing to me.” Skye pats the back of his hand. Her strength knows no bounds today. She’s having her say and making sure we sort this.
“What for?”
“Blaming me for encouraging the seriously unwell man that abducted me?”
“I need a lesson in sensitivity.” He rubs his forehead. “Am I really that bad?”
Lincoln squeezes his shoulder. “You live in a different world, filled with yes-people who would literally lick your feet if you asked them to. We keep you grounded.”
Tense lines of worry tighten more. “I’m sorry, Skye. If I ever did anything or said anything to hurt you. That was never my intention. My life is a fucking mess. I can’t do anything right,” he groans.
Our poor friend is suffering in ways we can’t imagine; if he would just speak to us, maybe we could help, or at least listen.
Knowing I’m safe from being punched—although I would have let him; I’d do anything for her—I sit down at the table beside Skye. Instinctively, she rests her hand on my thigh and gives it a gentle squeeze.
“You can tell us about it,” I offer.
For the first time since he arrived, he smiles at me, genuinely. “Nah. I’ve done enough talking and sharing today.” Although I can feel the pain in his voice.
He considers what he says next. “This is like, whoa,a lot. So you two, huh?”
Skye smiles, lifting her shoulders to her ears. “Yeah.” She looks so fucking happy, happier than she ever was with Owen. “We were going to tell you. I promise.”
We all fall quiet again. In meetings, I’m great with words. Right now, I’m speechless. This is not how I saw this panning out.
Owen can’t stop looking at us seated together. “You look good together. I see that whole opposites attract thing now. The tatted bad boy and the sweet, innocent blonde. Although she’s more like Harley Quinn if you piss her off.”
Skye chuckles. “I don’t have a baseball bat.”
I’ll buy her one if it means she dresses up for me in a Harley Quinn costume. She’d look hot as fuck in those little red and blue shiny hotpants and pigtails.
