Page 35 of Hardcore Vanilla
“Everythingmatters to them.”
Especially at a wedding when everyone was going to be showing off their kids. On the other hand, she knew her parents… They would make the best of the situation in public. Maybe sheshouldwarn Jake.
Might be more fun not to though.
******
Sitting around the kitchen table with one glowering friend and one friend grinning like a loon was not comfortable.
Apparently, Andrew was acting as Sharon’s big brother – only he was way more protective and not as supportive as Jake had been about one of his friends dating his little sister. Then again… He wasn’t exactly dating Sharon was he?
“So. Fuck buddies.” Andrew glared at him and Jake held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“What makes you think that?” he asked. Might as well play dumb. Andrew hadn’t been listening at the door or something had he?
“The fact that there’s an interrogation happening at my house right now and that’s what Sharon said.” If anything, Andrew’s dark gaze grew harder. He didn’t look amused at all.
Well… shit.
Fine. Time to shift gears. “Why is it any of your business?”
“Because she needs someone to look out for her.”
Jake couldn’t help it – he snorted. He honestly couldn’t think of anyone less in need of someone to look out for them. Sharon was not just eminently capable, but she was deliberately independent. “She can take care of herself.”
“But she shouldn’t have to,” Andrew countered, leaning back against his chair and ignoring the beer he’d been given. “She does it because she’s used to doing it, and because she doesn’t trust anyone else tobethere to do it for her.”
That was an interesting take on things, and one that made Jake take a mental step back so he could consider it. He had noticed that Sharon took care of her friends a lot of the time, but she didn’t seem to need the same in return. It hadn’t occurred to him to think about why that was true. Some people were just more self-sufficient than others.
He still had trouble seeing Sharon as someone who needed someone looking out for her though. She seemed the type to fight against that.
But if Andrew’s mind was made up to do so, Jake doubted he’d be able to stop him either.
Jake rubbed his hand over his face. This was exactly why they hadn’t wanted to involve their friends. Dammit. He wished Sharon had just let him know about the wedding before last night so that he hadn’t had to intervene in front of anyone to keep her from asking her ex to go. Talk about being self-sufficient; they had been talking every day and she hadn’t even mentioned it, just decided on a course of action and then gone for it.
“Are you asking my intentions?” he asked dryly.
“No, I’m telling you that if you hurt her, I’m going to kick your ass. In a totally friendly way.” Andrew bared his teeth in an approximation of a smile. “She’s a lot more vulnerable than she seems sometimes and she takes a lot of things to heart. Some of the shit you’ve said to her in the past… well, it didn’t bother her then but that was then, and this is now.”
“I’m not going to be a total dick to her,” Jake protested, feeling more than a little insulted. Especially because now Patrick was nodding in agreement with Andrew.
“You have been pretty judgmental when it comes to her,” Patrick said reasonably. “I know it doesn’t seem like she’s sensitive, but when she cares about someone, she does care about their opinion. That includes you now.”
Under the weight of both of their gazes, Jake couldn’t help squirming a little, which was not a comfortable position to be in.
“I swear, I’m not going to be a dick,” he repeated, for lack of anything better to say.
“You’d better not be,” Andrew said, finally uncrossing his arms and grabbing his beer.
Jake sighed inwardly.Geez. Hopefully meeting Sharon’s family would be easier than this.
Chapter 9
This was so fucking awkward.
They’d been fine texting during the day.
Sharon had sent a pic of her cleavage.
