myself.”
“Oh,” I said, and quickly lowered my leg.
Jared shook his head and kept his eyes firmly pinned to the road and nowhere near me. A good ten minutes passed before he spoke. “I don’t care if your legs are long or short, they’re sexy.”
I blushed.
“Katy,” he continued, “I don’t tell you enough because I don’t want you to run from me, but you are so completely beautiful. Inside and out. When I tell you that I love you, I mean it. I love you. All of you. The good and the bad.”
I opened my mouth to say something but Jared cut me off.
“There’s no need to say anything, Katy. Just listen to what I told you and remember it. Always remember it,” he looked at me sternly.
I nodded.
He picked up his phone. “I better call the hospital so we can get your cast changed.”
“Oh, I can do that,” I said, digging in my purse for my phone.
Jared put his hand on mine, stilling my movements. “I’ve got this, Katy. Let me take care of my girl.”
“O-o-kay,” I put my purse down.
He chuckled and started to make the call.
They were swamped at the hospital so they told Jared to take me to the emergency clinic.
Yippee. I was just dying to spend the evening with a bunch of sick people while I waited for a new cast. Every time I went to one of the emergency clinics near the campus, it always ended up taking forever. I was sure tonight, would be no different.
I looked down at my ruined cast and rubbed my fingers over the words Jared had written on it. Even though I was sure this was going to be a pain in my butt, I wouldn’t take back that kiss in the rain. It was perfect.
Jared pulled into the parking lot and I slipped my jeans back on before he helped me out. He surprised me when he enclosed my fingers with his. It surprised me even more when I didn’t have the urge to pull away. A smile lifted my lips.
I was healing.
~***~
We made it home just past dinnertime. My arm was now enclosed in a hot pink cast.
I liked the blue one better and I had detested that thing.
“Hey,” Karlie said, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she sat up on the couch.
“I picked up subs,” Jared held the paper bag aloft. “I’m tired and don’t feel like making dinner.”
“That’s fine,” Karlie yawned.
Jared sauntered into the kitchen, placing the bag on the table and then grabbing plates.
“I’m –uh- going to go change,” I muttered, pointing my thumb over my shoulder at the stairs.
Karlie looked at me. “Are you wearing one of Jared’s shirts?”
“We got caught in a downpour,” Jared answered her for me.
I nodded in agreement and made a mad dash for the stairs. I really hoped Jared didn’t tell her about me practically mauling him. I doubted he would though; after all, she was his sister. Plus, Jared didn’t strike me as the kind of guy to kiss and tell.
I changed into a pair of sweatpants and one of my own tees. I was going to have to ask Jared where the washer and dryer were; I really needed to wash my clothes.
Jared and Karlie were fixing their food on plates. I saw my sub already out and fixed for me. I glanced up at Jared and smiled.
“Thanks,” I said, sitting beside Karlie.
Jared shook his head. “There’s nothing to thank me for. I just put your sub on a plate. It’s not that hard.”
“It’s the thought that counts,” I shrugged, taking a bite of my sub. Mayonnaise dotted the corner of my mouth and I hastily wiped it away with a napkin.
“So…” Karlie said, filling the sudden silence. “What did ya’ll do today?”
Jared raised an eyebrow at his sister. “Nosy, much?”
“Sorry,” she laughed. “I don’t have much of a social life. I have to live vicariously through everyone else.”
“Even your brother?” He eyed her.
“Even my brother,” she put her sub down. “You don’t have to tell me. I was just curious.”
“We had a fun day, we went… exploring,” He supplied.
I snorted. Exploring each other’s lips more like it.
Jared grinned over at me and then went back to talking to Karlie. “So, you have no social life? What about school? Rodney?”
Karlie waved her hand. “I hate school and don’t really talk to anyone. And Rodney…” she trailed off. She looked up at her brother with big, pleading brown eyes, “Promise, you won’t get mad?”
“What did he do?”