Page 81 of Stay for Me
The two of us are in hysterics as we look around the completely saturated car and at each other.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“It’s just rain.”
“This wasn’t what I had in mind for our first date. I know that it didn’t go as planned, but maybe we can make the best of it,” he suggests.
“How?”
He turns the radio on in the car and then hops out, coming around to my side to open my door before offering me a hand.
“Will you dance with me?”
I look up at him, wondering if he’s lost his mind. “It’s pouring.”
He smiles so wide it knocks the wind out of me. “Are you afraid of getting wet? Come on, Brenna, every woman should get to dance in the rain at least once in her life.”
I put my hand in his and step out into the downpour. He tugs me to his chest and while there’s music playing in the background and rain drumming on every surface, I don’t hear anything but the sound of his heart. In the middle of a crazy storm, Jacob dances with me, and I feel the brick wall I had erected start to crumble.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Brenna
This week has been a shit show. One thing after another has gone wrong. The girl that Ellie brought to my attention had been in tears. She said she wrote it as fiction, and it wasn’t anything like that. Every red flag was being thrown and danger light was flashing. There was something too practiced about her answers, as though they were part of a routine that had been engrained in her.
We filed the reports, but without her cooperation, I don’t know that she’ll get the help she needs.
Then Cybil found out that Reggie was deploying again.
My son is driving me absolutely insane because he’s rehearsing his lines all day long. I swear, by the time this play is over, I’ll be able to be his understudy.
The worst, though, is that I haven’t really seen Jacob since that magical night in the rain. We’ve barely talked at rehearsals. He’s so busy trying to corral these kids and making the play a success, and all I do is make sure no one is posting things on social media. We have a phone bucket, and we use it. Jacob explained to the kids that if this got out, and he was outed, the play wouldn’t go on. All of them are passionate and excited to work with him, so they agreed to keep it offline.
Well, we all know it’s coming, but hopefully, it’ll be after the play at least.
My phone pings, and I smile when I see the name.
Speak of the devil.
Jacob: Is it too late to cancel the play?
Me: I would say yes.
Jacob: These kids are nuts. Half of them have already quit because they realized I was really not going to be fun.
Me: Well, you’re not supposed to be fun. You’re the director.
Jacob: I blame you for this.
Me: Me? You’re the one who volunteered!
His response comes immediately.
Jacob: You’re the one who gave birth to Sebastian.
Me: Yes, and that means you had to direct a small-town middle/high school play?
Jacob: It means that you owe me dinner.
