Page 109 of Fighting Jacob

I laugh. "Oh, really? Do tell."

She slaps my chest before slinging her arms around my neck. “Where have you been? I missed our chats.”

“I was with Lola, my—” I suddenly stop talking, unsure how to address Lola. She’s always been my girl, but I don’t think I should give her the title of girlfriend without first asking her. I like my nuts where they are, thank you very much.

“Lola?” Rachel coughs before rearranging the paperwork in front of her. “It doesn’t matter where you were. You’re back now, and that’s all that matters. However, I still wouldn’t recommend entering without knocking.”

She giggles. It's a nice thing to hear. I wasn't sure I would hear it again after how I reacted to Noah going into cardiac arrest. Once he was stabilized, I went to Rachel’s office to apologize for what I said. She didn’t know we were keeping the baby a secret from Noah, so how was she supposed to know he wasn’t aware?

During my highly uncomfortable attempt to apologize, Rachel disclosed why she reacted so badly. Only a month before her husband passed away, she suffered a miscarriage. She was sixteen weeks along. She was still grieving the loss of a child when her husband died, so her erratic behavior was easily excusable. Mine wasn’t. I still feel like an ass.

I guess that’s why I don’t immediately shoot down her offer for an early dinner. Lola won’t leave Pete’s until close, so I’ve got plenty of hours to kill. “Sure. Why not? As long as it isn’t at the hospital cafeteria. I still have nightmares about that place.”

Rachel laughs, assuming I’m joking. I’m not. “I’ll work something out. See you in a bit?”

I jerk up my chin before entering Noah’s room, not bothering to knock. If I hadn’t stopped to chat, I’m reasonably sure I’d be washing my eyes out with soap right now. The bathroom lock slipping into place echoes at the same time Noah waggles his brows.

“Perfect timing.”

Chuckling, I pace to stand next to his bed. “Two days not enough to get it out of your system?”

I’m teasing. Lola and I barely got dressed the past forty-eight hours, and I’m still craving another hit. Fuck—I’m hard just thinking about the way she kissed me goodbye in Pete’s lot. She was as reluctant to part as me.

Noah’s wide eyes stray to the bathroom door. “I’ll never get enough of her.”

I try to keep things lighthearted. “She’ll come out eventually. It could be two minutes; it could be twenty. That's the beauty of these things we call women. You'll never figure them out."

When Noah’s gaze flicks to mine, the torment in them hits me for a six. He still believes the nightmares he had in the coma are real. “I swear to you, she was at your side the entire time. She didn’t go anywhere. She’s not going anywhere.”

“It still feels so real.” He stops when he chokes on his words. He's not the only one getting misty-eyed. I haven't seen him like this since his brothers died. He's truly grieving, except the person he's grieving is alive and well. "I thought I had lost her, Jake." He returns his eyes to the bathroom door. "I thought she was dead."

“It wasn’t real. It was just a dream.”

“That’s not what in here is telling me.” He taps his temple with his index finger. “Or here.” He drops his hand to his heart.

I scratch my brow while stepping closer to him. He was quick to shut down my offer of counseling when Chris killed himself, but maybe Rachel is right: perhaps most of his recovery from here on out should focus on his mental wellbeing instead of physical health.

Before I can beg him to tell Rachel what’s going on, a door creaking open breaks the silence teeming between us. Noah scrubs his hand down his face before forcing his lips upward. As Emily makes her way across the room, his eyes drift to mine. He doesn’t say anything, but I don’t need words to hear his pleas. He hasn’t told Emily what he told me the morning he woke, and he wants me to keep it a secret. As long as he isn’t asking me to keep secrets from Lola, I’m okay with that. I don’t like it, but I can do it.

Relief crosses his features when I nod. I don’t know why he’s surprised. I’ll always have his back. I thought he knew that.

“Hey, Jacob.” Emily curls her tiny arms around my shoulders. “Where have you been the past two days?”

“A real man never kisses and tells.” I waggle my eyebrows. “So you better get yourself a real man. The stories he’s been sharing...” I yank on the collar of my shirt, loving that Lola’s claims that Emily blushes on cue are accurate.

Chapter Fifty-Three

Lola

As I hobble into the break-room at the back of Pete's, I reflect on the past forty-eight hours. I’m surprised I can walk. I’m probably bowlegged, but it’s more than worth it. Not only did I get rid of all my pent-up sexual frustration, but Jacob and I also talked like we’ve never talked before. Our subjects were diverse, ranging from our favorite foods to who the front runner is in the upcoming election.

We even discussed what Jacob was planning to do with his life now that Noah is awake. He dropped everything to be at Noah’s side, and he doesn’t have a single regret. I hope Noah realizes how lucky he is. There aren’t many people who can say they have a friend as reliable as Jacob. If you have one, hold on to them for dear life because you may never find another.

During our many chats, I informed Jacob about Hank’s living situation. He was as blindsided by my revelation as I was when I stumbled upon it. Although Hank featured in a majority of our conversations, we’ve yet to work out how we can help him get back on his feet. We have a few ideas; we just need to solidify them a little more.

It’s been a great weekend. The only thing that would have made it better was if I hadn’t let my curiosity get the better of me. I wasn’t jealous. I was just curious as to who Rachel is. Jacob hadn’t mentioned her during our lengthy sexting the prior two weeks, so I was somewhat surprised—and perhaps a little peeved—when she kissed him goodbye. That’s not jealousy. It’s just...

Whatever. It’s not important. Jacob is adamant they’re only friends, so I’ve got nothing to worry about. I just wish the swishing feeling in my stomach would stop every time her name is mentioned. It’s nauseating how twisted up she’s made me, but it’s nothing compared to the somersaults my stomach does when the prospect of a future with Jacob pops into my head.

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