Page 39 of Burn It Down

At Jake’s. Making dinner. Be home after a bit.

Cassie 5:34pm

He took you back to his place?

Dylan 5:34pm

Yep. And let me borrow his sweatpants. But I fucked up already.

Cassie 5:37pm

He definitely wants to do you. You’re literally IN HIS PANTS.

Fucked it up how?

Dylan 5:37pm

I can’t read him. I think I took a joke too far and made him uncomfortable.

And that was after I practically forced him to admit he thinks I’m hot.

Cassie 5:39pm

Still salvageable. Let him set the pace. Maybe he’s scared?

Dylan 5:40pm

I thought the same thing.

But I also said I wouldn’t do this to myself again.

WTF am I thinking?

Cassie 5:40pm

Try to relax. You’re amazing Dyl. He’ll either see it or he won’t.

And if he doesn’t, then we move on.

I smile and slide my phone into the pocket of Jake’s sweatpants. I appreciate how Cassie always talks about my relationships like they’re something we do together. Not in a weird way, just in anI’ve always got your backkind of way. It makes me wonder how people go through life without a twin.

“Someone’s got you all smiley.” Jake’s upbeat voice startles me as he comes back into the kitchen. He sounds revitalized and full of new energy.Maybe his shower really is magical.

When I look up, he’s in thin black joggers…and nothing else. Shirtless and barefoot, with wet hair, he moves past me into the kitchen.

Honestly, I want to play it cool and let him set the tone like Cassie suggested, but he’s making this damn near impossible for me.

“Uh, Jake?” I start, rubbing the back of my neck just to give my hand something to do.

“Yeah?” he asks innocently, moving over to take the rice off the burner and turn off the stove.

I laugh, trying to ease the tension. I have to say something or else my dick is going to do it for me.

“I’m not sure if you remember our earlier conversation, but um, for me, your current outfit is the equivalent of your girlfriend prancing around in just a thong and telling you not to look…or touch.”

He looks down at his bare chest and then back up to me. “Oh, fuck. My bad. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

I laugh again. “Trust me, I’m a lot of things right now, but uncomfortable isn’t one of them. It’s just…I can’t hide my reaction in these sweatpants and I don’t want to makeyouuncomfortable. Again.”

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