Page 54 of Fighting Jacob

I huff.

There’s nothing remotely like a sex toy in this box. It’s full of boring books.

After a roll of my eyes, I spot Noah exiting the elevator, the smug grin on his face illuminating a lightbulb in my head. I race a few paces in front of him and dart into Emily’s room with only a second to spare.

“Where do you want this box?” I waggle my brows, ensuring she knows I read the box’s inscription, but I don’t give her any indication that I peered inside. “What the hell do you have in here? It weighs a ton.”

I wait to detect Noah’s presence before pretending to take a peek inside the box. He slaps down the box’s flap and snatches it out of my grasp. “That’s for me to know and you to never find out.”

Point one to Jacob!

“Come on, man, don’t be a tease.”

My rile doesn’t have the effect I’m aiming for. Noah has Emily in his sights, which is my cue to leave before my retinas are burned with images I do not want to see.

While Noah and Emily suck face, I head back to my car for the last of Emily’s boxes. I’m just about to break through the fire exit doors when I catch sight of an attractive blonde sauntering down the hallway. She’s attractive but in a natural way that's hard to explain; maybe it’s the freckles adorning her nose. They give her a youthful appearance that would have some guys backtracking.

Upon noticing my gawk, her lips curve into a smirk. “I’ve seen you at Mavericks, haven’t I?”

I nearly shake my head, confident I would have noticed someone as beautiful as her, but hold back when I remember how many months I've spent staring at Mavericks’ doors, waiting for Lola to walk through them.

“You’re always there when Rise Up plays. Are you their manager?”

“No,” I chuckle. “They’re friends of mine, though.”

“Lucky friends.” Not even a gay man could misconstrue her flirty tone. She’s throwing out feelers, praying I’ll catch one.

I do. “I’m Jacob.” I offer her my hand to shake.

“Crystal.” She accepts my handshake as her teeth rake her lower lip. “Any chance I’ll see you at Mavericks Friday night?”

I try to hide my smug grin. You can be assured I’ll never win an Emmy. “There’s a very good chance—if that’s what you want?”

I haven’t missed a Rise Up show, but I’ll pretend her invitation is the reason I’m showing up if it keeps her looking at me like she is. It’s been a while since I’ve had someone eye me like this. I’ve only seen the gleam in her eyes once before. It was when Lola begged me to stay seconds before I left.

Crystal’s lip is freed from her teeth when she smiles. “I’d like that very much.”

"Then I guess it's settled. I'll see you at Mavericks on Friday."

My shot out of nowhere becomes a slam dunk when Crystal purrs, “I can’t wait.”

After flashing a smile, she moseys down the hall, and that’s when my nerves kick in. Crystal is the type I usually go for, but I haven’t been on a date in over six months. Noah jokes I ran out of dating privileges because I used them too frequently in my teen years, but I know the real reason I can’t move on. I can’t get a feisty, temperamental, infuriatingly beautiful, buxom brunette with the most dazzling light brown eyes out of my fucking head.

I miss Lola every day, but I can’t force someone to be a part of my life. Especially someone as stubborn as she is, so as much as I wish circumstances were different, I have to pull my head out of the sand and start living again. I’m certain she’s already moved on, so it’s time for me to do the same.

After collecting the last two boxes from my car, I head back to Emily's room. She’s still sucking face with Noah. “Get a room!” I tease them.

A smile etches onto my face when Noah gives me the finger. “These are the last two boxes, Em.” I dump them on the bed they’re making out on before shifting on my feet to face them. “How was your meeting, Noah?”

I forgot to ask him earlier. It’s not entirely my fault. He had Emily on his radar, and there’s no stopping him once he spots her.

“Good, really good. They enjoy the sound we’re creating and want to experience it live. They’re coming to watch our gig this Friday.”

“They’ll love you guys!”

I add to Emily’s enthusiasm by slapping his shoulder. “That’s great news, Noah. This is what you’ve been working for your whole life.”

Realizing this is the perfect time to reignite my earlier tease, I wrap him up in a big bear hug. Noah isn't a touchy-feely type of guy, so I hang on to him until I feel his heart raging in his chest.

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