Page 25 of All the Way
“Huh?” I turn down the radio and roll the window down further. “I’m sorry I haven’t been in the bakery in a minute. I was actually just craving some of your delectable treats.”
“Chris, Jess has some strange idea about you.”
My mouth goes dry and I squint at Kaitlyn. “What does that mean?”
She sighs and shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know. All I know is that she thinks she saw something last night. She doesn’t know why you started something if you know she’s going back to school soon. I don’t know. I don’t want to get involved.”
I shake my head and think back to last night. I knew something was off with the way she was acting. It must have been that dickhead Josh and something he said. “There’s no need for you to get involved, but I appreciate you saying something. Whatever she thinks happened, didn’t.”
“I don’t know, Chris. Even if nothing happened, whydidyou start something with her again?”
“I didn’t start anything,” I say, smiling. “We just picked up where we left off.”
Kaitlyn furrows her brow and bites down on her bottom lip, and starts rooting around in her handbag for something. She pulls out a small red and white striped bag wrapped up with bakery string.
“Chris, take this. I have plenty at home.”
“What’s this?” I ask, reaching across the car to take the bag from her.
“It’s something for you. You can share it with Jess.”
“Thanks. I should go find friends like you.”
“Chris?” she says, turning to her car and looking over her shoulder. “I am your friend. You just have to come out from hiding.”
_____
I barrel toward Jess’ house with a fever in my chest and desire in my bones. I have to set the fucking record straight, command her to spread her legs open for me and remind her how much I want only her.
Parking curbside, I see that there are no lights on downstairs. The only light that’s on is in her room. I lean on the horn and she appears in her window, pushing the white lace curtains aside. Everything up there is illuminated, and I don’t stop honking wildly and grinning like a fool until she appears at the front door.
I swing my car door open and the old thing dings a few times before I slam it shut behind me.
“When the hell were you going to tell me about vet school, Jess?” I stride across her front lawn, not bothering to use the path paved with white stones. I take the few steps up to the front door and push past her into the living room and make my way right over to the tree to plug it in. “And why was that off?”
She pulls her robe tight around her little waist, her hips flaring out perfectly beneath it. “I don’t know.”
“That’s all? You don’t know?” I face her squarely and wrap my fingers around her upper arms, leaning down to kiss her.
“Yeah,” she says, halting our kiss and breaking away from me. “I don’t know.”
“How about you tell me about grad schoolnow. I have literally all night.”
I sit down on the couch and make myself comfortable, crossing my arms in mock-annoyance. “Well?”
“I don’tknow,” she says. “Yes, I got into the vet program, and yes, I’m going to go.” She pauses, leaning against the arched doorway into the hallway. She looks like she wants to make an escape, but I cross the room quickly to kiss her again.
She opens up for me and her robe falls open just slightly, letting me see down inside. I brush the robe off her shoulders and hold her close, stroking her temple and kissing the top of her head. My fingertips trail along her cinched waist and down to her hips.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t think you’d care,” she says in a small voice.
“Baby. That’s all I want. To be with you.”
She shudders against me and looks up, her clear blue eyes piercing my heart. “I didn’t think you wanted that. For all you knew, I had to go back to school on the West Coast again in a couple of weeks.”
“You think that would stop me?” I scoop her up by her ass and carry her over to the couch, sitting her down on my lap with me. “Baby, I let you go once before. I’m not making that mistake again.”
