Page 29 of Jay

“Oh my God. Did you…? Ewwww, Daddy.” He and Jaylaugh.

“What? Oh, honey, we still go at it like rabbits. We may be old, but be we aren’t dead yet.” He winksatme.

“And now really disturbing images are running around my head. Thanks, Dad. Oh, my God. The visual. I need eye bleach. STAT,” I say to the room. Jay and my father laugh at me, but seriously, how can they laugh at a time like this? I cannot have the images of my parents going at it like energizer bunnies in my head. Oh, the poorbunnies.

“Okay, I will go and leave you kids to finish up what you were doing. Cassie, make sure you come back downstairs and see your grandmother.” He steps close to me and kisses the top of my head. I love my dad, but right now I need him to leave so I can set my eyes on Jay and remove the God-awful images in my head. I shudder and my dad chuckles as he steps out of the room. Christmas music becomes loud and then fades as he closes the door behind him. I keep my eyes closed, trying to erase the thoughts my father put in my head. I know my parents are very flirty with each other, and I love that. They are always touching in some way or another. From a quick kiss to touching each other as they walk past, and I love it. Iwantthat.

Warm hands on my arms startle me, and my eyes snap open to see Jay towering over me. His smile is warm yet flirty. He leans in, without words, and lays a gentle kiss on my lips. I fall a little more for this man. My scarred walls are crumbling. He is adding little knocks to it to make it break away so he can slip inside and take a hold of my heart. I pull back from the gentlest kiss I have ever been given, and I hate to end it, but Ineedto.

“I needed that,” Iwhisper.

“I know,” he says, just as soft as me. I rest my head on his chest and Jay wraps his arms tighter around me. I breath him in and imprint his scent to memory, because we never know when things will be snatched awayfromus.

“Let’s go downstairs before they send a search party for us and add to the embarrassment.” Laughter comes from above me and I pull back a little to see his face, amusement glinting inhiseyes.

“Come on, you have to admit it was really funny. Your dad is a riot.” He laughs and pulls away, taking my hand before leading me tothedoor.

“Not funny, Jay. What would you do if you had to picture your parents having sex? To imagine them bumping-uglies.” He stops in his tracks, and takes a deep breath, before turning his head to face me. The look of sadness is in his eyes makes my heart break for him. I know what he is going tosaynext.

“My parents are dead, Kitten.” I suck in a breath and walk behind him. I slide my hands around his middle, and rest my head onhisback.

“I’m so sorry, Jay.” I fight to hold back the tears. I could never imagine what it would be like to lose myparents.

“It was years ago. I was really young. It’s fine, let’s just go and join the party.” He doesn’t wait for me to say anything, he just pulls me from the room, our hands gripping each other like our lives depended on it. I want to say more. Ask more. But I feel like he doesn’t want to talk about it. Or does he not want to talk about it with me? Does he not trust me enough to tell me? We walk downstairs and join my family and friends. Jay is full of tension, but he’s hiding it well. Me… Well, I am being quiet and people-watching. Jay is laughing and joking with my friends as we sit around the table. Chris keeps looking at me with concerned eyes, but I shake my head at him, this is not the time to explain. To explain that I feel like I am not good enough for Jay. If I was, surely he would talk to me about his family. I look out the window and see frost has started forming on the ground. The chatter around me fades as I let my thoughts run awayfromme.

“Let’s go,” Jay mutters, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet. I am stunned into silence as he leads me away. He takes me back upstairs, and ushers me into my room. He points to the bed and says, “Sit.” So, I walk over and sit, my feet obeying before my brain can process. I sit and watch as Jay closes the door and locks it. He turns to me and lets out a heavy,defeatedsigh.

“It is Christmas Eve and we are both miserable. By the looks of things, my lack of explaining has put you in a headspace that you have no right to be in.” I go to speak, but he holds his hand up to stop me. “I am not going to darken tonight by explaining about my parents, that is for another day, okay?” I nod my head and look down at my hands in my lap. I feel Jay coming closer, and glance at him as he sits on his knees in frontofme.

“Baby, I wanted today to be happy, but I screwed that up. I will tell you about my past, soon, and you will tell me everything about yours. That is a guarantee, babe. I am here to stay and I hope you are too.” I bite my lipandnod.

“Freaking, wicked. Now, I believe that I have something to give you.” My gaze meets his and I mirror the smile on his face. God, he is so bloody handsome, in that rough kinda way. He stands and walks over to my wardrobe, where he pulls out wrapped presents. He had the help of Chris, who dropped off the gifts earlier today. I take his cue and lean under my bed to pull out his Christmas presents. Jay comes over and sits on the bed with me. I place his gifts on the bed and then take my shoes off and climb onto thebedmore.

“I hope you like them,” he says, shifting back onthebed.

“Thank you, Jay. I hope you like yours, too.” I start to tear the paper off, and burst out laughing when I hold up the t-shirt. He has bought me a ‘Save Ferris’ t-shirt. I freaking love that movie. The next top is a kick-arse superhero t-shirt, with Batgirl, Wonder Woman and Supergirl on. Yeah, my boy did good. I open the bigger of the gifts to find an awesome Batman hoodie. I smileatJay.

“Thank you. These are amazing, and perfect timing; my old Batman hoodie has seen better days and I had to throw it out. Do you like yours?” I ask, hopinghedoes.

“Like. I fucking love, Kitten. Tickets to go and see Linkin Park in concert… Fuck, babe. You are coming with me, right?” he asks,hopefully.

“If you want. But you don’t have to take me.” I shrug my shoulders. Jay is on me in a flash, laying me on my back and looming over me. He kisses with me force, proving hewantsme.

“You. Always. Now open the last gift.” I nod my head and turn to pick it up. It’s an envelope. I see the symbol and gasp. Hedidn’t?

jay

Her gasp echoesaround the silent room. My heart is beating like a fucking drum in my chest, for fear that she won’t like it. Luke kept telling me to calm my tits because she was going to love it. I look at Cassie and see tears in her eyes, and my heart sinks. My pain must show on my face because she drops the papers and clasps my face in her tinyhands.

“Hey, look at me.” I move my gaze back to hers. “I love it, babe.” Her smile widens at the name slip. She has always calledmeJay.

“Yeah?”Shenods.

“It is amazing. It’s the best gift anyone has ever given me.” I slide to the side of her and pick the papers up, before handing them back to her. She unfolds the certificate and reads the words printed on thepaper.

“You adopted a panda in my name?” I kiss the side of her head and nod. “Oh,Jay.”

“I wanted the perfect gift; I hope I’ve done that.” Cassie turns her body so she is laying on her side, facing me. Her smile spreads across her face, making me grin in return as warmth spreads through me. I am falling in love with this girl, the start of a journey I cannot wait togoon.

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