Page 29 of Let Me Say It Again

“What about me?”

I gasped, my mouth staying completely open. “What do you mean,what about me? You’re Mr. I Have Girls Lined Up Around the Corner.” I changed positions, sitting with my feet completely under me before scooting to the corner, leaning on the arm of the couch. “Any train wreck dating stories you have to share? The more nightmarish, the better.” I wiggled my brows.

Laughing, he put the rest of his slice back in the box and dusted his hands off, clapping any crumbs off them. Then he sat back, getting comfortable. Oooh, this one was going to be a doozy, I could already tell. Stage 5 Clinger. No, no, let me guess again. She cried during sex. No, after sex. Oh my goodness, I’d bet all the money I had (let’s not get crazy, it was really nothing, but the sentiment was still there) that she’d blurted out how much she loved him after he’d pulled out. I rubbed my handstogether and gave him a devilish look. “Don’t make me wait. Come on, tell me!”

Clearing his throat, his expression grew serious and. . . and stoic. What the hell? His shoulders tensed and he looked like he was about to tell me that he had been served and had to appear in court.

When he still didn’t say anything, I wagered, “You got her pregnant.” I blew bubbles and leaned back fully, hurting my feet in the process, so I pulled them out from under me. “What is it with you men? Have you never heard of a condom?”

“They don’t always work,” he answered. Now the man spoke. “But I didn’t knock someone up. That’s not what’s going on.”

I searched his eyes. “Then what’s up?”

He put his hands together, intertwining his fingers as it seemed like he was searching for courage or something to say what was on his mind. “I’m actually still dating Chloe.”

Chloe. Chloe.I racked my brain, trying to come up with who that was. “Oh, the one with the son.”

He nodded. “We’re in love.”

They were in love. Wow, okay. I supposed I was just shocked because this was Jake, the boy who I’d grown up with, who didn’t plan on settling down. Not that I’d ever known. So, when had that changed? I shook my head and placed a hand to my temple. “You two are serious then?” I wasn’t jealous, just confused.

He got up and raked a hand through his hair, pacing now. “I’m actually sort of nervous because I’ve been wanting to go ring shopping, but you know me. I don’t know the first thing about shit like that.” He exhaled. “And she deserves something really fucking special.”

I swallowed. “You’re proposing to her?”

“Yeah, I am.” He stopped to look me in the eyes. “I’ve been wanting to tell you, but I know how you feel about love. I know you don’t believe in it.”

Tsking, I brushed him off with my hand. “Please! That’s me, not you.”

“I didn’t think I’d want this either. I mean, the idea of settling down and getting married is one thing, but doing that with a single mom—”

“But you love her,” I reminded him, smiling. I was happy for Jake, I really was.

He chuckled, pulling on the back of his neck. “I always thought I’d play the field for a little longer. I don’t know anything about being a good husband, let alone a good dad. More importantly, I don’t know how women think.”

“If you think you love her, you must know something about what she’s thinking. You wouldn’t fall for a woman who wasn’t into you.”

He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his way-too-tiny gym shorts. “You will meet someone one day, too. Someone who will make you rethink your position.”

“I already did,” I joked, waving my ring finger in the air and tapping the blinding diamond with my thumb. “Didn’t you hear? I’m engaged to be married.”

His expression was crestfallen. “Jade, you know what I mean.”

“Ohhh.” I laughed, trying my best to make light of the situation because was it just me, or was the air suddenly very thick in here? Must have been these socks. They were comfortable before, but now I had a feeling they were the cause of me suddenly feeling stifled. “You’re not referring to a fake thing.”

He angled his head and furrowed his brows. “Jade,” he pressed.

I licked my lips and shrugged, chuckling because I genuinely didn’t know what else to do. “Some people find love, and that’s great for them, but when they realize it’s all bullshit, they wind up hurt. It’s not worth it.” I shrugged again. “Lucky for me, Nate showed me that not everyone is lovable and that happily ever after doesn’t exist. Well, on the former he just put the final nail in the coffin because I already suspected that.” I sat back down and took my socks off, combing my hands through my hair to keep busy and expel my energy. “I was adopted by two wonderful parents. I got lucky in that regard. But life isn’t easy, Jake. It’s not some fairytale, and I know that. Best I remember it.”

“You’re right.” He nodded slowly. “But you’re also wrong.”

“Everyone has their own opinions,” I responded nonchalantly, hoping he would drop this.

No such luck, though, because then he went on. “True. But, on this, you’re wrong because life is hard. Actually, it’s a bitch on wheels most days, but it’s a goddamn blessing. When you meet the right person, and they love you and you see that love in everything they do for you and with you, I don’t think life can get much better than that. At least, I don’t see how it could.”

I leaned over and plucked a tissue from the box I always kept on the table. I wasn’t a crier by any means, but it seemed practical to have it there. “Here.” I handed it to him.

He took it and rolled his eyes. “You telling me I’m getting too sappy?”

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