Page 85 of Hiding from Hope

“Don’t judge yet Rosie. Wait until you have your very own drooling idiot worshiping the ground you walk on. You’ll understand one day,” I clarify, and it earns me a pinch that has me smacking Jessie’s chest.

“In my defense, you’re also completely unaware of your surroundings,” he accuses, but a smirk hides under that look.

“I am not! I know exactly what is going on.”

“Oh, Casey.” My dad sighs, shaking his head and chuckling.

“Excuse me!” I pull my legs from Jessie’s lap to cross them and nudge his shoulder while he laughs. “I am very aware. Thank you.”

“I’ve seen you out and watched as you made your way around. You’re oblivious to the way people watch you. Noah’s birthday is a prime example, and you know I was right about the bartender.” He bops a finger on the top of my nose. Ugh, I hate when he’s right. Might have to up that punishment later.

“I don’t care what you men do, but if I see you trying to steal the women away, I will end you.” Rosie levels at Jessie, and Addison and I chuckle. “Tomorrow night is for the girls, and I don’t even want to smell your stupid cologne.” That makes mom snort, and Dad’s chuckle rumbles through the room.

Jessie raises his hands in surrender, smiling at Rosie, before looking back at me and pulling me back into his arms. “You just let me know when you’re done and I’ll come get you.”

“We’ll Uber, it’ll be late.” Rosie waves him off, sipping her wine, and it makes me smile because I know his response before he says it.

“I don’t care what time it is, I’ll be there.” She just rolls her eyes at him, but I can see Dad’s small nod of approval. I do love my independence, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t love how Jessie is slightly overprotective of me.

“Well, we’ll get out of your hair,” Mom states as she stands, Dad following.

“Where are you guys staying?” I ask. I had assumed they would stay in my bed and I’d crash with Addison or Rosie, like usual.

“We have a hotel a few blocks down, we’ll catch an Uber,” Dad clarifies. “We didn’t want to intrude,” he says, giving me a pointed look before his eyes dart from me to Jessie, then back again.

“How did you know there was anything to intrude on?” I ask, head tilted to the side.

He doesn’t respond, just turns and looks at Mom.

“Mom?”

“Well, you mentioned something about a boy back in November. I didn’t know who or how serious, so I thought we’d be safer if we got our own room.” She winks at me and grabs her coat, Dad following.

“You brag about me to your mom, then about my cock to the girls? I think you’re obsessed with me, sunshine,” Jessie whispers in my ear, and I feel my cheeks heat.

“Maybe I was bragging about my other boyfriend.” I raise my eyebrows at him as I turn and see his face drop into a dark look at the challenge. He just grunts in response, and I pat myself on the back. Punishment is underway.

Jessie, the gentleman he is, helps Mom into her coat, opens the door, and walks them down to the front of the building. I hang back with Rosie and Addison, no longer able to handle the tension that is practically flooding from Addison. I turn and try to communicate just how sorry I really am.

“I know you are mad at me right now, and I’m so sorry for how things went down at Pucks. I—”

“It’s exhausting being angry, and I have enough of that for things that deserve it,” she says with a gentle smile while rolling her eyes.

“Well… thank you for tonight and for… being so cool about all of this,” I say through a tight smile to Addison.

“I spoke to my therapist. I don’t know what your secret is, but you can have it. I know you’ll tell me when you’re ready, or maybe it’s even better. I don’t know. I know you wouldn’t keep something from me that would hurt me and I’m choosing to just love you, anyway.”

“Aw, Ads, that was cute.” Rosie wraps an arm around Addison, who just chuckles and wipes a tear from under her eye. “I’m still working on the anger thing, so just bear with me if I snap at you or just randomly start crying.” She laughs and I go in for another hug, grateful to be back on some semi-normal ground with her.

Jessie makes it back into the apartment and manages to pull me away from the girls, hiding us away in my room.

“Wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asks, circling his arms around my waist and backing me up to the bed. My arms find the back of his neck, and when my knees hit the mattress, we stop, not yet falling, content in peering at each other.

“I guess it wasn’t,” I whisper.

He just shakes his head, a ghost of a smile on his face as his eyes search my entire face.

“What?” I prompt, matching his smile and drawing my bottom lip through my teeth. My stomach does that thing with the butterflies when I see the way the lines of his eyes crease with his smile, the way his jaw clenches and eyes hood when his eyes latch on my lips.

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