Shattered Rose (Winsor Series) - By T L Gray Page 0,115
felt retched because I knew I had already felt all those emotions…with Jake, not him. I could barely look him in the eye when I hugged him one more time and assured him I would be fine.
He kissed me softly and then turned to leave.
“Be careful!” I yelled out before he hit the exit doors and turned to give me a heart-stopping smile.
I slumped in my chair and put my face in my hands. I was such a jerk.
“Is that your boyfriend?” A girl next to me asked.
I looked at her and answered, “Yes.”
“Wow, he’s really cute.”
“Yeah, he is, and about the greatest guy you’ll ever meet,” I admitted, no longer really talking to her anymore.
She smiled at me and then sat back in her chair because the professor had gotten there. I had no idea how I was going to concentrate in class.
“Get dressed! We are going out tonight,” Jake ordered as he walked in the door. “We’ve done enough homebody stuff for one weekend.”
Jake had come over on Friday and wouldn’t leave when he found out Parker was gone for the weekend. He talked me into watching a movie he had rented, and stayed until after I had fallen asleep. Parker was able to call this morning and talk for about fifteen minutes. He asked me what I did last night and while I was honest about watching a movie and turning in early, I didn’t mention the company that had come over. I knew Parker would never understand that Jake and I had become really good friends.
“Jake, are you trying to be a male version of Issy, because I swear you sounded just like her right then.”
He bounced on the couch next to me and then shoved me off. “Get dressed!”
I rolled my eyes, but did as he said and got ready to go. I picked jeans and a silk top, trying to keep from looking too much like I was on a date. Knowing it was going to hot at the bar, I opted to braid two chucks of hair on each side of my face and pull them together in the back.
Jake stood up when I walk out of the room and shot me an appreciative smile. “You look great!” he exclaimed, kissing my cheek as I approached him. I noticed he was becoming more and more affectionate as time went on, and since he had yet to cross the line again like he had the champagne night, I didn’t bother to stop it. He grabbed my hand and led me out the door, letting it go for only a moment to lock the door behind us.
Since Caesars was so close, we just walked there, not wanting to bother with a car or designated drivers. I felt weird at first holding his hand, but he squeezed tighter when I tried to let go, so I didn’t say anything.
The bar was packed when we got there, a testament to it being the first weekend school was back. I ran into at least twenty people I knew and would have easily gotten separated from Jake if his arm hadn’t been firmly around my waist the whole time.
“Want a drink?” Jake asked when we finally made it to the bar.
“No, I’m good.”
“Come on, Avery, it’s just one drink,” he coaxed giving me a sad face.
“That’s what you said last time,” I reminded him, and he didn’t press the issue, instead just ordered a beer for himself.
We were surrounded by people everywhere, and fielded a million questions about where Issy was. Jake and I had decided before we came to stay cryptic on the details and just told everyone she was going to school in her hometown for the semester. Issy had told me about her father’s ultimatum earlier in the week and was pretty devastated she was going to be held captive in her dad’s house, taking classes at Western Carolina. I reminded her it was a small price to pay to get to return to Winsor in the fall.
My thoughts were interrupted by one of the guys from my apartment complex asking me if I wanted to dance. Jake glared at him and put his arm around me. He left before I had a chance to decline.
“What was that about?” I asked after the guy had run off.
“What? I’m watching Parker’s back. I wouldn’t want some random guy dancing with my girl,” he answered playfully and then pulled me out to the dance floor himself.