Page 21 of Saving Jared

“Holy shit,” Jude yelled.

Willa managed to scramble away from him as they broke apart, somehow ending up halfway across the kitchen next to the pantry door. He held her mortified gaze as she righted her shirt and smoothed her hair.

"I can’t believe this," Jude said with some heat as Jared leaned over the table and painfully dug his fists into the wood—anything to gain some control of his overloaded senses. "I thought we talked about this."

Willa’s eyes narrowed before whisper-hollering at him, "You talked about me? About—"

“Well, I say it’s about damned time,” Kinsley interrupted with evident glee.

"We talked," Jared said low, ignoring Kinsley and Jude. His words didn’t ease the tension building in Willa’s shoulders as she crossed her arms and color suffused her cheeks. "But not…" He shook his head.

"You agreed this shouldn’t happen."

"I don’t need your help, Jude," he said, banging one clenched fist on the table and whipping his head over his shoulder. His brother’s tense figure stood in the doorway, his eyes narrowed. Kinsley opened her mouth, but he cut her off with a daring look as he turned fully toward his siblings. "And I don’t need yours. This is no one’s business but Willa’s and mine."

"Well, it kinda is. We do eat on that table."

"Really, Kinsley?" Willa groaned, while Jared held in words he didn’t need to say in mixed company.

Kinsley left her place at the door and made her way to Willa. "I’m just trying to lighten the mood," she said, giving Jared a side-eye before putting her arm around Willa’s shoulders. She peered up at her friend. "It’s not that bad."

"Not that bad? Not that bad?" Jude barked out as he slammed shut the door and ripped his hat from his head. "You—"

"Enough!" Willa’s shout visibly startled his brother whose angry gaze remained trained on him. Jared dismissed him and moved his focus to the woman he still wanted in his arms. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled. But I’m not going to have you two fighting over something that…that… It was just a kiss. Nothing more."

"Willa—"

"No, Jared." Willa’s pleading gaze met his. "We know this and… This was a mistake." Everything in Jared balked at her words.

So, Tuesday was a mistake too?

Of course, he should agree with her—had made up his own mind they’d crossed a huge line. But why had everything they’d shared felt like the rightest thing he’d done in his life?

Her gaze left his and moved toward Jude. "So can we just get past it?"

"Willa—"

"No, Kinsley." She lifted her hands, then swiped them down. "It’s done."

"I didn’t mean what I said to hurt you."

Willa let out a long breath and nodded. Jude’s conciliatory tone after being an ass might appease her, but Jared was far from being done with his brother. He glanced toward Kinsley and Willa. The verbal thrashing Jude was about to get would have to wait until they left the room. He couldn’t guarantee some of the words he’d been holding in wouldn’t fly, even with Jude’s, "I’m sorry."

Most of the remaining tension eased from Willa’s body at Jude’s apology, but not enough for Jared’s liking. His brother still had a lot to answer for.

"Come on," Kinsley said, grabbing Willa’s hand and leading her from the room. "Let’s go upstairs."

Jared leaned his ass against the table and contemplated the rounded toes of his boots in the silence stretching between him and his twin. He wasn’t going to yell at Jude—not until he was sure Willa wouldn’t hear—but that didn’t mean his brother wasn’t about to get blasted.

"Jared—"

"You son of a bitch." Jared straightened away from the table and turned his burning gaze on his brother coming toward him. Jude stilled where he’d pulled out a side chair, his white-knuckled grip biting into the back of the chair. "What just happened was uncalled for." Jared kept his words calm and succinct. "You made Willa uncomfortable and embarrassed when she probably already felt all of that just from having you and Kinsley walk in on us."

"I apologized to her. I overreacted."

"You think so?"

"Yes," Jude answered through gritted teeth. "But what about you? What were you thinking? Do you want to throw away lifelong friendships for a—"

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