Page 33 of Keeping it Casual
Something about Jeremy is just so…shiny and bright. Like he reflects everything good in this world. And people are just drawn to him because of that.
Cooking the barbecue gives me an excuse to stand turning sausages and watch him going from one group of people to another, sharing his sunshine. Every time Jeremy leaves a group, people are smiling and happy. He’s like an automatic mood adjuster.
He occasionally throws small glances at me, and I find myself smiling back at him.
Eventually, he pulls away from a group of people and sidles over to me. We joke and flirt over the barbecue, and honestly? It’s been a long time since I’ve felt such plain, simple happiness. Standing in the sunshine joking with a gorgeous guy.
When Jeremy leaves, I try to return my attention to thebarbecue, but I can’t help glancing up to track his progress across the lawn.
Jasper intercepts him, and there’s something about Jeremy’s stiff shoulders that brings my full attention to their conversation.
Jasper says something to Jeremy that makes him frown.
Shit.
It’s like watching the sun being extinguished.
Suddenly Jeremy turns on his heel, heading off in the other direction.
I turn to the nearest person, who happens to be Joyce from the corner store.
“Can you take over watching the sausages for a second?” I thrust the tongs into her hands without waiting for a reply.
Then I’m striding across the lawn after Jeremy.
He moves quickly toward an unoccupied corner of the garden and then disappears from my view around the side of the house.
I reach the corner and see a long, narrow path that runs between his house and the neighbor’s fence. He’s already halfway along it.
“Jeremy,” I call.
He stops at the sound of my voice.
I quickly catch up to him, my feet crunching on the gravel path.
“Are you okay?” I ask when I reach him.
He looks up at me, his face flushed. “Not particularly.”
“What happened?”
He just shakes his head.
I can’t help it. I pull him into my arms.
He lets out a long sigh, and I feel some of the tension drain out of him as he leans his weight into me.
When he draws back enough to raise his eyes to mine, Ilean down and brush my lips over his. Just a small, soft kiss. We linger in the gentle press of warmth as we breathe each other in.
There’s nothing sexual in this kiss. It’s not designed to ramp up into fun times. It’s just a way for me to communicate a simple message to him.
I am here for you.
When our kiss finally ends, Jeremy gives me a forced smile that is creaky around the edge. “Is this emergency mouth-to-mouth?”
“It’s whatever you need it to be,” I reply honestly.
He leans into me again, resting his head on my shoulder, and for a few moments, we stay like that, my arms encircling him.
