Page 55 of Steel & Jenna
However, that reputation had also caused some problems. Girlswanted to be with Jack because they wanted that loyalty for themselves. It was selfish and stupid, but it still annoyed Jenna when she saw other girls looking at Jack when she was standingright there.
“Let them look,” Jack had reassured her.“Let them see what’s yours. You can’t stop them from looking, Jen. But I give you permission to claw their eyes out if they touch.”
Unfortunately, Jenna’s relationship with Jack had not had the same effect on the boys at her school. Rather than thinking her sexier for being off the market, they thought her a liar and a loser for making up a boyfriend. The girls in Port Townsend knew that Jenna existed because she’d gone to school with them for two months and was there every weekend, plus summer break. Jack had never been to Seattle. No one there knew him or had any proof of his existence.
Not that Jenna felt like she owed anyone proof. But getting laughed at for having an imaginary boyfriend did get old after a year. After someone had stolen her strip of photo booth photos from her locker and ripped them up for being ‘fake’, Jenna no longer kept anything of value at school or in her dorm. Any gifts or mementos were kept in Jack’s room at the Zarins. The only picture she kept was one of Jack, Lilly, and Jenna from last Christmas in her wallet.
Jenna hesitated to get out of Carolyn’s car. The October chill was increasing with the setting sun. She was really looking forward to Mrs. Zarin’s chili, which was better than her parents’ professional chef’s in Jenna’s opinion.
Carolyn had been in Seattle for business today and had driven Jenna straight to the Zarins rather than Jenna having to have her driver get her from school, get her to her parents’ house in Port Townsend, and then wait for Carolyn to be able to drive her. While Jenna had all her qualifications to have her driver’s license now that she was sixteen, her parents were withholding purchasing her a car as they had Carolyn when she’d turned sixteen. They claimed it was because she didn’t need a car when she had a hired driver in Seattle, but Jenna knew the real reason was to keep her from conveniently being able to see Jack.
She wasn’t usually here this early on a Friday. An hour ago, she’dbeen thrilled at having the extra time with Jack. Hell, ten minutes ago too. But now… Was Carolyn right? Would Jack be upset?
“Shit or get off the pot, little sis,” Carolyn snapped without malice. “You’re not the only one with a hot date tonight.”
Jenna went for the door handle, only to pause and turn back towards her sister. “Wait, did you just call my boyfriend ‘hot’?”
Carolyn snorted. “Get out of my car, Jenna! Your boyfriend is a fine piece of sixteen-year-old ass that will get me thrown in jail if I do more than look. Now, shoo.”
Jenna shook her head, knowing her sister didn’t mean anything by it. Jackwashot, but that wasn’t what attracted Jenna to him the most. No, that was his big heart and kind soul. But damn if those muscles of his weren’t just the icing on an already delicious cake.
Mrs. Zarin openedthe door in time to wave to Carolyn as she backed out of the driveway. Jenna embraced the older woman. As close as she’d gotten to Mrs. Zarin since Jack and Lilly had moved in, there were still boundaries. Jenna and Jack were not allowed in the house alone together. If they were in his room, the door had to be open. Nothing more than a quick kiss in front of Lilly. And absolutelyno sex,be it under their roof or out of it.
When Mr. and Mrs. Zarin had sat Jenna and Jack down to discuss sex about six months ago, both Jack and Jenna had been mortified. They weren’t either of their parents, but that did not help to make the conversation go any smoother. Though Mr. Zarin had handed Jack a box of condoms, the older couple stressed as much as they could that Jack and Jenna wait for marriage. Religion had not played a part in that request. They feared the tentative peace that had been formed between Jack and the Scanlons would be obliterated if Jenna’s parents learned they were having sex, even protected sex.
Since, legally, Jack and Lilly were still John Duncan’s kids, and the Zarins had no standing as their guardians, no one wanted to risk herparents doing something out of spite that could get Lilly and Jack put into foster care.
After the awkward sex talk with the Zarins, Jack and Jenna had one of their own. While they had no immediate plans to take that step in their relationship, they also had agreed they would not allow the Zarins or her parents to dictate what was right for them. If they felt the time was right for them, then they would take that step. It was no one’s decision or business but their own. Additionally, it wasn’t like they were planning on telling anyone if they did start sleeping together.
Jenna personally wasn’t sure she wanted to wait until marriage. When she and Jack had moments alone, their hands on each other’s bodies… It was getting harder and harder to stop. Jenna knew she wanted to domorebetween them, but hadn’t worked up the nerve to talk to Jack about it.
Plus, they were rarely alone.
Jenna loved Lilly, but there definitely was a difference between a date with Jack when it was just them and a date with Jack and Lilly tagging along.
Mrs. Zarin took a step back from their embrace. She looked Jenna up and down. “Jack’s not going to be happy.”
Jenna bit her lip in worry. “Carolyn said the same thing. You really think so?”
The older woman laughed, shaking her head. “It takes my Arnie a good week to notice with me. Maybe he won’t notice.”
Jenna wasn’t sure if she wanted him to know, based on Carolyn and Mrs. Zarin’s predictions. But, then again, she’d always been a rip-the-Band-Aid-off kind of girl. “Where is he?”
“Over here!”
Jenna looked to where Lilly had spoken. She was in the kitchen, staring out into the backyard. She was kneeling on a kitchen table chair. Her blonde hair was braided into two long pigtails with purple ribbons around the ends. Jenna knew that Lilly absolutely loved having ‘a mom’ to help her with her hair now and Mrs. Zarin had been experimenting with different styles, too.
“Hi, Lilly,” Jenna greeted as she walked over.
Lilly glanced her way before quickly looking back out the window. She waved Jenna over to her with a rapid hand. “Come on! You don’t want to miss this!”
Intrigued, Jenna hurried over to the window. She leaned over, placing her shoulder against Lilly’s so they could both see out the pane.
Jenna’s. Jaw. Dropped.
With Halloween right around the corner, the Olympic Peninsula was cold. Snow had fallen a few times, though nothing was sticking just yet. Even walking from Carolyn’s car to the front door, Jenna had been bundled up against the chill that came with the setting sun.
Which made her feel like a total wimp now that she was watching the show being put on in the backyard.
