Page 58 of Unraveled

ANNIE

“You’re kidding.” I gaped. That was the only way to describe my expression that evening.

The four of us were seated around the hot tub on the back patio, me with my legs hooked over Jet’s lap as his strong hands caressed over my calves, my body melting with every second of his touch and attention. Izzy had her legs stretched out with her feet in Tucker’s lap, his hands absently massaging her ankle.

In all accounts, she and I should have been like butter. It had started out as such a relaxing evening with the sun slowly setting behind us, giving way into the early night’s stars, but after Jet and I updated our friends on our afternoon, Tucker’s news about everything that had gone down with Lisa literally made my jaw drop.

“Wish Iwaskidding,” Tucker answered and looked at Izzy. “You okay?”

She just blinked, her shock mixing with mine like the heated water bubbling and swirling around us. “I… I don’t know. Yes? Because Zane is going to be gone anyway, but no, because he was apparently worse than we thought.”

“I actually feel a little bad for Lisa,” Jet muttered, and a tiny speck of me had to agree. Zane was an ass, and after all he’d put Izzy through, I could only imagine what blackmail from him would feel like.

“We’re going to have to tell Megan and Emma.” Izzy looked at me from across the water, our silent gazes already working out the details of how we should tackle it.

“Tomorrow.” Our voices mixed.

“Definitely,” Jet agreed. “Tonight is for us.” He slid his hand along my leg to my upper inner thigh beneath the water, catching my gaze with a hint of desire before looking away again. My core clenched in anticipation that I hoped he was promising. “We need to just relax after today.”

“Afterallthe shit we’ve been through lately,” Tucker corrected, his ministrations moving to Izzy’s feet. She moaned and leaned her head back, her lids growing heavy.

“You’re going to make me fall asleep right here.”

Tucker smiled and winked. “Don’t worry, princess. I’ll carry you up to bed and enjoy every precious second of waking you back up with my mouth.”

My eyes widened, and I looked at Jet, his meeting mine with the same surprise. Our lips pressed together with our smiles as we held back laughter. “How about you save the dirty talk for the bedroom, man? I know I do.” Jet winked, and I smacked my face into my hand as I blushed.

“Okay, I love y’all, but this is starting to give porno vibes,” Izzy said, her eyes still closed, and we all fell into light laughter.

This. This was what I’d been missing. The four of us together. Happy. Whole. Complete. Things weren’t perfect, but after everything we’d been through the past two years, it was feeling pretty damn close tonight.

So much was now off my chest, but more still sat there festering, waiting in the background to drain on my thoughts and emotions until I found a better way to cope.

But I hated feeling weak. Like I wasn’t enough. I’dalwaysbeen enough.

I refused to not be enough.

We spent another hour or so chatting and laughing, just enjoying the night with our friends. The knowledge of graduation approaching encroached in the background, another unavoidable and impending change on our horizon, but excitement for what was ahead hovered over it. The demons we’d been dealing with for so long were slowly fading, and I felt hope. Tonight, it was all I was willing to let in. Tucker and Izzy were now free of their torment, and Jet had really heard me this afternoon, giving me every ounce of attention I’d been craving since then.

So, I shouldn’t have been surprised when we eventually climbed out of the hot tub and he scooped me into his arms.

I shrieked, throwing mine around his neck. “Babe.”

He smirked and leaned in to wrap me up in a kiss, and without an ounce of a second thought, my fingers slid up the back of his neck to wind themselves in his dark waves, pulling him closer as we explored each other’s mouths. As if mine hadn’t known every inch of him for years. When we finally pulled away for air, Jet rested his forehead on mine.

“You know Izzy and Tucker disappeared on us, right?”

I smiled as a laugh bubbled. “Can’t say I blame them.” I sighed, knowing that unlike our friends, our time together tonight was about to end. But when Jet started crossing the length of my backyard, still carrying me, I frowned at him in confusion.

“I learned my lesson today, sweetheart.” He stared down at me, intensity darkening the ocean blue of his eyes. “I’m keeping you in my arms as long as I can. Tonight, we’re testing your theory.”

My heart did a complete flip in my chest. How I loved this man. How he was making me remember the wayhelovedme. I swallowed, my throat tight as he opened the back gate that led to our side yards, but instead of carrying me to his window like I’d thought, he carried me straight over to his car in the driveway before setting me down.

“Babe?” I asked as he opened my door.

“Get in, sweetheart,” he directed. “I just thought of a detour.”

“But your car. We’re wet.”

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