Page 54 of Together We Burn
I looked over to find Jake watching me with an outline of a smile tugging at his lips. Forcing down a huge mouthful of noodles, I winced and held my hand to my chest as the food painfully slid its way down to my stomach.
Raising an eyebrow, I asked, “What?”
“You eat so elegantly at the start; little bites, but then at the end, it’s like you're starving and have no clue when your next meal will be. It’s amusing to watch,” he said with a laugh and reached out for my glass, passing it to me. Gulping several mouthfuls, I gave him a silent look of thanks as the pressure in my back subsided. He laughed again, shaking his head and taking the glass from me before placing it back on the coffee table.
Inhaling a breath, I chuckled. “Alex says the same thing. Says one day I’ll choke with how much I shove into my mouth.”
“The only thing I want you choking on is my cock, so be careful,” he teased, but his laughter died when he noticed my fallen expression as the goddamn letter popped into my head,again.
For more than half my life, Alex had always been a constant presence. Practically joined at the hip. And now, when I managed to push it to the back of my head and let myself enjoy being in Jake’s company, my father and now the Jones brothers managed to fuck that up.
“Hey, where did you go?” Jake asked, sliding his Chinese box onto the table and shuffling forward, his knee touching mine. Toying with the chopsticks in my hand, I spun them from finger to finger and back again until Jake plucked them mid twirl and moved them, along with the empty box, from my lap.
“The letter?” he surmised, his brows meeting in the middle as he so astutely realised the reason behind my rapid mood change. “I would never have given it to you if I’d known it would hurt you like this. Talk to me, baby. What did it say?”
Pushing back the hair that had fallen over my shoulder to curtain my face, he wrapped his hand around the nape of my neck and used his thumb to force me to look at him.
“It doesn’t make sense,” I whispered, hating how my voice broke as I spoke. “Why would Alex go along with it for fifteen years? Was I that starved for affection that I couldn’t even tell the difference between a real friendship and a fake one? I was a dumb thirteen-year-old kid and didn’t have anyone except my sister. Figures the only ones I’d have were told to pretend to be my friends.”
A rogue tear fell from my eye and splashed down my cheek. I angrily swiped it away with the sleeve of Jake’s faded college sweater. I played with the frayed end of one of the drawstrings, finding it hard to imagine the man ever wearing something that wasn’t a suit or a fitted shirt. The baggy, albeit oversized on me, hoodie felt like it belonged to a different person rather than the Jake I knew.
I felt myself being lifted as he pulled me onto his lap, one hand holding my hip as I straddled him. Touching the scar on my eyebrow, he trailed the back of his fingers down my cheek.
“I wish I had met you under different circumstances,” he said gently, his thumb running across my lower lip. “Things would have been simpler.”
“Doubtful,” I whispered. “My life is one big complication.”
“Good thing I like complicated,” he said, moving closer, nearly touching my lips with his. “I obviously like a challenge.”
His neatly trimmed beard scratched my chin as he applied light pressure to kiss me. It was sweet and soft, a complete contrast from our other kisses. He flicked his tongue along the seam of my mouth, not quite demanding access, but almost like he was asking permission.
Who was I to refuse? My lips parted, and he continued his delicate explorations of my mouth, his tongue caressing mine, making those goddamned butterflies flap their wings in excitement.
He kissed me like that until I felt like I tingled all over. Not from arousal, but from something much more overwhelming. Something that had the power to destroy hearts and crush dreams if you let it.
I broke the kiss but didn't move away from his hold. Jake’s lips peppered my cheeks, jaw, and neck. The unknown emotion that threatened to drown me, squeezing my heart and crushing my lungs.
I think I’m having a heart attack; this is what that feels like, right?
He wrapped his arms around my back and held me to him, using our momentary ceasefire for comfort the same way I was.
What felt like hours ticked by until he asked, “Do you want to watch a movie?” A burst of laughter slipped from my lips. He quirked an eyebrow in confusion.
“This just feels surreal.”
“I’m trying to woo you, Stefany.” I laughed again, and he patted my butt a couple of times to get me to move. “C’mon, what do you fancy? Horror? Romance?”
Getting off his lap, I watched as he sat a pillow on his knee and reached for a blanket. Tapping the pillow, he gestured for me to lie down. So, I decided to get comfy, gathering my hair and placing it behind me as Jake tucked the blanket around me.
Turning my head to face him, I stared up at his stubbled jaw.
“How did you find me?” I asked, fighting the urge to stroke my fingers across his chin. “Tonight, I mean. How did you know where I was?”
Jake, however, didn't fight any urge, trailing his fingers down my cheek and across my jaw until his hand lightly collared my throat.
“I wanted to give you space when you read the letter,” he said.
“How did you know I’d…”
