Page 66 of Make Me Swoon

Faith is wrapped around Phoenix, her face buried in her neck and I move forward to help her with the door and her bag.

“Thanks,” Phoenix says as I take her purse and Faith’s backpack from her.

“Do you want to go lay down in your bed and rest?” she asks Faith and she must say yes because Phoenix turns and heads upstairs.

I follow, stopping in the kitchen to grab the Gatorade. As I follow Phoenix upstairs, my resolve to ignore my feelings for her only hardens.

I need Phoenix. Faith needs Phoenix. I can’t do anything to mess this up.

Now if only my heart and body could get on the same page as my head.

FOUR

Phoenix

“No,I think that it’s something going around the school. Jameson and I are fine,” I tell Sylvie as I sort through my laundry.

“I hope that she feels better soon.”

“Me too. Speaking of feeling better… how are you doing?” I ask her and I suddenly feel like a terrible friend for not calling her sooner.

Things happened fast with Jameson and Faith and this job and I was trying to give her space so that she could have some alone time with Finn now that his fight is over and he’s not so busy. Still, I should have called to check in on her before this.

“I’m fine. Finn won’t let me do anything and he keeps treating me like I’m made of glass, but I’m really okay. A little sore and bruised still but that’s getting better every day.”

She half yells the last part and I can picture her doing that because Finn is walking by. I’m sure that it’s not going to change anything. Finn loves to spoil her.

I bite my lip as I think about my own sad love life. I never really got into dating and most of the families that I worked for didn’t want me dating or bringing boyfriends around their houses or their kids, so it made dating a challenge. I never had a problem with it, but now that everyone around me seems to be settled and so in love, it makes me feel like I’m missing out on something.

Jameson walks past my room and before I can think it through, I pull the phone away from my ear and stop him.

“Hey!”

He stops and smiles as he takes a step toward my bedroom.

“Am I allowed to date?” I ask and his steps falter.

“What? I thought that you were talking to Sylvie,” he says with a frown and I frown back at him.

“I am. Why does that matter?”

“Why do you want to date?” he asks without answering my question and I just stare at him.

“Can I? I know that some families don’t like it or they don’t want me to bring anyone around their place and that’s fine with me,” I rush to assure him.

“So, you would go to his place?” he asks, his eyes and tone hard.

“Uh, yeah, but only on my days off. It wouldn’t affect my work at all.”

Why is he getting so upset about this?

“Jameson?” Faith calls from down the hall and the angry look drops, replaced by concern and more than a little fear.

I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t be asking him for anything when he’s worried about Faith. I’ll apologize later and we can talk about me dating a different time.

“Oh my gosh! I wish I could have seen his face right now! Was he mad? I bet he was mad,” Sylvie says in my ear and I can hear Finn ask her what she’s talking about.

“Phoenix just asked Jameson if she can date other guys,” she tells him and I roll my eyes.

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