Page 72 of Hot for the Jerk

I stood in the doorway, the frigid breeze whipping my hair into a frenzy around my head as I heard his truck start up, then back out of the driveway.

Danica appeared as if summoned.“Was that Jagger again?”

I nodded.“Yeah.”

“Did he bring you another plant?”She rubbed her hands back and forth over her arms to keep herself warm since she wore just a long-sleeve gray sweater and jeans.

“Yeah.”My throat grew tight as the cold settled into my toes.

She linked her arm through mine and tugged me back into the house, closing the door behind us.“What happened?”

I clenched my molars tight because I absolutely would not cry over this.I made the right decision saying no.I know I did.

Danica’s hazel-green eyes turned worried.“What happened, Raina?”

“He asked me out on a date,” I whispered.

Her brows lifted in surprise.“Really?What did you say?”

As I hard as I tried to fight them, tears still welled up in my eyes.“I turned him down.”

“And you did that because …?”she dragged out that last word.

Pushing past her, I went to my kitchen and turned on the kettle.I needed some tea.Tea always settled me when I was agitated.Within seconds, the gentle roar of the water heating up filled the silence between us.Danica was the shiest and quietest of the four of us, but she was also the most emotionally rational.She seemed to have a sixth sense when one of us was spiraling, and suddenly just appeared, acting as the voice of reason, or our shoulder to cry on.She also had a very gentle way of telling us when we were being stupid and messed up.

Once I had poured us both a cup, and added the oat milk and stevia we both liked, I made my way into my living room.Normally, if I went this long without speaking to someone who just followed me around the house, it’d be weird.But this was Danica.So it wasn’t weird at all.She had the patience of a saint.

We settled down on opposite ends of my couch, cradling our mugs.

“I did the right thing, right?”I finally asked.

“Did you?”

“I’m asking you.”

She tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, hitting me with those expressive green-hazel eyes with the constellation of white specks around the irises.“And I can’t answer that because it isn’t my life.Doyoufeel like you did the right thing turning down Jagger?”

“Yes?”I exhaled a quick huff though my nose and my shoulders slumped.“No?”

“Both of those were questions.”

“Argh!”I set the mug down on the coffee table and stood up, only to start pacing.“I know.Which is why I need you to tell me if I did the right thing or not.Because I don’t know.”

“The two of you have been at odds with each other for as long as I can remember.Doyouremember why?”

“Because we met on a dating app when I lived in Seattle for a few months—and thought I was ready to date—then when we decided to meet in person, I saw him sitting in the café and realized he was way too hot, and probably way more experienced than me.I panicked and ghosted him.”

“Okaaay …”

“Then, when he approached me about it when he recognized me on the island, I turned into this colossally mean, frigid bitch in order to forever keep him away, and that was basically the start of our feud.”

“And have you told him all of this?”she asked, gingerly taking a sip of her tea.

“Most of it,” I said sheepishly, stopping my pacing but not ready to sit down.

“And yet, he still came ’round to ask you out.Because he likes you enough to forgive you.”Her lips twisted, and she shrugged.“I dunno, Raina, it seems like he thinks you’re worth the hassle.I guess the question is: do you feel the same about him?And also, are you ready to move on?”

My shoulders sagged, and I pouted.Reaching out, I gently stroked a leaf of my beautiful, healthy ficus tree, Ferdinand.“I like him,” I whispered.

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