Kiss To Forget (Blairwood University #2) - Anna B. Doe Page 0,40
a mean coffee,” Jade says, breaking me out of my thoughts. I blink away the memory and offer her a small smile.
“I’d love some coffee.”
She tips her head, silently asking me to follow her, so I do. I don’t mind the quiet since I’m the same. Just give me coffee, and let me wake up before you bombard me with questions and the need to chatter.
When we get to the kitchen I sit at the chair at the bar dividing the dining from the kitchen area, not wanting to get in the way.
Jade works quickly, opening the cabinets to grab two cups. She puts them under the machine and checks that everything is ready before pressing the button to start the coffee maker.
As she waits for the coffee to brew, she opens another cabinet and starts going through the bottles piled in there. Medicine. She’s going through different medicines, I realize, doing it like she’s done it a thousand times before. It’s probably because she has. Then she grabs a kettle, fills it with water and puts it on the stove to heat. When she turns around she finds me observing her.
“These are Mom’s,” she explains, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “She used to love coffee, but it falls hard on her stomach so I make her tea instead.” She chuckles sadly. “She hates it, but I read somewhere it could help so she drinks it all the same.”
“Well she must love you a lot to take that torture,” I try to joke to lighten the mood.
A smile flashes across her face, but it’s gone almost as soon as it appears. “She does, especially considering we both know it’s pretty useless.”
I open my mouth to say something, although I’m not sure what exactly, but the coffee machine beeps, signaling the coffee is done. Jade turns her back on me, effectively shutting down the conversation.
“Creamer?”
“If you have it.”
She opens the fridge and pours a little in both cups before handing one to me. Jade leans against the counter and takes one long sip.
I do the same, enjoying the first caffeine jolt to my system. My eyes fall shut as the taste of coffee spreads over my tongue. It’s addicting. I don’t even remember the first time I tried it, because it’s been so long. Hell, maybe my mom gave me coffee when I was a baby.
“So, you and Nixon,” Jade comments after a while.
I open my eyes to look at her, but keep my face neutral. It’s not like there is anything for me to hide. “What about us?”
“Are you like, dating?”
“What?” I almost spit the coffee. “No. Where did you get that idea?”
The idea of Nixon and I dating is so absurd I’m not sure if I want to laugh or cry. Probably a little bit of both.
Jade shrugs, completely unfazed by my reaction. “He never brings girls around here.”
“Trust me, me being here has nothing to do with Nixon actually wanting me here. As I told you, I had car trouble, he picked me up, and just as he was taking me home, you called and here we are.”
“And here you are,” she hums. I’m not sure what she means by it, but I don’t ask. “So how do you know him?”
Taking another sip of coffee, I put the cup down on the counter. “We have a class together. Plus his teammate is dating my roommate.”
“So you hang out a lot?”
The conversation seems to perk her up a little, and it pains me not to be able to give her what she wants. I’m not sure how close the two of them are, but I can’t really imagine Nixon telling his little sister all the gory details of his college life.
“Not really.” I’m not sure what we are exactly. Acquaintances? I don’t think so. He knows my secrets, and now I know his too. Secrets, by the looks of it, that neither of us has shared with anybody else. Not even our closest friends. But if we aren’t acquaintances and we aren’t friends, where does that put us? The hell if I know. “Why do you ask?”
Jade looks away, as if embarrassed, and gives me another shrug. “I’m just trying to see how his life is when he’s at college, that’s all.”
So I was right. Although can I really blame Nixon for not opening up completely to her? He seems pretty protective of his little sister, it’s normal he doesn’t want to talk about wild parties