Page 43 of More Than Enough

Feeling lighter and more content than she had all night, she made sure the door was locked, turned out the lights and headed upstairs to get them both to bed.

Jacob leaned over Kristen and kissed her gently on her lips. She reached up and laced her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a longer, hotter, more seductive kiss.

She was ready to go again and wanted him to feel the same way.Jacob, still frustrated by his interaction with Elizabeth earlier, needed a break, so he cut the kiss off earlier than Kristen expected, irritating her.

Leaning up on her elbow, she watched him with rage in her eyes, as he got up and out of the bed.“What’s up with you? You don’t seem to be in this tonight? Didn’t I make you feel good? And where are you going?”

“I’m good, Kristen. I just need to go grab a drink. Do you want me to bring you back anything?” Kristen huffed in an annoyed way, shook her head no, and flopped back down into the bed, not bothering to cover herself up. Jacob shrugged, slipped on his shorts that were on the floor where she took them off, and left his room, closing the door behind him.

As he got closer to the kitchen, he heard the familiar voices of his sister, Chad, and Jessica floating toward him. He was glad they were here. It gave him something to do instead of returning to Kristen right away. He entered the kitchen, saw the coolers on the floor, opened one, and took out a beer.

“Well, look who emerged from his cave. Are you allowed to be away from the leech you’ve been sucked onto all night?” Chad, only half-joking with his best friend, scooted his chair closer to Jessica and invited Jacob to sit down.

Jacob rolled his eyes, turned the extra chair around so the back touched the table, and straddled it while sitting down and leaning his elbows on the table. “Whatever, dude. Keep your thoughts to yourself, please. I’m not in the mood.” Jacob took a long drink of his beer, then put the can down on the table. “What’s keeping you two here so late anyway?” He asked, looking in Chad and Jessica’s direction.

“Someone had to help your sister bring in the coolers and clean up a little. You were otherwise occupied, as I said earlier.” Chad didn’t make eye contact with Jacob. He kept his eyes straight ahead studying a picture on the wall.

Jessica looked between the two guys and turned to Stacey with a questioning lift of her eyebrows. Stacey shook her head, shrugged her shoulders, and asked her brother the question that was on everyone’s mind. “What’s going on, bro’?” She leaned over and gave Jacob’s hand a squeeze. His hand closed over the tips of her fingers and gave her a squeeze back.

“Nothing. Just needed to get some air, and space.”

“Seriously, dude?” Interjected Chad. “You were quite happy ignoring everyone all night. Is that amazing girlfriend of yours not so amazing after all?” Jacob just turned to his friend with a blank stare as Chad continued. “You know what we all think about you and her as a couple. You really need to think twice before running back between her legs whenever things don’t go right for you. Not only is it shallow for you, but it really isn’t fair to her or your sister, as Stacey has to pick up the pieces of both of you when things go south.”

Jacob’s look turned dark and stormy. “You don’t listen well, do ya, when you’re told to keep your thoughts to yourself.” Jacob turned up his beer can and emptied it in one big gulp, then stood up with enough force to shake the table, spilling Stacey and Jessica’s wine in the process. Looking down at Chad, Jacob growled “Do you have anything else to say, or are you going to leave?”

Chad pushed his chair out and squared up to Jacob, standing over his friend by a good four inches. “Really, dude, we’re gonna do this? You’re upset, I know that, and I also know why.”

“And why is that?” Jacob stepped closer to his friend. He has never been intimidated by Chad’s height or girth.

Jessica placed her hand on Chad’s arm and whispered his name. He nodded slightly, letting her know he had it under control. “Look, things with you and Elizabeth didn’t turn out how you wanted them to. I know that, but using Kristen like you are, isn’t fair to Kristen.” Chad looked down in his friend’s eyes. “It really isn’t.”

Jacob relaxed and backed away from Chad and slouched his shoulders and fell back down in his chair. The truth of his friend’s words weighed heavily on him. “Chad, you’re right. I was really hoping Elizabeth and I would work out. She really is amazing, and I’m having to deal with the fact she didn’t want us together, but I’m happy with my choice. Being with Kristen. She is comfortable to me, and I enjoy being with her. It might not be where I thought I’d be, but it’s good. It really is.”

Jacob looked between Chad and Jessica, and his sister. He noticed Stacey’s eye twitching to look behind him. He turned around to see Kristen leaning against the wall, looking confused and a little hurt.

Realizing she had probably heard what he just said, he got out of his chair and walked toward her. Reaching his hand out, he grasped her arm. As he touched her, she jerked back, like his touch burned her skin. “Kris, how much did you hear?” He walked toward her fast enough that she couldn’t walk away, and he surrounded her in his arms.

“Enough to hear I’m your second choice.” Jacob saw the anger and hurt well up in her eyes. He knew it wasn’t sadness. He didn’t really know if she was capable of that type of emotion, but he did know he had to squelch what he saw before it got out of hand and drama ensued.

“Kristen. You know that’s not true.” He closed his mouth over hers to keep her arguments at bay. He broke the kiss long enough to invite her to bed. “Come on and let me show you how not true it is. Let’s go back to bed.” He led her to his bedroom knowing she wouldn’t deny him.

Jacob’s bedroom door closed. Chad, Jessica, and Stacey looked at each other.

“Well, get ready for a storm when that hurricane makes landfall.” Stacey made this comment, gathered their cans, and finished cleaning up the kitchen.

Chad tugged on Jessica’s hand getting her to follow him to the door. It was late and time to go. They said their goodnights, and Chad and Jessica headed to his car and to his own bedroom.

Elizabeth was caught in that state between dreaming and reality. Willing her eyes not to open, she tried her hardest to hold on to what little bit of her dream she had left. Like they usually do, the closer to awake she became, the more her dream seemed to float away. She couldn’t remember the details of it anymore, just feelings. Feelings of love, peace, and acceptance filled her even though the details slowly left as consciousness took its place.

Finally, the scratchiness of her eyes being covered by her eyelids became too much of a bother. She reached over to feel for her phone when the sleepy dream-like state finally lost itself completely. She slowly opened her eyes to the very early morning light pouring in through the edges of her curtains.

Opening her eyes just a sliver, she glanced at her phone and noticed it was only five o’clock. A bit earlier than she would have liked, but she decided it was worth waking anyway. She stretched the sleepiness out of her body. First her legs, then her arms and back.

Standing up and walking to her dresser to put on a pair of shorts and a tank top, a thought quickly sliced through her.I really should try and contact Brady. He needs to know about the baby.

Confusion blasted through Elizabeth. “Where in the hell did that thought come from? It’s so random!” She questioned the person looking back at her from the mirror.

A small bit of realization washed over her, like Deja vu. This was part of what she had been dreaming about before waking. Her dream had something to do with talking with a guy about a baby. She guessed the guy was Brady and the baby was theirs, but she couldn’t be sure.

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